The Oscars are over. Does that mean I get to rest? Nope!
When the Academy Awards draw to a close, it’s time for the afterparty. This carpet is often just as glamorous as the main ceremony, and I would be remiss not to share it with you.
Let’s take a look!
Odessa A’Zion in Harris Reed
I just love colors and textures, and this dress from Harris Reed’s Fall/Winter 2026 ready-to-wear is rich in both. This deep, primary color palette suits A’Zion beautifully, and I love all the different patterns on the dress.
Cara Delevingne in Thom Browne
Right off the bat, this look reminded me of the dress Teyana Taylor wore to the Actor Awards (also by Thom Browne) a couple weeks ago. I love the way these designs use the human form as a canvas for images of the human form. I find it to be a really beautiful way to imagine the body. I would also point out the irony of the fact that, while women aren’t permitted to be topless in public (at least here in the United States), they can cover themselves with images of nudity. It’s a really interesting commentary that challenges ideas about the female body and why we think of it as inappropriate for public view.
Colman Domingo in Jacquemus
This is a fantastic pinstripe suit moment, but what I really love about this look is the oversized pocket kerchief. Accented by a vintage Boucheron brooch, the black border creates an almost two-dimensional, cartoonish appearance that is so fun and unique. Thank you Colman Domingo for reliably doing menswear right on the red carpet.
Elle Fanning in Givenchy
I like this a lot better than the dress Fanning wore to the actual ceremony. With a full-length skirt, I think this would have been a perfect Oscars dress. Fanning doesn’t wear dark colors very often, which is a shame because I think the black dress with red jewelry is a great look for her. I will say, like many darker-colored dresses, this one struggles in photographs because it’s sometimes hard to see the bow detail, which makes the silhouette look a little awkward. But once you see a photo with better lighting, it really is a beautiful dress.
Karol G in Ashi Studio
This silver oil-painted dress from Ashi’s Spring/Summer 2026 collection really is spectacular. It looks almost like it’s sculpted from silver, and I love the draping and the train. Unfortunately, I think the styling was a miss here. The casual hairstyle and clear plastic shoes just didn’t do this look justice, and I definitely prefer the runway styling.
Emily and Jeff Goldblum in ERL
This is awesome. I try not to use the word “cunty” on here, but it’s the only way to describe these matching looks. Both Emily and Jeff are wearing vintage skunk fur (a more sustainable option for fur on the red carpet), and they really did a great job of committing to the look. I love Emily’s sunglasses, and I would have liked to see Jeff wear his matching pair on the red carpet.
Laura Harrier in Gucci
Gucci has really been winning lately. I love a sleek, sequined dress like this, and we’ve been seeing a lot of that lately. This is also a great color for Harrier, and the backless design is flawless.
Louisa Jacobson in Khaite
Someone always shows up on a red (Gray? Silver?) carpet cosplaying as a character from The Matrix (1999), and I eat it up every time. Sometimes it’s cool to wear sunglasses inside at night, and this look from Khaite’s Fall/Winter 2026 ready-to-wear collection is a perfect example.
Rita Ora in Tamara Ralph
You’ve got to love a ridiculous hat on a red carpet. This look also reminds me a lot of the iconic Elie Saab dress Halle Berry wore to the 2002 Oscars, which has become a staple of fashion history.
That being said, there is something else that made me talk about this look. The hat is made from ostrich feathers, and I have some questions about that. Unlike other birds, ostriches don’t molt. This means that if you want to use their feathers, you have to pluck them from the bird. A sustainability argument could be made that there’s no reason not to harvest the feathers from birds farmed for meat, and I’d be inclined to agree. However, ostrich feathers are also taken from live birds, and I haven’t been able to find information about how Tamara Ralph sources them. Fur has pretty much vanished from the red carpet over ethical concerns, but feathers seem to get a pass for some reason.
I see fashion as an art form, and there’s nothing frivolous about that art form. Still, I have to ask if it’s worth it to harm living creatures for a red-carpet moment. In addition to being more transparent about how they source animal products, I would like to see Tamera Ralph look into new materials and technologies to replicate the look in a more sustainable way. Stella McCartney has been exploring cruelty-free fashion for some time, and I’d like to see more designers follow suit.
Suki Waterhouse in Tamara Ralph
This is a great example of a white dress that doesn’t feel bridal. Waterhouse looks like an actual goddess who has come down from the heavens to bless us with her red-carpet style in this haute couture gown. This peacock feather motif was also used on Simone Ashley’s dress, another Tamara Ralph creation.
Naomi Watts in Balenciaga
This is breathtaking. I love the use of black and silver sequins to create an almost celestial pattern on the dress, emulating a starry night sky. It’s also a creative way of giving the impression of light reflecting off the fabric in a way that shows up in all different kinds of lighting. This is a smart choice for a gown that will be seen both in the lights of the red carpet and a darker environment at the party itself.
Sartorial Onscreen 
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