oscars 2023

Best, Wackiest, and Most Camouflaged Looks From the Oscars Red Carpet

Photo-Illustration: by The Cut; Photos: Getty Images

Ladies and gentlemen, this is not a drill: Rihanna made an appearance at the Oscars in Alaïa. And though we could just end this best-dressed list there, there were other celebrities — including Lady Gaga, Cara Delevingne, and Angela Bassett — who showed up and deserve their flowers too. (Honorable mention for Paul Mescal and Pedro Pascal. If you’re reading this: <3)

This year, we had a seemingly last-minute change of the carpet color; instead of the traditional red, the stars walked on a “Champagne”-colored one. And it looks like not many celebrities got the memo before choosing their dresses because so many just blended right in. It seems Jamie Lee Curtis, like the rest of us, found out the day before and tweeted, “Apparently, at the @TheAcademy Oscars, their carpet is going to match my drapes.”

Anyway! We rounded up a curated list of the best and most eye-catching looks from the 95th Academy Awards. If you want to see all the looks, we’ve got that for you too.

Most Anticipated: Rihanna

The queen herself pulled up to the Oscars, where she was nominated for her first award, in Alaia. She showed up as one of the last arrivals, but everyone knows you don’t start anything until Rihanna is there. And we would have waited all night.

Photo: Kevin Mazur/Getty Images

Best Off-the-Runway to On-the-Carpet Moment: Lady Gaga

Madame Gaga wore a Versace dress that came down the runway on Gigi Hadid the night before at the fashion house’s show in Los Angeles. Who else could pull off such a quick turnaround?

Photo: Getty Images

Horny and On-Trend: Nicole Kidman

Rosettes, rosettes, rosettes — they’re nearly inescapable both on the runway and in the streets of New York, and Kidman brought them to the beige carpet while sharing some moist-looking smooches with husband Keith Urban.

Photo: Getty Images

My Husband: Paul Mescal

That’s all.

Photo: Gilbert Flores/Variety via Getty Images

Most Jaw-dropping: Malala Yousafzai

What’s it called when someone has beauty and brains? Malala. When I say my jaw literally dropped when I saw her walk the carpet in her silver, shimmery, hooded dress by Ralph Lauren, I am not exaggerating. I haven’t been so stunned by a styling choice in ages. Obsessed!

Photo: Getty Images

The Cut’s Favorite Dress: Hong Chau

Wearing a custom Prada dress, Chau was our fan favorite. The pink dress, created by Miuccia Prada and Raf Simons, included a long train. The design duo sent her four sketches and Chau responded with her own tweaks, referencing the 1997 Prada show, “I asked them to add a Mandarin collar,” she said. “A shoutout to my roots.” What a gift to be treated to this “business in the front, party in the back” look. I love to see some fun on the carpet.

Photo: Getty Images

Chicest IRL Block: Vanessa Hudgens

Chanel landed a red-carpet hit with the artist formerly known as Baby V with this one. I don’t want to hear a single thing anywhere along the lines of “It’s too simple for the Oscars” or “Where is the pizzazz?” This was literally the dress of my dreams as a little girl, and the pared-down color blocking is perfect.

Photo: Getty Images

Most Treasonous?!: Elizabeth Olsen

I’m totally kidding, but I’m dying to see Elizabeth Olsen break the fourth fashion wall and wear The Row, the label spearheaded by her sisters, Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen. She looks classic and chic in this sequined cowl-neck Givenchy number, but imagine the giggles we, the public, could have the day she decides to wear a custom look from them.

Photo: Getty Images

Best Suit: Harry Shum Jr.

Enough with the sleepy suits! No more tiresome tuxedos! Shum did what needed to be done to break this curse, this famine of beauty, with his suit choice by Adeam, one he called “East meets West.” A massive thank you to this Glee alum.

Photo: Getty Images

Biggest Craving Causer: Allison Williams

Williams looked like a beautiful, scrumptious, velvety cake snatched right from a scene in Sofia Coppola’s Marie Antoinette in this Giambattista Valli dress, and it’s making me hungry. If someone doesn’t DoorDash a soft, petite cheesecake from Magnolia Bakery to me immediately …

Photo: Getty Images

Nap Time’s Best Friend: Zoë Saldana

As soon as I saw this Fendi dress come down the runway, I knew it was exactly what I would have wanted to take a leisurely nap in if I were a Victorian aristocrat. If you know me, you know that’s some of the highest possible praise I could give a dress, and Zoë Saldana has confirmed this to be true. She looked dewy, glow-y, and well rested, and I just know this dress had something to do with it.

Photo: Getty Images

Most Glam: Cara Delevingne

The model recently shared her sobriety journey via a Vogue cover story, and it was nice to see her back on a carpet looking exquisite in this Elie Saab frock. This red dress brought all the drama a good awards dress should.

Photo: Getty Images

Camouflage-iest: Ana de Armas and Florence Pugh

It was nearly impossible to tell where the Champagne Oscars carpet ends and de Armas begins. Luckily, we got some texture on the train of this Louis Vuitton number to help differentiate the two. Second place in this category goes to Miss Flo herself in a billowing Valentino dress paired with black shoes and black hot shorts (they strike again!) that helped her stand out from the scenery.

From left: Photo: ANGELA WEISS/AFP via Getty ImagesPhoto: Getty Images
From top: Photo: ANGELA WEISS/AFP via Getty ImagesPhoto: Getty Images

Doing the Thing: Angela Bassett

I’m sorry in advance, this is the last day we, as a collective society, are allowed to use “An-gela Bass-ett did the thing” for any sort of joke. We’re going to tire it out otherwise! And with that in mind, I say she certainly was doing the thing in this Moschino purple dress.

Photo: Getty Images

Disco Daddy: Riz Ahmed

The gigantic popped collar on Ahmed’s Prada suit had me listening!

Photo: Getty Images
Best and Most Camouflaged Looks From the Oscars Red Carpet