Oscars 2023: The coolest looks on the champagne carpet

12 Mar, 2023 11:17 PM7 mins to read

Vanessa Hudgens arrives on the champagne carpet at the 2023 Oscars. Photo / Getty Images

Believe it or not, this year’s Academy Awards celebrates its 95th year. While the glittering occasion is just shy of its centenary, it prompts reflection on just how significant a role the red-carpet event has played in the evolution of red-carpet dressing.

From self-styled outfits that in hindsight feel even more endearing now, to the rise of celebrity stylists, the Oscars has well and truly influenced pop culture moments, from Halle Berry’s historic win in 2002 in a memorable Ellie Saab gown, to Bjork’s iconic Marjan Pejoski swan dress (we love).

Like all good awards fashion, designer names have had immeasurable exposure from the event, providing a platform for lesser-known brands and amplifying the awareness around emerging talent.

While rating for the awards has been on the decline in recent years, we’re still here for the fashion, this year set against a champagne-coloured carpet, a softer complement to the myriad coloured ensembles on display.

Here are the Viva fashion team’s top picks.

Angela Bassett

Nominated for best supporting actress, will the Oscars finally recognise this woman as one of the greatest actors of our time? Her first nomination in 1993 for portraying Tina Turner in What’s Love Got to Do With It also faced stiff competition that year, losing out to Holly Hunter’s equally stunning performance in The Piano. For her nomination this year in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Angela is up against Hong Chau, Kerry Condon, Jamie Lee Curtis and Stephanie Hsu, and for the occasion she doesn’t veer too far from one of her favourite colours in this violet-hued Moschino gown with a classic Bulgari Serpenti necklace.

David Byrne and Mala Gaonkar

Famously good at wearing a suit, David’s really pulling off this crisp white ensemble; somehow, it doesn’t come across as clinical or uniform, and perhaps it’s his visible joy that’s softening the look, or those great boots. He’s hand in hand with investor and writer Mala Gaonkar — the two worked together on the immersive production Theater of the Mind — wearing a beautifully draped sari in chartreuse with elegant pewter trim. David will be performing his Oscar-nominated song from Everything Everywhere All At Once.

Fan Bingbing

She’s the Chinese megastar who’s making something of a comeback to the awards circuit, playing up her porcelain features in an intricately beaded gown with an emerald green silk finish by Tony Ward from the label’s autumn/winter 2022 couture collection.

Jessica Chastain

Winning an Oscar last year for best actress for her lead role in The Eyes of Tammy Faye, this year she returns dressed again in Gucci on presenting duties and keeps the Veronica Lake dream alive in a form-fitting gown and 1940s waves. Judging by this year’s overwhelming number of elegant choices, she’s on the money thanks also in part to celebrity red-carpet styling queen Elizabeth Stewart.

Laverne Cox

The beauty of Laverne’s red-carpet choices is that they teeter toward the extravagant, and while the front of this custom Vera Wang is great, the drama is all in the back with a floor-sweeping turquoise train trailing behind her, worn with Hanut Singh earrings and a David Webb ring.

Ashley Graham

Also opting for full drama, this playful custom Alberta Ferretti gown is giving full goddess vibes with its free-flowing silhouette. We particularly love the balance of this plait up-do and choice of jewellery — ear cuffs add another layer of drama here.

Riz Ahmed

One of the better-dressed men in the acting world, Riz Ahmed clearly loves clothes. He wears Prada regularly, and this outfit is from the brand’s autumn / winter 2023 collection – an ingenious way to show a dash of skin.

Vanessa Hudgens

Collaborating once again with stylist Jason Bolden, Vanessa’s vintage Chanel strapless gown is an elegant choice, complete with a complementary updo and black and white nail art.

Sofia Carson

The Disney alumni hasn’t veered too far from the princess fairy tale in this Giambattista Valli mermaid gown, complemented by a rather large emerald diamond necklace, because why not.

For live coverage of the carpet and ceremony, follow the Herald’s live blog below.

Lukas Dhont

Nominated for best international feature for his coming-of-age drama Close, the Belgian director adds a touch of European sophistication in custom Prada and Boucheron jewels. Bonus points for bejewelled gloves.

Michelle Yeoh

The look might appear pedestrian to some which can sometimes be the case with Dior, but by now, we’ve come to get to know Michelle a little better during award season and her love of an avant-garde look. So it’s nice to see her at the end of the marathon of campaigning wearing something a little more relaxed. One thing we love about her style is she’s one of the few actors (maybe the only one) who loves a dinner watch, so it’s great to see her select this complementary timepiece from her famously extensive collection of Richard Mille watches.

Harvey Guillén

The What We Do in the Shadows actor brings a refreshing dose of personality to red-carpet events favouring colour and volume. That latter was the MO for the Oscars, with this theatrical suit (a tuxedo tail-cape hybrid) by Christian Siriano and a very elegant finger-waved hairstyle.

Hong Chau

Nominated for best supporting actress for her stellar performance in The Whale, the first-time Oscar nominee shines in this quintessential Prada gown with a textured train.

Janet Yang

The producer behind movies as varied as The Joy Luck Club and The People vs. Larry Flynt, and current president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, this fantastically fluid silver gown is befitting such an esteemed title. Yang looks stellar — quite literally — and all this silver and embellishment has an effect both regal and armour-like; powerful indeed, particularly for an event that could prove history-making for Asian women in Hollywood if Michelle Yeoh wins the best actress gong.

Malala Yousafzai

The youngest-ever Nobel Peace Prize laureate and advocate for female education activist produced the Oscar-nominated short documentary Stranger at the Gate with director Joshua Seftel. Having achieved more than most at the event, the formidable presence is dressed in a Ralph Lauren gown with shimmering paillettes.

Sarah Polley

The Canadian director is up for two Academy Awards, including best picture, for Women Talking, a film about patriarchal oppression, so suitably she selects this chic Saint Laurent tux, accessorised with a Tyler Ellis bag, Christian Louboutin shoes, and Irene Neuwirth jewellery.

Cara Delevingne

Actor and model Cara Delevingne has had a big week, with the release of her US Vogue cover and interview. We read it over the weekend, so it’s very nice to see her back in the public eye and looking so good in this striking scarlet dress by Lebanese fashion designer Elie Saab – and that operatic swathe of red calls to mind another of his famous red carpet looks, the 2002 gown Halle Berry wore to collect her historic Oscar win.

Danai Gurira

Giving us pure Black hair fantasy, we love the way Danai adds a sense of power to an otherwise simple black gown from Jason Wu. The Black Panther: Wakanda Forever actor is on presenting duties for the night, and supporting Wakanda’s cast and crew for its impressive nomination tally of five awards.

John Cho

A very elegant look, that demonstrates how to reference historic formalwear without looking too costume-y or uptight. The key here is the lustre and texture of luxurious fabrics — the velvet shawl-collar jacket with a glimpse of what may be a scarf or trimming underneath, sheen of the trousers, and gleaming patent shoes — and the accessories, pivotally, a very excellent broach. Men, take note.