Hollywood stars arrived at the Oscars on Sunday in shimmering column dresses, jewel-toned gowns and structured and voluminous attire, flaunting bold choices that stood out on the novel champagne-coloured carpet ensconced under a tent.
Best supporting actress nominee Angela Bassett, from “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever”, opted for a bright purple dress with structural flourishes on the top and bottom of the gown.
Fellow nominee in that category, Stephanie Hsu, from “Everything Everywhere All At Once”, chose a strapless fuchsia Valentino gown with a wide skirt.
Cate Blanchett, best actress nominee for “Tar”, wore a draped azure top over a black skirt with a train.
Oscars organisers were keen to recreate night-time glamour in the tent, in contrast to the traditional outdoor red carpet.
Zanna Roberts Rassi, a fashion, beauty and entertainment journalist and entrepreneur, called this year’s Oscars fashion “absolutely exceptional”.
Several attendees took advantage of the indoor lights to don shimmery silver dresses or gowns encrusted with reflective materials.
Ana de Armas, the best actress nominee for “Blonde”, wore a silver column dress with a flamenco dancer-like flounce on the bottom. Ariana De Bose donned a sparkly white dress, cut low in front with transparent sleeves encrusted with shiny beads.
“Ethereal and silver was a big theme as well,” said Rassi. “We saw Ariana De Bose in Versace. We saw Kate Hudson in an incredible Rodarte. We also saw Ana de Armas in this magnificent Louis Vuitton.”
Education activist Malala Yousafzai, the executive producer of documentary short film “Stranger At The Gate”, wore a shimmery silver-hooded gown.
And then there were the women in white in strong silhouettes.
Michelle Yeoh, who won the best actress Oscar for “Everything Everywhere All At Once”, wore sparkling silver in her hair and a feathery white Dior gown.
Fellow best actress nominee Michelle Williams, the star of “The Fabelmans”, also went for ethereal white with a sparkly silver bodice.
Some of the men departed from the safe choice of a black tuxedo.
Musician Lenny Kravitz wore a draped black outfit, also cut low in front, and sported a giant cross hanging down his chest.
Another musician, David Byrne, nominated for best song from “Everything Everywhere All At Once”, wore a white head-to-toe suit.
Action star Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson wore a pink satin jacket.
Sarah Polley, the director and writer of “Women Talking”, opted for a black tuxedo-like suit with a ruffled white blouse rather than a gown.
Several women wore gowns with high-cut slits, among them Nicole Kidman in a shimmery black gown and Cara Delevingne in a dramatic red dress.
