After last year’s limited-capacity event, the Academy Awards returned in full force Sunday evening – and the red carpet was back to something resembling its glamorous best, too.
Though the event was delayed from its usual February slot for a second consecutive year due to Covid-19, there was barely a mask in sight, with social distancing restrictions from last time around also relaxed.
There was plenty of red on display as the guests arrived at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles. Kristen Dunst, Amy Forsyth and Best Supporting Actress winner Ariana DeBose were among the guests to impress in shades not dissimilar from the carpet itself.
Elsewhere, stars embraced the return of in-person proceedings with sparkling gowns and over-the-top silhouettes. Among the more dramatic looks were Jada Pinkett Smith’s emerald Jean Paul Gautier couture dress, which featured a voluminous ruffled train, and Maggie Gyllenhaal’s theatrically structured custom Schiaparelli column dress embellished with gold leaf and crystals.
The Oscars maintained its reputation as the most restrained of Hollywood’s award ceremonies, however, with several of the night’s best-dressed stars opting for classic glamourp. Rachel Zegler impressed in an elegant black floor-length gown and best actress winner Jessica Chastain wore a shimmery two-toned gown in bronze and lavender, while others looked to gold and silver, from Lupita Nyong’o in a flared Prada dress to Zendaya, who wore a two-piece custom Valentino ensemble – a cropped white top paired with a disco silver skirt and short train.
Several attendees – including Diane Warren and Jamie Lee Curtis – meanwhile used the occasion to send messages of support to the people of Ukraine with ribbons or jewelry.
The evening’s men kept things relatively simple in classic black-tie, though Daniel Kaluuya and “The Power of the Dog” star Kodi Smit-McPhee were among a handful of stars opting for colorful outfits (in an aquamarine Prada jacket and pastel Bottega Veneta tux, respectively).
But it was Timothée Chalamet who stole the show by going shirtless in an embroidered lace jacket and high-waisted pants from Louis Vuitton’s Spring-Summer 2022 womenswear collection. He then put his own spin on the gender-fluid outfit with a sparkling necklace and a pair of black boots.
Below are some of the night’s most eye-catching looks.
