Oscars 2026 Red Carpet: Every Stunning Fashion Moment You Need to See
The Oscars 2026 red carpet delivered unforgettable fashion moments. From Jessie Buckley's Grace Kelly tribute to Nicole Kidman's show-stopping Chanel, here are the best dressed stars of the night.
Before the first envelope was opened inside the Dolby Theatre on Sunday night, the real show had already been going on for hours outside — and if you missed the Oscars 2026 red carpet, you missed some of the most talked-about fashion moments of the entire year.
The 98th Academy Awards red carpet had everything: old Hollywood glamour with a modern twist, bold color stories, designer debuts, and a few surprises nobody saw coming. Stars pulled out every stop for Hollywood's biggest night, and this year's crowd delivered in a big way.
Here's a full breakdown of the best looks, biggest trends, and most unforgettable moments from the 2026 Oscars red carpet.
The Best Dressed Stars of the Night
Jessie Buckley — Best Actress Winner, Hamnet
Walk onto the Oscars red carpet in Chanel. Inspired by a Grace Kelly dress from the 1950s. Win Best Actress. That was Jessie Buckley's night, and her fashion matched every bit of it.
Buckley wore a custom pink bustier chiffon gown with a red satin leather stole, a look directly inspired by what Kelly wore to the Oscars decades ago. The result was timeless in the best possible way — a throwback that felt completely fresh. Fashion editors across the board immediately called it one of the best red carpet looks of the season.
Nicole Kidman — Presenter
Nicole Kidman has been setting the standard for Oscars red carpet fashion for thirty years and she reminded everyone of that on Sunday night. She arrived in custom feather-trimmed Chanel by Matthieu Blazy — a bespoke peplum gown with green and ivory sequins transitioning into powder pink feathers toward the hem. She paired it with a 1966 vintage Omega Sapphette timepiece from the brand's archives (Kidman is an Omega ambassador). When Nicole Kidman shows up in Chanel with a vintage watch from 1966, everything else on the carpet takes a breath.
Kate Hudson — Best Actress Nominee, Song Sung Blue
Kate Hudson made one of the night's most talked-about entrances in a custom Giorgio Armani Privé jade green bustier gown with a plunging sweetheart neckline and peplum waist. The color was unexpected and completely electric against the red carpet — a bold choice that paid off beautifully.
Teyana Taylor — Supporting Actress Nominee, One Battle After Another
Taylor had been building to this moment all season, and she delivered. Her custom Chanel gown was the result of a fitting in Paris just days before the ceremony. She said beforehand that it was "going to be good" — and she was right.
Demi Moore — Presenter
A year after attending as a Best Actress nominee in head-to-toe silver sequins, Moore came back as a presenter and made it clear she had zero intention of blending into the background. She wore Gucci and commanded the carpet with the same quiet confidence she's been bringing to red carpet appearances all season.
Misty Copeland — Performer
Copeland, who performed in the Sinners musical tribute onstage later in the evening, arrived on the red carpet in a David Koma blazer with a tutu-inspired skirt and a 27-carat diamond ring from Jared Atelier. It was one of the more unexpected and visually striking looks of the night — athletic grace meeting high fashion.
Rose Byrne — Best Actress Nominee, If I Had Legs I'd Kick You
Among the first nominees to arrive, Byrne wore a strapless black fishtail gown by Dior with beaded floral embroidery across the bodice and hem — a look that evoked Jonathan Anderson's most recent Dior collection. Understated and sharp.
Audrey Nuna — Performer, KPop Demon Hunters
Nuna arrived in a custom Thom Browne high-neck jacket covered in gold beading, paired with a voluminous ball skirt. The personal connection made it even more meaningful: Thom Browne was one of the first fashion orders her immigrant grandfather fulfilled in the garment industry. She and her stylist had intentionally saved gold for Oscar night — the night she performed "Golden."
Zoe Saldaña — Presenter
Saldaña showcased what fashion writers called the "lingerie trend" in a coquettish Saint Laurent gown with a sheer lacy bodice over a satin slip, offset by a Cartier diamond necklace. Elegant, modern, and exactly right.
Gwyneth Paltrow — Presenter
In a strapless tomato-red Armani Privé dress with a baby pink elongated skirt, Paltrow wore what fashion editors immediately flagged as one of the evening's most interesting looks — half classic glamour, half genuine risk. The red-and-pink color combination made an impression.
The Biggest Fashion Trends of the Night
Feathers Had a Moment
Between Nicole Kidman, Teyana Taylor, Demi Moore, and Bella Thorne, feathers were everywhere on the 2026 red carpet. The trend showed up in different forms — trailing hems, shoulder details, and full skirt accents — but the common thread was unmistakable. Hollywood was feeling maximalist.
Old Hollywood Glamour Made a Comeback
Multiple stars leaned into classic, vintage-inspired silhouettes this year. Jessie Buckley's Grace Kelly tribute was the most explicit version, but the broader theme of timeless glamour — strapless gowns, structured bodices, long trains — ran through the carpet all night. In an era when fashion rules have loosened considerably, stars are choosing to lean into the occasion rather than subvert it.
Color Went Bold
Jade green. Cobalt blue. Tomato red. Pale lemon. This was not a year for neutral gowns on the Oscars red carpet. Stars brought color, and the photographers' lenses were grateful for it.
Chanel Was Everywhere
Multiple stars wore Chanel on Sunday — Nicole Kidman, Jessie Buckley, Teyana Taylor, and Timothée Chalamet (in a crisp white Chanel look via Matthieu Blazy). Chanel's presence on the red carpet this year was dominant in a way that will get written about for a while.
Men's Fashion: Not an Afterthought
The men on the 2026 Oscars red carpet held their own. Timothée Chalamet arrived solo — girlfriend Kylie Jenner did not walk the carpet with him — in an all-cream double-breasted Givenchy suit with a simple pin and rings. Chalamet has been one of the most consistently interesting male dressers at awards shows for years now, and this look was no different.
Shaboozey arrived in a custom Campillo tuxedo, perfectly tailored and sharp. Lewis Pullman wore Saint Laurent by Anthony Vaccarello. Jacob Elordi arrived in a crisp look that turned heads. Pedro Pascal, who presented onstage, was camera-ready in every frame.
The Red Carpet Moment Everyone's Talking About
At some point during the arrivals, Variety's Angelique Jackson showed up on the press carpet wearing a nod to the pink dress Gwyneth Paltrow wore in 1999 when she won her Oscar for Shakespeare in Love. It was a small detail, but on a night full of fashion callbacks to cinema history, it felt perfectly in tune with the theme.
Final Verdict on the Oscars 2026 Red Carpet
If this year proved one thing, it's that the Oscars red carpet still has the power to make people stop and stare. When the night is right — when the films are good, the stakes feel real, and the stars actually dress for the occasion — there's nothing quite like it.
Sunday delivered on all three counts. The looks were stunning, the moments were real, and Jessie Buckley walking out in a Grace Kelly tribute and then winning Best Actress just made the whole thing feel like one long, beautifully dressed movie.
That's the Oscars at its best.
Fashion coverage reflects looks from the 98th Academy Awards red carpet, March 15, 2026.