Finally, at true long last, award season’s crown jewel is back and possibly more glamour-filled than ever. Award show red carpets always host some of the year’s greatest fashion moments, but the stakes and prestige of the Academy Awards mean the evening spawns some of the greatest fashion moments of all time. And with this year’s presenter, nominee, and performer lists stuffed with more talented A-listers than ever, it’s a safe bet that the 2022 Oscars’ best-dressed attendees will be talked about long after the night ends.
Perennially stylish nominees like Kristen Stewart, Ariana DeBose, and Billie Eilish are pulling out all the stops to cap off a trend-heavy award season, while celebrity presenters like Zoë Kravitz, Serena Williams, and Lily James add plenty of fashion-forward fun to the Dolby Theater. Of course, things are just getting started — and it’s anyone’s guess what (or who) is coming next. Below, check out the best red carpet looks from Jamie Lee Curtis, Zendaya, Timothée Chalamet, Laverne Cox and more, straight from the 2022 Academy Awards.
Sofia Carson
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Sofia Carson kicked off the red carpet in a dramatic Giambattista Valli ballgown.
Jamie Lee Curtis
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Jamie Lee Curtis wore a navy blue Stella McCartney gown with a sparkling black fishnet overlay.
Lily James
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Lily James wore a baby pink Atelier Versace couture gown with satin pink platform heels.
Rickey Thompson
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Social media star Rickey Thompson an embellished velvet look from GCDS.
Demi Singleton
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King Richard‘s Demi Singleton wore a custom lavender gown from Miu Miu.
Laverne Cox
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Byrdie cover star and the red carpet host for the evening, Laverne Cox, arrived early on the red carpet in a billowing August Getty Atelier gown and Dena Kemp jewelry.
Vanessa Hudgens
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Vanessa Hudgens serves as this year’s official pre-show host, arriving on the red carpet in a slinky, sequined-covered gown, a custom design from Michael Kors.
Tracee Ellis Ross
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Swathed in this scarlet Carolina Herrera dress straight from the FW22 runway, Tracee Ellis Ross is radiant with her signature matching lipstick.
Jessica Chastain
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Best Actress nominee Jessica Chastain turned up on the red carpet in a cascading Gucci gown made with sequins assembled in a stunning ombré effect.
Lupita Nyong’o
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Every Oscar gown Lupita Nyong’o’s ever worn has been an instantly-iconic statement, and this gold-and-pink gown by Prada, covered in shimmering, movable texture and tiny roses, is no exception.
Becky G
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Becky G arrived on the red carpet looking breathtakingly classic in a pale pink Etro column gown highlighted by luminous threading and delicate, winglike panels at the hips.
Kodi Smit-McPhee
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Gracing the red carpet with some retro flair, Kodi Smit-McPhee’s powder-blue Bottega Veneta suit is illuminated by plenty of Cartier jewels at his neck, ears, and fingers.
Alana Haim
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Alana Haim’s scalelike Louis Vuitton gown is the dreamiest shade of celestial silver, with a scalloped hem pooling delicately around her feet.
Ariana DeBose
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Ariana DeBose and her bold red pant-corset-cape combo (all custom Valentino Haute Couture) managed to look sophisticated, glamorous, classic, cool, and effortless at once.
Kirsten Dunst
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Up for Best Actress for her work in The Power of the Dog, Kirsten Dunst’s touched violet-red gown (a vintage Christian Lacroix number accented by Fred Leighton jewelry) looks like the sartorial equivalent of a blooming rose.
Regina Hall
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Draped in this semi-sheer bronze Vera Wang gown (complete with the best boning details through the corset and long, gossamer sleeves billowing like a cape), Regina Hall is a modern Grecian goddess.
Nicole Kidman
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As she’s proven on more than one occasion, Nicole Kidman at the Oscars in a blue gown punctuated by one major texture detail is always a good idea. This slate blue version, custom Armani Privé, might be her best-ever.
Timothée Chalamet
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It’s Timothée Chalamet’s world and the Oscars just so happen to exist within it. Chalamet cemented his red carpet style star status with this sequin-drenched (and lace-trimmed) custom Louis Vuitton jacket, a dangling chain, and no shirt at all.
Chloe x Halle
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Looking like a real-life mermaid in this sweeping turquoise Roberto Cavalli dress, Halle Bailey and her gown’s delicate draping and limb-baring panels are a perfect complement to sister Chloe’s equally-sophisticated deep purple counterpart covered in swishy beads and tassels.
Zendaya
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Everyone knew Zendaya would arrive in one of the evening’s most memorable looks, but this Valentino skirt-blouse set is on another level. Her skirt’s silvery train, just dripping sequins, trails along as her white silk blouse is cut to show off her arms and abs.
Jada Pinkett Smith
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Refined and regal in a larger-than-life, high-necked Jean Paul Gaultier couture gown, Jada Pinkett Smith reminds other red carpet-goers of exactly why she’s a multi-decade style icon.
Maggie Gyllenhaal
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Maggie Gyllenhaall’s custom Schiaparelli gown, dotted with gold-lead embellishments and complete with an unforgettable silhouette, adds gilded opulence to the Oscars red carpet.
Andrew Garfield
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Trust the ever-reliable Andrew Garfield to put the coolest spin on the classic tuxedo with this velvet oxblood Saint Laurent jacket, topped off with a silky black western bowtie.
Zoë Kravitz
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Fresh off a slew of femme fatale-sleek looks on The Batman promotional tour, Zoë Kravitz did a full aesthetic 180 with this gorgeous candy-pink Saint Laurent gown accessorized with a shoulder-skimming bow and matching pink Kwiat jewelry.
Billie Eilish
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Forget a statement gown — Billie Eilish’s Gucci dress is more like an entire (acceptance) speech. Up for Best Original Song alongside brother Finneas, the singer never fails to dial up the red carpet drama.
Kristen Stewart
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Forever the queen of the high-fashion tuxedo, Kristen Stewart’s artfully deconstructed short-suit set (a custom Chanel creation) is a playful power move.
Megan Thee Stallion
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Looking so ethereal in a wave-blue, scallop-skirted gown by Gurav Gupta illuminated by plenty of blue-tinted sequins, Megan Thee Stallion ensured that her first red carpet Oscars moment was a timeless one.
Maya Rudolph
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Maya Rudolph is resplendent in a cheerful orange gown trimmed with fluffy feathers, a happy-go-lucky choice for the beloved star.
Serena Williams
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Dressed in what might be the evening’s most romantic look, Serena William’s fairytale-worthy Gucci gown is the lushest shade of rose pink while a garden’s worth of black lacy flowers trails up the bodice.
Rachel Zegler
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Elegance is the operative word for Rachel Zegler’s Dior couture dress, featuring a gentle cowl neck and bead-enhanced, semi-sheer netting.
Kourtney Kardashian & Travis Barker
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Looking like the king and queen of emo prom, Kourtney Kardashian and her fiancé Travis Barker played it cool in black-on-black vintage Mugler and Maison Margiela respectively.