The 96th Academy Awards is undoubtedly the biggest night on the cinema calendar, yet for many, the real excitement is watching the red carpet.
Stars arrive dressed to the nines in custom-made looks and pieces fresh off the runway to celebrate one glittering evening that wraps up award season.
Lily Gladstone, lauded for her performance in Killers of the Flower Moon, arrived wearing a collaborative look by Gucci and Joe Big Mountain of Ironhorse Quillwork, paired with Bulgari jewellery, while Emma Stone, who won the Oscar for Actress in a Leading Role for Poor Things, wore pale pistachio Louis Vuitton.
Several micro trends were spotted on the red carpet, especially sombre black, worn by Margot Robbie, Issa Rae and Carey Mulligan, who brought the house down in mermaid-cut Balenciaga haute couture.
Jodie Foster, meanwhile, was one of several wearing midnight blue, including her Nyad co-star Annette Bening.
Silver was another colour that dominated, spotted on Florence Pugh, Charlize Theron and Anya Taylor-Joy who opted for silver-tipped “feathers” around her Dior haute couture gown.
Ice blue was another big hitter, spotted on Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Lupita Nyong’o and Ava DuVernay, who accessorised her Louis Vuitton dress with a red protest badge calling for a ceasefire in Gaza. Made by Artists4Ceasefire, similar badges were also spotted on Ramy Youssef and Billie Eilish, who teamed hers with a skirt and jacket look by Chanel.
Hailee Steinfeld, meanwhile, looked ethereal in a gown of gold and sea foam by Lebanese designer Elie Saab.
Another micro trend was raised shoulder straps – spotted on Emily Blunt and Florence Pugh – both of who wore dresses with straps that hovered above the shoulder for a look that was odd but interesting.
No stranger to daring looks (she recently raised the fashion stakes by wearing a suit of armour for the world premiere of Dune: Part Two), Zendaya played it relatively safe at the Oscars, arriving in shimmering Armani Prive.
