Must-see red carpet looks from the 2025 Oscars

Hollywood's biggest night has arrived — the 97th Academy Awards are underway at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, serving as the grand fashion finale to awards season.

Hosted by Conan O'Brien, the star-studded Oscars presenter list includes Emma Stone, Selena Gomez, Willem Dafoe, Halle Berry, Ben Stiller, Andrew Garfield and Oprah Winfrey.

The night also features musical performances by Doja Cat, Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Lisa of Blackpink and more.

As the biggest and most extravagant awards show of the year, the Oscars red carpet delivers plenty of striking fashion moments and statement formal wear — some fresh off the couture runways, others pulled from iconic archives or made as one-of-a-kind custom looks for the night. 

Many of the trends we've seen so far this year, including gloves on women and head-to-toe black and brooches for men, re-appeared tonight. Some other defining trends included sculptural gowns with dramatic silhouettes, pearl-toned dresses in shades of ivory, silver and pale pink, and an abundance of velvet.

Here are some of the evening's best looks.

Ariana Grande

The Wicked star, nominated tonight for Best Supporting Actress, looked radiant in a sculptural pale pink and beige gown by Schiaparelli. This might be one of Grande's best Glinda-inspired looks yet — though last year's bubble-gum pink number was pretty great, too.   

Cynthia Erivo

Also dressed in character, Erivo — nominated for best actress for her role in Wicked — was unmissable in a dark green velvet ball gown, custom made for her by Louis Vuitton. As usual, her extra-long nails were painted and embellished to match her bold red carpet look.

Demi Moore

Moore, nominated for best actress for The Substance, has been having a standout awards season. Her form-fitting, heavily embellished gown by Giorgio Armani Privé radiates full glamour and was styled by Canadian stylist Brad Goreski.

Selena Gomez

Gomez, who stars in the Oscar-nominated film Emilia Pérez, is embracing old-school Hollywood glamour tonight. Her pink, bejewelled off-the-shoulder gown is a custom Ralph Lauren design, styled by Erin Walsh.   

Timothée Chalamet

Nominated for Best Actor for his role in A Complete Unknown, Chalamet has been making waves on the red carpet of late. Tonight he went for a butter-yellow Givenchy look — a relatively slim suit-and-shirt combo, anchored by a boxy, cropped double-breasted blazer that somehow just works. 

Lisa

The first K-pop singer to ever perform at the Oscars, Blackpink's Lisa wore a black-and-white look by New York-based label Markgong. Featuring a floor-sweeping jacket layered over a white button-up shirt, it's a fashionable take on the classic tuxedo. 

Jeremy Strong

Strong, a Best Supporting Actor nominee for The Apprentice, is known for his quirky red carpet choices. Tonight, he opted for a more conventional look  — a perfectly tailored tuxedo in an eye-catching shade of olive green by Loro Piana.

Michelle Yeoh

Ever elegant, Yeoh wore a bright blue, strapless column dress with a long train by Balenciaga. Her look was elevated by Boucheron fine jewelry, particularly the sculptural ear cuff and backdrop necklace.

Edvin Ryding

It can be tough to make a standard suit feel special, but the check sash and oversized floral brooch on Young Royals star Edvin Ryding work; he's also paying homage to his homeland by wearing Swedish brands. Statement brooches on men have been popular this award season.  

Stacy Martin

Sculptural, three-dimensional dresses are guaranteed to bring drama to the red carpet. This metallic, embellished gown on French actor Stacey Martin features a tent-like skirt contrasted with a fitted bodice by Louis Vuitton.

Storm Reid

The American actor and producer stood out in a bright red version of an Alexandre Vauthier Spring/Summer 2025 couture look. The standout feature? The removable, floor-length cape. 

Raffey Cassidy

Cassidy, who appears in the Oscar-nominated film The Brutalist, looked elegant in an asymmetrical, silk column dress by Loewe with a small train and bunny ear-like shoulder detail. The colour choice is less expected but on trend — ivory and beige have been popular on the red carpet tonight.

Yasmin Finney

The actor wore a beautiful velvet gown with face framing feathers. The strapless Harris Reed dress, styled by Justin Hamilton, was paired with sheer, opera-length gloves and David Yurman jewelry.