98th Academy Award: Red carpet glistens with metallic tones

The 98^th Academy Awards delivered an Oscars red carpet with classic glamour, featuring metallic jewel tones on Hollywood’s biggest night.

Among ​the most closely watched arrivals were the best actress nominees. Rose Byrne wore ‌a black Dior strapless gown with a flared hem and floral embellishments, topped off with an asymmetrical necklace. Emma Stone stunned in a form-fitting liquid silver Louis Vuitton dress and bouncy bob. Jessie Buckley opted for a pop of colour in an off-the-shoulder red-and-pink gown by Matthieu Blazy for Chanel.

Stone’s look ​continued the sleek, minimal direction she has embraced throughout awards season, while ⁠Buckley leaned into a classic look that has been present among recent appearances.

Celebrity stylist Luca Kingston said this awards season had pointed to sculptural dressing, Old Hollywood references, and a focus on silhouette over heavy embellishment.

Stone’s fashion has been “fairly body conscious and kind of slinky and really minimalistic and beautiful,” and Buckley’s has been “simple and a little sculptural and very cool. Like she’s not trying, but it fits her personality ​so well,” Kingston noted.

Best Supporting Actress nominee Elle Fanning wore a Givenchy corset-style top, a ​diamond-leaf choker, and her hair slicked back in a bun, while competitor Teyana Taylor wore a black-and-white ‌Chanel dress, bringing the fun with a fringed skirt.

This year’s carpet suggested a mood of polish and theatricality, with stars leaning into structured gowns and tailoring. Men, too, moved beyond the classic tuxedo and adopted flashy accessories.

“I think that men have really been, for the most part, enjoying making fashion ​their own and breaking ​the rules. I think ⁠that’s been the biggest trend (this award season),” Kingston added. “Like with Timothee Chalamet, it seems really important to him that he choose things that feel ​uniquely him rather than ‘What am I supposed to wear on a carpet?'”

Chalamet ​wore all-white, ⁠complete with black sunglasses. Damson Idris wore a suit with fur lapels and a diamond brooch he designed himself. Pedro Pascal and Adrien Brody wore eye-catching pins.

Stylists and fashion houses treat the Oscars as the high point of awards season, with months of fittings and planning often culminating in a single red-carpet appearance. For nominees in particular, the carpet can act as both a fashion ​moment and the final visual beat in a long campaign.