2022 Oscars Red Carpet Review
The hits and misses from the 2022 Oscars red carpet.
April 2022
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From Will Smith’s controversial slap to deaf actor Troy Kotsur’s historical win, the 2022 Oscar Awards was definitely a memorable one. As the first full-venue Oscars show since the pandemic that hit in 2020, this year’s Oscars had a returned sense of normalcy, which was exciting, especially on the bustling red carpet. Upcoming stars and industry veterans alike had the chance to showcase their styles wearing the newest designer outfits on the show’s red carpet and at the Vanity Fair Oscars Party. Here were some of our favorite best-dressed stars at the events, in no particular order.
Best-Dressed on the Oscars Red Carpet:
1. Uma Thurman in Bottega Venetta
Uma Thurman’s dress shirt and long skirt pairing immediately caught my attention, especially when she was presenting. Although it was more preppy and simple than the usual Oscars outfits, I admired how unconventional it was, and she made it work.
2. Megan Thee Stallion in Gaurav Gupta
I really liked the texture, color, and silhouette of the dress, and it really stood out to me even though I’ve never really paid attention to her fashion.
3. Rachel Zegler in Dior
For being invited six days before the show, Rachel Zegler’s outfit exceeded my expectations. The sheer dress, gold jewelry, and slick bob cut gives hints of “Old Hollywood'' glamour, which I love.
4. H.E.R. in Carolina Herrera
As one of the only celebrities sporting neon on the red carpet, H.E.R. also caught my attention early on. Although there is a lot of fabric, it doesn’t look overwhelming and it’s a nice break from the other more “traditional” award show outfits.
5. Maggie Gyllenhaal in Schiaparelli Haute Couture
The non-form-fitting, structured dress was surprisingly flattering, and especially with the small gold decorations, it looks like it could belong in a museum.
6. Emilia Jones in Dolce & Gabbana
I really loved the silhouette of this dress – it had just the right balance of chic and revealing. Like many other stars, Jones brought forward an “Old Hollywood” look, providing a modern take on the flapper girl outfits from the 20’s.
7. Timothée Chalamet in Louis Vuitton
Even as a long-time follower of Timothée Chalamet’s unconventional red carpet looks, I was pleasantly surprised by his no-shirt, glittery-blazer outfit. Channeling his inner rockstar, he serves as a breath of fresh air from the endless black and white tuxedos that all other male stars wear to every award show.
8. Zendaya in Maison Valentino
As always, Zendaya attracts all the attention whenever she steps foot on a red carpet. Like Uma Thurman, she sports a preppy but still Oscar-worthy outfit instead of a traditional gown. The cropped menswear dress shirt and the extra-long sparkly skirt compliment her figure surprisingly well.
9. Nicole Kidman in Armani Privé
The custom-colored gown perfectly suits Nicole Kidman’s skin tone, and I especially loved the pop of red from her lips and nails, as well as the heavy necklace to complement the plainer dress. Moreover, the interesting silhouette of the dress definitely upgraded what would have been more of an understated outfit.
10. Andrew Garfield in Saint Laurent
Although Andrew Garfield’s outfit is nothing too revolutionary, he was still one of the only male celebrities that didn’t wear the overdone black and white tuxedo. The maroon velvet and the ribbon bow tie gave him a softer, but still professional look.
11. Kodi Smit-McPhee in Bottega Veneta
Just everything about Kodi Smit-McPhee's outfit was cool: from the color of his suit, the texture of his shoes, to his thick silver necklace. He seems to have mastered the red carpet already, and I can’t wait for his future looks.
12. Liya Kebede in Alaïa
Liya Kebede’s minimalistic yet eye-catching dress was one of the coolest of the night. She didn’t need to rely on bright colors or flashy jewelry to stand out: the cut of the dress alone was able to steal the show.
13. Tati Gabrielle in HELLESSY
Tati Gabrielle looked stunning in her chic draped dress. Everything from her hair, her gold eyeliner, her jewelry, to the tan frills on her sleeves matched flawlessly. I also loved the choice of her clutch – the angular, geometric bag perfectly juxtaposed the rounded, curved dress.
Unpopular Opinions of the Oscars Red Carpet:
1. Jessica Chastain in Gucci
To me, Jessica Chastain’s gown looked nothing more than a high school senior’s prom dress. I found the combination of the color scheme, the sequins, and the frills at the bottom of the dress to be tacky.
2. Zoë Kravitz in Saint Laurent
I was pretty underwhelmed with Zoë Kravitz’s outfit, especially following some really great looks from her Batman press tour. The dress in general was just really boring and didn’t stand out amongst the rest.
3. Lupita Nyong'o in Prada
I was also underwhelmed with Lupita Nyong’o’s outfit, as she has a history of bringing stunning looks to the red carpet. The dress is just too busy, and it looks like her designer just glued a bunch of tinsel from Party City onto her dress.
4. Lily James in Versace
I know a lot of people really loved Lily James’ dress, but I found it a little cheesy. Like Jessica Chastain, her dress looks like it belongs at a high school prom in the 2010’s, and not in a good way.
5. Billie Eilish in Gucci
I admire how Billie Eilish always tries something new on the red carpet, but to me her dress was just too overwhelming. There were many other celebrities that were able to pull off the “big dress” look far better.
Best-Dressed at the Vanity Fair Oscars Party:
1. Timothée Chalamet in Alexander McQueen
Timothée Chalamet brought yet another cool, but effortless all-leather look to the red carpet. Again, I love how he always stays away from the traditional, boring suit-and-tie outfits.
2. Anya Taylor-Joy in Dior
Anya Taylor-Joy’s sheer tulle dress was one of my absolute favorites from the night. Many people didn’t seem to like it, but I loved how dressed-down, but sophisticated it was. The veil and the red lip were the perfect finishing touch.
3. Dominic Fike in Saint Laurent
Like a combination of Andrew Garfield and Timothée Chalamet’s first red carpet looks, Dominic Fike looked cool yet stylishly-relaxed in a glittery blazer, satin dress shirt, and velvet trousers.
4. Kendall Jenner in Balenciaga
Kendall Jenner was one of the celebrities that I thought was able to successfully pull off the “big dress look”, which is hard to do. She looked both sleek and extravagant, especially with her addition of the sporty sunglasses (not shown in picture).
5. Maude Apatow in Saint Laurent
Although everything about Maude Apatow’s dress is simple, it is extremely flattering on her figure. Her outfit brings a sense of maturity that is often overlooked among the other celebrities’ elaborate costumes.
6. Lori Harvey in Toni Ward Couture
Lori Harvey’s shimmery dress was by far my favorite look out of the entire night. She looked absolutely stunning, and I loved the small details on her gown: from the intricate circle textures of the sheer skirt to the bedazzled rings on the bodice.
7. Sofia Coppola in Chanel
Honestly I thought I wouldn’t like this look, but it has surprisingly grown on me. Many may say the glittery stars are tacky, but I think it brings a nice youthfulness to her outfit, and she wears it well.
8. Daisy Edgar-Jones in Versace
Daisy Edgar-Jones’ pink and green houndstooth dress is both playful and flattering. This color combo is rarely seen on the red carpet, but I think it suits her very well.
9. Dakota Johnson in Gucci
​Dakota Johnson looks amazing in her flowy, feathery gown. Although the peachy color washes out her skin tone a little bit, the extravagance of the feathers and glitter make up for it.
Unpopular Opinions of the Vanity Fair Oscars Party:
1. Zendaya in Sportsmax
I really like the suit concept of Zendaya’s outfit, but the silhouette and color scheme reminded me a little too much of Willy Wonka.
2. Zoë Kravitz in Saint Laurent
Again, I thought Zoë Kravitz’s outfit was just too simple compared to her past looks, and frankly, I didn’t think the large cutout in the back was very flattering.
3. Hunter Schafer in Rick Owens
​I really love the fabric and color of Hunter Schafer’s dress, but I thought the fit was very unflattering. Not only that, her wet hair look was executed poorly and didn’t look very nice.