Contrary to popular belief, the 2018 Oscars red carpet was not just an elaborate publicity stunt to launch Glossier’s new eyeshadow. It was, in reality, a very boring fashion show that I watched two hours of just to get a two minute glimpse of Timothée Chalamet. Award show red carpets aren’t typically a space where personal style and fashion risk-taking are on display, but that doesn’t mean there weren’t a gaggle of stand-out looks this year. In no particular order, here are my, as someone who judged the night’s fashion in a facemask and old sweatshirt via my bed, favorite looks from 2018’s Oscars red carpet.
1. Lupita Nyong’o’s 2014 Oscars gown will likely go down in Oscars dress history, but this year, her Versace look was a much bolder choice. It reminds me of Michelle Obama’s final state dinner gown, another badass Versace dress that’s reminiscent of gold armor. Nyong’o is no stranger to armor after starring in “Black Panther,” so it was no surprise she chose to channel the look on the carpet.
2. Lady Bird herself, Saoirse Ronan, is not here for your Millennial Pink slander! She understands the joy that comes from dressing like the bathwater on Harry Styles’ album cover! Structurally, I love the dress’s cropped hem and weird proportions (what’s up with the giant bow and why do I love it?), so much so that it’s quite possibly my favorite look of the night.
3. Barnard’s very own Greta Gerwig sadly walked away empty handed at the Oscars, but at least she looked fabulous while doing so! Acting as the Gen-Z Yellow to Ronan’s Millennial Pink, Gerwig’s embroidered Rodarte gown was a delightful sunflower of a dress. I also really appreciate the choice to wear a bright red lip with a bright yellow dress, as I actively advocate for this underrated lip/clothes color combo.
4. After some brief initial debate, I was fully on-board with this look from Timothée Chalamet. It gets better when you learn that he doesn’t use a stylist, meaning he instinctively knew he could rock a white suit (it’s custom Berluti, btw.) The look could potentially feel a bit too old for the youngest best actor nominee in 80 years (a statistic I knew off hand for some reason), but the black boots make it feel effortlessly cool. Gary Oldman could never.
5. Moving onto the other best dressed French person of the night, cinema legend Agnes Varda showed up to the Oscars in GUCCI PAJAMAS. I don’t even know what else I need to say.
6. I always enjoy seeing velvet on a red carpet, and I always enjoy seeing Daniel Kaluuya on a red carpet, so the Oscars was bound to be a great night for me! Kuluuya’s velvet blazer was later overshadowed by the news that he wore Rihanna’s Fenty Beauty foundation on the carpet, but I believe there is room to appreciate both in this world.
7. I’m not sure if Kaluuya’s “Black Panther” co-star Danai Gurira also wore Fenty Beauty, but she did have sparkly hair, which is an automatic win. She too understands the power of Millennial Pink, and I love the baby pink shade of her Gabriela Hearst gown.
8. Last, but certainly not least, is “Call Me By Your Name” screenwriter James Ivory, who wore a sketch of Timothée Chalamet’s face printed on a crisp dress shirt. He is also 89 years old and had more fun with his outfit than any of these youths! Thank you, James Ivory, for ensuring that even if Chalamet didn’t get a chance to go onstage, he would be there in spirit.