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There have been pops of red, pregnancy reveals and less naked dresses than normal (wahoo!), but as the Oscars rounds out awards season 2024, what will we remember about the fashion? Vintage dominated headlines, but not without concerns surrounding remakes, and there was a general cloud of nostalgia cast across an industry playing it safe against the backdrop of a dismal news cycle. “Modern Old Hollywood” became the phrase dished out by stylists reveling in the chance to raid designers’ archives, while method dressing reached its apex. Vogue’s notes? The marquee events, from the Golden Globes to the Grammys, are a political minefield when it comes to brand ambassadorships and exclusive bookings, but it would have been life-affirming to see more emerging talent getting its time on the world’s stage. Here, the key red-carpet trends of awards season 2024.
The Super-Snatched Silhouette
The waspish waist has one man to thank for its rib-crunching return: John Galliano. The hopeless romantic’s Margiela Artisanal show, staged on the closing night of Couture Week and against the backdrop of the awards season circus, marked an entire vibe shift in fashion–one that, as time goes on, cannot be underestimated (check out the bumper theatrics and playful model walks on the fall 2024 runways for proof of Galliano and movement director Pat Boguslawski’s creative impact). Fearless fashion ambassador Hunter Schafer has already wriggled into the striking, sculptural pannier dresses and Kendall Jenner arrived cinched to high heaven at the Vanity Fair Oscars after-party. Elsewhere, the super-snatched Schiaparelli silhouettes favoured by Sandra Hüller, Dua Lipa, Carey Mulligan and, indeed, any style plate sitting up and taking notes indicate that Old Hollywood-chic is very much au courant and in line with the industry’s predilection for nostalgia.
Real and Remade Vintage
The rise of vintage on the red carpet has proved that newness isn’t always necessary, but the number of remakes, rather than original pieces, has left fashion feeling a little cynical. “It’s taking the exciting nature of a vintage reference, but still creating excess that didn’t exist before,” Alexis Novak, founder of Tab Vintage, told Vogue. Among the stars doing their homework and digging deep in designers’ archives? Elle Fanning, whose sweet Pierre Balmain dress at the Golden Globes had shades of Princess Margaret, and Miley Cyrus’s bedazzled Bob Mackie Grammys number because, unsurprisingly, Cyrus was born to wear Bob Mackie. Classic – rather than overtly contemporary – styling ran in tandem with the Dune: Part Two promo tour and the coup that was Zendaya’s Mugler “gynoid” suit dating back to fall 1995. Leave it to method-dressing queen Margot Robbie to try and one-up her in a Mugler spring 1996 corset at the Oscars.
Method Dressing
British Vogue called time on method dressing somewhere between the 1,000th Barbie-pink Margot Robbie look and Dakota Johnson’s cobwebbed fashion on the Madame Web promo tour. It’s not to say we don’t love a reference! (See again: Zendaya’s chrome-and-Plexiglass bodysuit paying homage to Nadja Auermann), but we quickly reached saturation point thanks to Mattel. Why continue hammering home the same message when there are tens of young designers with bright ideas who would benefit from the backing of this year’s nominees? Awards shows should cast their vote where it matters.
Leading Men
Whatever your opinion of Barry Keoghan’s style is, there is no denying his punk attitude has made waves this season–not least because his suits have been, in part, inspired by the Sex Pistols. The Saltburn star and his fellow leading actors have raised the bar around what men’s red-carpet style looks like, with “rebellious, adventurous and creative” looks that have personal references at their core, as per Keoghan’s stylist, Ilaria Urbinati. Take the minuscule bear that Calvin Klein model Jeremy Allen White tucked into his CK suit pocket for good luck at the Globes, and the extended waistbands on Cillian Murphy’s Saint Laurent suits, which were inspired by the outfit accents favoured by Paul Simonon and Mick Jones of The Clash. The Best Male Fashion Lead? Hands down Colman Domingo.
Details, Details, Details
Speaking of references, is it us or has fashion been feeling particularly characterful? Oscar-winner Emma Stone’s sherbet-colored looks have paid homage to her peculiar Poor Things protagonist Bella Baxter, Gillian Anderson’s Gabriela Hearst Globes gown came embroidered with discreet vaginas in line with the actor’s sex positive messaging, Taylor Swift’s Grammys gown had fans weeping at the meaning behind her watch choker, and Caroline Polachek told us she couldn’t possibly wear anything to the Brit Awards that wasn’t in line with her Desire era. Lily Gladstone’s looks, featuring indigenous jewelers paying homage to her new Osage friends and Siksikaitsitapi and NiMíiPuu heritage, will live long in the memory. Ditto Clara Amfo’s colourful Brits host dresses nodding to her own West African and British heritage with a few in-the-know music nods mixed in. “You know, I love fashion, I love to turn out a look, but I always say: links then looks!” the DJ told us with possibly the biggest smile of awards season 2024.
