A night honouring the best films, actors and industry experts, it’s one of the most-watched live ceremonies around the world, this year drawing an incredible 18 million viewers.
For those of you dedicated enough to stay up and watch things unfold in real time, I salute you. If, however, you’re like me and value your beauty sleep, let me catch you up on all the best red carpet moments and fashion trends spotted at this year’s ceremony.
The see-through trend has been popping up on red carpets for over two years now, and the 2025 Academy Awards proved that the trend isn’t going anywhere. At the Vanity Fair afterparty, Olivia Wilde wowed in a sheer dress from Chloé’s spring 2025 collection, reigniting my love of boho, while Julia Fox channelled Eve (of Adam and Eve) in a design by Dilara Findikoglu, which incorporated strands of hair into the see-through design.
Kendall Jenner—who rarely sets a foot wrong when it comes to fashion—opted for a slightly more wearable option, arriving in a black lace dress from Mugler’s archival. Sister Kylie was every bit the 20s movie star in a strapless corset dress from Ashi Studio’s spring 2025 couture collection, while Zoë Kravitz (perhaps inspired by CMAT’s derrière), chose a Saint Laurent number with a sheer panel at the back paying homage to the so-called “ass cleavage”, ubiquitious in the early 00s.
Good news for magpies: shiny is in. A few seasons ago, we saw this manifest in metallic trousers. The red carpet equivalent is shimmery, silver gowns. Halle Berry, a presenter at this year’s ceremony, pulled out all the stops in a mirrored Christian Siriano gown with 7,000—yes, you read that correctly—beads. Other celebrities to embrace silver this year include Demi Moore, who shined in a sequined gown by Armani Privé, Emma Stone in Louis Vuitton, and Mindy Kaling in Oscar de la Renta. The Brutalist star Felicity Jones’ chrome Armani dress was a personal favourite.
This year’s fashion definitely harked back to the glory days of old Hollywood. Body-hugging dresses with sleek hair, simple jewellery and tasteful make-up reigned supreme. Scarlett Johansson tied all three together in her look, a beautiful velvet gown by Thierry Mugler with matching gloves. Elle Fanning wore Sarah Burton’s Givenchy, which she paired with classic winged liner and a chic updo. Selena Gomez opted for Ralph Lauren while Julianne Hough was the cut of Grace Kelly in a flowing Christian Dior gown.
On the other end of the spectrum, bold colours. Perhaps the easiest way to ensure all eyes are on you, this year we saw everyone from Colman Domingo to Raye sporting statement colours. Domingo, who is always on my best dressed list, wore a belted Valentino blazer with a co-ordinating shirt underneath while Raye went with a gorgeous Vivienne Westwood number. Michelle Yeoh opted for a strapless blue silk dress by Balenciaga, while Zoe Saldaña donned a tiered Saint Laurent bubble dress in deep burgundy.
Plenty of black tie inspiration there, I think you’ll agree. Did you have a favourite look?
Photography by The Academy Awards.