The 96th Academy Awards was the most watched ceremony in four years, beating out the 2020 Oscars, with 19.5 million viewers. There were tons of memorable moments from this year’s ceremony that make it stand out, from with Billie Eilish’s live “What Was I Made For” performance and with Emma Stone’s dress malfunction.
Plenty of people have been voicing their opinions about how these Oscars would go for weeks now, with millions of people online (myself included) feeling personally smitten by Margot Robbie and Greta Gerwig’s lack of Best Actress and Best Director nominations, or predicting that Oppenheimer will easily sweep every category anyway (it did). However, as much of a self-proclaimed cinephile I am, I live for fashion first and foremost so let’s talk red carpet outfits.
If you thought my “Barbie” related comments were over, you were wrong because America Ferrera’s glittery pink Versace gown was undoubtedly one of my top three looks of the evening. It fit her like a glove and looked like she pulled it right out of Barbieland. Complete with a beautiful necklace and a very flattering haircut, this look could not have screamed Oscar-nominated actress any louder.
Which brings me to Barbie herself Margot Robbie’s outfit. Robbie dawned a shimmering Versace gown as well, but shockingly opted for black instead of pink. Don’t get me wrong, she looks absolutely beautiful and I adore the flattering way that the dress folds, but I would be lying if I said I wasn’t disappointed that Barbie’s last red carpet was something so simple.
However, once I did some internet digging, her choice to wear a less-colorful outfit was actually the most Barbie choice she could have made. If you leaf back through old “Barbie” press photos, Robbie always stands out in a bright pink or yellow or glittery ensemble, and her cast mates, specifically Ferrera, fade into the background wearing darker colors in order to make their Barbie shine brighter and stand out more. Seeing as Robbie was not nominated for Best Actress and Ferrera was nominated for Best Supporting Actress, Barbie took it upon herself to let Gloria be the star for the evening, as it was her turn in the spotlight, which is exactly the kind of female friendship Barbie stands for.
Greta Gerwig also seemingly decided to make a statement about her own nomination snub and decided that if she wasn’t going to receive an Oscar, she was going to become one. In a beautiful slim golden Gucci dress, Gerwig made sure to blend right in with her Barbie companions in their glittery dresses and bring Barbieland to the front row of the ceremony.
Although Ferrara did not walk away with an Oscar this evening, her fellow nominee Da’vine Joy Randolph’s gorgeous light blue Louis Vuitton dress deserved to be seen on the stage. The actress added blonde hair to compliment the dress perfectly and created a very Cinderella look fit for a winner. Even the large feathery arm cuffs don’t take away from the dress and are very flattering for her figure.
Louis Vuitton didn’t just dress one winner this evening, Emma Stone carried off her second Best Actress Oscar in a stunning mint green gown by the same designer. The dress was covered in delicate embroidery, creating a very classy vintage appearance. A slightly ruffled tier of fabric sat right at her waist, enhancing her figure and giving the dress an extra dramatic flair. Stone pulled her hair back and added a statement necklace and could not have looked more like a fairy.
I also would like to take a minute to step away from those individually nominated this evening and give the “Dune: Part Two” cast their flowers. Zendaya, Anya Taylor-Joy and Florence Pugh are carrying young Hollywood on their backs in fashion sense as well as acting ability.
As we’re all aware Miss Zendaya Coleman is allergic to wearing bad red carpet looks, but this one really stands out for me. She presented the award for Best Cinematography in a jaw-dropping deep pink and black Armani gown. The dress fit her in all the right places and the glimmering color combination and floral patterns were just perfect.
Taylor-Joy also presented the Best Animated Feature award this evening with her “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga” co-star Chris Hemsworth. Her gown was a shining, silvery Dior ensemble that was as eye-catching and glamorous as the actress wearing it. The layered petal effect and gems near the top of the bodice caught every ounce of light as she opened the envelope that night.
Finally, Pugh’s Del Core gown is one of my favorites she’s worn since beginning the “Oppenheimer” press tour. Another silver dress from a blonde actress but the bare, satin looking skirt combined with the intricate structured look at the top of the dress makes it impossible to confuse with Taylor-Joy’s. Not to mention this is probably my favorite haircut in Pugh’s inventive hair history.
As usual, many of the male attendees didn’t make much of a fashion statement and played it safe in their black and white suits, but, expectedly, Ryan Gosling and his Kens’ live performance of “I’m Just Ken” made sure to give the audience the spectacle they deserved. Taking inspiration from Marilyn Monroe’s infamous “Diamonds Are A Girl’s Best Friend” performance, Gosling wore a glitzy hot pink suit while the rest of the Kens wore black, white and pink tuxedos, just like Monroe’s backup dancers. Gosling and company were without a doubt the most impressive male dressers of the evening and I will miss the Barbie red carpet era for the rest of my life.
The 2024 Oscar ceremony was certainly one for the books, with the excitement of “Barbenheimer” sweeping the nation and encouraging people to reunite with the feeling of seeing a movie in theaters for once. I’m thankful that so many people felt engaged with the award show because they had taken the time to see at least those two hugely nominated and successful movies. I’m just as thankful for the red carpet pre-show, of course, for fulfilling my need to survey every look as soon as possible.