Ariana Grande arrives at the Oscars on Sunday, March 2, 2025, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. (Photo by Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP)
By LEANNE ITALIE, Associated Press
NEW YORK (AP) — Oscars glam got off to a strong start Sunday with both subtle and bold displays of glam as fans anticipated the arrivals of Hollywood’s biggest stars.
Julianne Hough kicked things off in an elegant light beige ethereal look straight off the Christian Dior spring 2025 runway. Joan Chen also went fairy-like in green chartreuse, an off-shoulder number from the Elie Saab resort 2025 collection.
The color red — big, bright red — endured at the Oscars as a strong trend. Among early walkers wearing the hue: Storm Reid in a shortie with a long cape and Emily Kassie. Others stuck to black, including Marlee Matlin in Yara Shoemaker Couture and Coco Jones in sexy Coach, a custom combo of vintage and new.
Mikey Madison, Demi Moore, Timothée Chalamet, Danielle Deadwyler, Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo are among A-listers with red carpet wow momentum heading into the Oscars.
The 97th Oscars come less than two months after the devastating Los Angeles fires subdued carpet dressing for a time. As the city moves into rebuild mode, stars have been upping their fashion games heading into the biggest awards night of the season.
Some are notable for playing it glam but safe.
Like Margot Robbie’s Barbie pink, Grande has been mostly sticking to a far paler hue, her signature and an homage to her “Wicked” good witch, Glinda. Castmate and carpet bestie Erivo has always taken fashion risks. She ditched her Elphaba black for last week’s Screen Actors Guild awards, opting for a silver Givenchy look with a high shaggy collar worthy of her bad witch role.
Chalamet has been all over the place on carpet dressing as he navigates his Bob Dylan attention from “A Complete Unknown.” At the SAGs, he married a bright brat green button-up shirt from Chrome Hearts with a shiny black leather suit and a bolo tie as he continues to channel the real-life icon he plays.
Deadwyler is a risk-taker, too. She wore a bright red strapless 3D structured tiered gown from Louis Vuitton at the SAGs.
Some planning to attend as nominees and presenters have generated fashion buzz for different reasons. Jeremy Strong wore a mint green velvet Loro Piana suit with a bucket hat in the same color to the Golden Globes. His white turtleneck topped it all off. He’s nominated for supporting actor at the Oscars.
At the SAGs, strong wore a different shade of green. It was a dusty green for a custom Haans Nicholas Mott suit with satin shawl lapels. He wore it with a bowtie.
Madison, a new fashion darling, was among several stars to go vintage at the recent dinner for Oscar nominees. The star of “Anora” wore a dark blue velvet gown by Bill Blass from 1987. She collected a BAFTA award earlier this month in a custom Prada in ivory, accessorizing with a long matching stole and a vintage Tiffany & Co. diamond necklace.
She also went Hollywood bombshell at the SAGs with a strapless silver Louis Vuitton look with a large pleated bow at the waist. She’s been working with stylist Jamie Mizrahi, who has dressed Adele and Jennifer Lawrence, among many other celebs.
