The coolest looks of 2024, from Zendaya to Paul Mescal

Fluffy frivolity, archival deep-cuts and a return to tailoring - these are all the best-dressed celebrities this year according to the Viva team.

It’s been a long, weird year and when it comes to star style, fashion has run the gamut from brilliant to boring.

With the Hollywood machine back into full gear, myriad global events and an insatiable appetite from the general public to discuss the fashion of the rich and famous to an almost excessive level, some headline-grabbing looks proved to be just a flash in the pan, while others were burned in our psyche.

The 2024 celebrity calendar was jam-packed with opportunities for dressing up.

The first Monday of May saw stars try to parse the complex Met Gala theme with mixed results and plenty of red-carpet critique.

With the Paris Olympics and Wimbledon in July, sportswear proved a winning bet and celebrities like Zendaya (who was also promoting the Luca Guadagnino film Challengers) went all in on athleticism.

Everyone and their dog at the historic tennis tournament was dressed in Ralph Lauren, and 2024 saw preppy style and conservative codes embraced by celebrities – so many ties – with iterations more subversive than others.

Character dressing was unrelenting, and the whole Dune 2 cast committed to the bit for the film’s press tour. Daisy Edgar Jones did the same with a vortex of outfits for Twisters, while Lady Gaga experimented with high-fashion clowning while promoting the divisive Joker: Folie à Deux.

Clothes were used to command attention and make a statement. Many, from the likes of Mark Ruffalo and Bella Hadid, were political.

Vintage continued to be popular for red carpet dressing, providing a vehicle for stars to flex their access to exclusive archival pieces, harness the cultural cachet of fashion cannon, and the ability to slip into tiny couture samples from decades past.

New designers also had a notable impact on how celebrities dressed; stars favoured hose-clad Saint Laurent looks and we saw a load of Loewe.

So, who’s on our list this year? Ayo Edebiri and Emma Corrin are returning for a second year in a row, and men stepped up their game. See them all below.

Zendaya, Met Gala

She was up to the task as co-chair and didn’t disappoint in not one, but two standout looks. While the first - a Margiela Artisanal number by John Galliano and jewels from Bulgari - was a moody nod to the theme in a Miss Havisham in Great Expectations kind of way, it was the second outfit change of the night that stood out: an archival John Galliano-era Givenchy gown with a hyperbolic train, perfectly topped off with an iconic piece of millinery courtesy of Philip Treacy for Alexander McQueen’s spring/summer 2006 collection. In a sea of borrowed couture, this one was made better by the fact that Zendaya actually bought this without Galliano’s knowledge before The Met. Now that’s what you call a fashion super fan. – Dan Ahwa

Ayo Edebiri, BAFTAs

I’m always excited to see what Ayo Edebiri might don to a red carpet event – she always looks smart, cool and playful. Her talent is embracing the camp and comedy of fancy dress through cheeky subversion of dress codes. There are many examples where she has showcased a sense of humour; think her custom minty Bottega Veneta blazer and shorts at the Inside Out 2 premiere or the scandalously torn tiered Thom Browne dress at the Academy Museum Gala. The look that encapsulates this for me was her New Hollywood showing in Bottega Veneta at the BAFTAs – the tufts blooming from her lush pink coat are Lorax-y and amazing. – Madeleine Crutchley

Lizzy Caplan, Emmy Awards

Lizzy Caplan is pure elegance in this Yohji Yamamoto dress sourced from vintage archival fashion rental destination Artifact New York. Perfection! – Johanna Thornton

Beyonce

It’s impossible to watch Beyonce ride into Houston’s NRG Stadium past 16 carriages (Cadillacs) and not feel moved. She’s a masterful image maker, and her Cowboy Carter performance at the Christmas-day NFL match was the zenith (so far) of her reclamation of country music within her oeuvre. What makes this musical chapter, and this look, so brilliant, are the references and context she lays out – intentionally signalling to those who understand the culture and history, and for those who don’t providing an entrée or, at the very least, fabulous outfits like this opening number. The coat is Roberto Cavalli haute couture designed by Fausto Puglisi, the hat is a custom number by the LA-based ASN Hats and she was styled for the show by Shiona Turini. – Emma Gleason

Great Lee, Santa Barbara International Film Festival

If we’re to judge coolest looks purely by how often we’ve bookmarked or screenshot someone’s outfits Greta Lee would win my contest by a mile (thanks in no small part to that Calvin Klein campaign). Her style is most associated with Spanish luxury fashion house Loewe, whom she’s a brand ambassador for, but I think this Alaïa dress she wore in February is a clear distillation of what appeals to me about her style: obvious elegance undercut with eccentric touches - in this case the fun racerback and sheerness of the fabric. Admirable too - the confidence that emanates. There’s never a sense Greta is intimidated by the grandeur of these luxury garments, she’s the drawcard they’re the cherry on top. – Tyson Beckett

Colman Domingo, BAFTAS

Nominated for his role as Bayrd Rustin in Rustin, Colman Domingo’s look was one of the best on the night. The custom Boss design is a fresh take on a classic tux — the ribbon tie and Moiré taffeta jacket are two surprisingly unconventional details that just work. But he’s had quite a good year and his Met Gala look was another of my favourites - an elegant Willy Chavarria look made even more dramatic with a floor-skimming cape built into a classic, cream tuxedo jacket. The addition of white Calla lilies made a beautiful cameo too. Let’s hope he has a starring role in next year’s highly anticipated and timely Met exhibition theme for 2025: Superfine: Tailoring Black Style. – Dan Ahwa

Rachel Sennott, Academy Museum Gala

Rachel Sennott’s highlighter yellow gown at the Academy Museum Gala was one of the most joyful red carpet looks of the year. It’s a puffer dress from Jean Paul Gautier 1995, pulled from the archives. The bottom of the bodice is the detail that does it for me. – Madeleine Crutchley

Lorde and Charli XCX

Okay, I know Brat Summer was all about the tiny T-shirt and even smaller shorts, but this look was the number one for me – its gravitas amplified hugely by the fact that Lorde joined here to wear matching Saint Laurent ensembles for their surprise duet at Madison Square Garden. So hot, so cool and not confusing at all. – Emma Gleason

Saoirse Ronan, Jimmy Kimmel Live!

In October when Saoirse Ronan stepped out in Los Angeles wearing this energetic and eye-catching blue JW Anderson minidress it signalled a moment of calculated re-entry. The star of Blitz and The Outrun was re-entering the public realm after an intentional break from the screen and having engaged the professional services of stylist Danielle Goldberg, she was using the opportunity to redefine her sartorial image. A string of newsworthy outfits followed as she continued on the promotional train, but this first look was a strong reminder of fashion’s power as a course-correcting narrative tool. – Tyson Beckett

Margaret Qualley, Paris Fashion Week

In what’s been a cumulatively memorable parade of looks, I’ve very much enjoyed seeing Margaret Qualley’s array of Chanel outfits this year. She started the year walking the runway for the house in January, wore it throughout Cannes Film Festival and press calls for The Substance, but this tweedy suit in October was one of the best. – Emma Gleason

Dominic Sessa, BAFTAS

A standout from The Holdovers, Dominic Sessa adds some bohemian elegance to this Saint Laurent tuxedo. The cut, the satin lapels, the layered silk shirt — everything is working well here and while we’ve seen plenty of brooding looks from other new-age lead men from Harris Dickinson to Paul Mescal, Dominic’s style feels a little less polished which makes it much more compelling. – Dan Ahwa

Carey Mulligan, SAG Awards

She is beauty, she is grace in this sculptural strapless Armani Prive dress. This custom-made satin dress looks like liquid gold, and is gorg paired with the Fred Leighton jewels. – Johanna Thornton

Bella Hadid

Like Beyonce, Bella has been in a country era this year, emerging from a health-focused hiatus with bootcut jeans and bronzer. But it was her appearance at Cannes Film Festival earlier this year that was the most memorable, stepping out on the Promenade de la Croisette in a vintage dress by Michael and Hushi, inspired by shemagh scarves (similar to a keffiyeh) and, as the half-Palestinian model explained on Instagram afterwards, a display of solidarity. – Emma Gleason

Paul Mescal, Milan Fashion Week

A signature look so distinctive as to spawn Halloween costumes and an SNL skit? Paul Mescal’s personal brand has the strength the rest of us (and most marketing teams) can only dream of. Such is the beguiling sway of the trendsetting Irish actor that even I picked up a pair of butt-cheek skimming polyester running shorts during a recent flea market trip. – Tyson Beckett

Emma Corrin, Deadpool & Wolverine premiere

This textural masterpiece by Dilara Findikoglu was my favourite film premiere look this year. Emma Corrin’s stylist Harry Lambert chose this feathery dress for the Rio de Janeiro premiere of Deadpool & Wolverine. It features a tight corset and exaggerated hips and the glossy texture highlights the dress’ harsh shape. Emma Corrin really knows how to method dress for a film premiere – their romantic and gothic Nosferatu looks might have singlehandedly convinced me to watch the remake. – Madeleine Crutchley

Yseult

What a perfectly Parisian look for the closing ceremony of the Olympic Games? Yseult wore custom Dior and it was sublime. In another notable outing this year the artist attended Cannes in another outfit from the house, a recreation of an ensemble from the famous New Look collection that redefined the 1940s. – Emma Gleason

Ayo Edebiri in Bottega Veneta

The Bear star Ayo Edebiri solidified her status as a fashion maven this year, reliably featuring on best-dressed lists from A-list events, but equally being admired for her off-duty outfits. Perhaps the year’s clearest sign she’s ahead of the zeitgeist came at the Emmy Awards in September – Ayo wore a graphic laser-cut and 3D-printed column dress by Bottega Veneta. Months later Bottega’s creative director Matthieu Blazy would be cherry picked for arguably the most coveted and prestigious job in fashion: helming Chanel. Ayo knows what’s hot. – Tyson Beckett

Eddie Redmayne

It’s been a great year for menswear. We’ve seen more creativity, flair and sensuality on red carpets. And fun too: this Valentino by Alessandro Michele in October oozed elegance and frivolity all at once, both things we need more of. – Emma Gleason

Rihanna at the British Fashion Awards

Arriving typically late the artist and Fenty mogul made her entrance in a turquoise wrap coat and faux fur hat from Christian Lacroix’s fall 2002 couture collection which the New York Times fashion critic Vanessa Friedman perfectly describes as haute Flintstone meets the Folies Bergère. – Dan Ahwa

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