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Oscars 2025: The red carpet looks everyone’s talking about

From stunning showstoppers to forgettable flops, we’ve rounded up the best and worst looks from the Oscars 2025 red carpet

By  Amanda Chai - 

Credit: Getty Images
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The 97th Academy Awards was an expected parade of glamour, as the stars pulled up to impress on March 2 evening (March 3 morning, Singapore time) at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles.

There were more hits than misses on Hollywood’s biggest night, although many played it safe in 2025 with unremarkable ensembles.

Silver, pink and shimmering sequinned gowns made a big appearance on the red carpet, as did somewhat shapeless velvet numbers that drowned out their wearers. American actresses Mikey Madison and Elle Fanning looked like they were in on an inside joke in near-matching svelte gowns cinched with feminine bows.

Others chose to let their jewellery do the talking, as priceless gems from Cartier, Tiffany & Co, Boucheron and Chopard glittered provocatively on the red carpet. The Straits Times rounds up the best and worst looks of the evening.

  1. 1. The Best
  2. 2. 1. Selena Gomez
  3. 3. 2. Elle Fanning
  4. 4. 3. Ariana Grande
  5. 5. 4. Colman Domingo
  6. 6. 5. Demi Moore
  7. 7. The blah
  8. 8. 1. Scarlett Johansson
  9. 9. 2. Zoe Saldana
  10. 10. 3. Laura Blount
  11. 11. 4. Yasmin Finney
  12. 12. 5. Stacy Martin

The Best

1. Selena Gomez

Selena Gomez at the 97th Academy Awards in Hollywood, Los Angeles, on March 2. 

The pop star and actress has been on fire this awards season, turning out look after glamorous look on the red carpet. Following impossibly classy numbers at the Golden Globes in January and Screen Actors Guild Awards in February, she continued to channel Old Hollywood elegance at the Oscars in a custom blush Ralph Lauren gown and perfectly coiffed hair.

There to celebrate her Oscar-nominated film Emilia Perez, the actress was dripping in jewels. She paired her figure-skimming gown – covered top-to-bottom in over 16,000 glass droplets and Rosemont crystals – with a Bvlgari diamond choker featuring a 10-carat pear-cut diamond drop pendant.

Credit: Getty Images/Mike Coppola 

2. Elle Fanning

Elle Fanning at the 97th Academy Awards in Hollywood, Los Angeles, on March 2.

Ever the picture of period film sophistication, she looked at home in a custom Givenchy haute couture outfit that was simple but elegant.

In designer Sarah Burton’s first look for Givenchy since she joined the house as creative director in September 2024, the white couture dress in French Lyon lace and silk tulle was inspired by Hubert de Givenchy’s first collection in the 1950s – featuring a moulded corset and Watteau caped back, belted with a black grosgrain bow.

Credit: Getty Images/Monica Schipper

3. Ariana Grande

Ariana Grande at the 97th Academy Awards in Hollywood, Los Angeles, on March 2. 

The silhouette might not be for everyone, but literal props must be given to the Wicked star and best supporting actress nominee’s frothy pale pink Schiaparelli gown, for its clear nod to her role as Glinda.

The sculptural corset bodice was perfectly balanced by the full tulle skirt studded with more than 190,000 crystal sequins and rhinestones. You can almost picture her floating away in a giant bubble.

Credit: Getty Images/Monica Schipper 

4. Colman Domingo

Colman Domingo at the 97th Academy Awards in Hollywood, Los Angeles, on March 2. 

You can always count on the stylish actor to deliver a sharp red-carpet look. Nominated for Best Actor for his role in Sing Sing, he brought welcome colour to the red carpet – in a custom Maison Valentino outfit created for him by creative director Alessandro Michele.

The ensemble featured a red shantung silk double-breasted tailored jacket with black lapel and matching red-collared shirt, black wool trousers and a belt with tassels. The accessories – jewellery from Boucheron and snazzy wire frames with red-tinted lenses – pulled everything together.

Credit: Getty Images/Mike Coppola

5. Demi Moore

Demi Moore at the 97th Academy Awards in Hollywood, Los Angeles, on March 2.

The first-time best actress Oscar nominee, for her role as fictional Hollywood has-been Elisabeth Sparkle in horror film The Substance, has never looked better. In a plunging custom Armani Prive silver number with a gathered hip detail, Moore kept it classy with matching chandelier earrings and a chunky wrap-around bracelet from Chopard. With a body like that, who needs the substance?

Credit: Getty Images/Mike Coppola

The blah

1. Scarlett Johansson

Scarlett Johansson at the 97th Academy Awards in Hollywood, Los Angeles, on March 2.

This vintage Thierry Mugler ensemble did the actress’ hourglass figure no favours, its navy velvet fabric failing to catch the light in the right places and weighing her down. The elbow-length opera gloves looked more costume than couture, and made Johansson look positively matronly.

Credit: Getty Images/Mike Coppola

2. Zoe Saldana

Zoe Saldana at the 97th Academy Awards in Hollywood, Los Angeles, on March 2. 

Karma will strike whoever convinced her to don this dress to accept her first Oscar for best supporting actress for Emilia Perez. There are too many layers in this maroon monstrosity, which brings to mind a silky cabbage ready for harvest.

Luckily for her, the camera showed her from the chest up during her acceptance speech, leaving all eyes on the glittering Cartier necklace encircling her throat, a new high jewellery piece from the Maison’s Nature Sauvage collection.

Credit: Getty Images/Mike Coppola

3. Laura Blount

Hair and make-up artist Laura Blount at the 97th Academy Awards in Hollywood, Los Angeles, on March 2.

We have no words, only condolences, for hair and make-up artist Laura Blount, whose involvement in Wicked certainly came through in this fantastical emerald dress. Can someone show her the yellow brick road back to the Emerald City?

Credit: Getty Images/Mike Coppola

4. Yasmin Finney

Internet personality Yasmin Finney at the 97th Academy Awards in Hollywood, Los Angeles, on March 2.

Someone please save the British actress, who looks like she is lost in a swamp of cheap peacock feathers trying to smile and not sneeze at the same time.

Credit: Getty Images/Monica Schipper

5. Stacy Martin

Stacy Martin at the 97th Academy Awards in Hollywood, California, on March 2.

Just because it is designer does not mean it works. Wearing custom Louis Vuitton, the French actress looked part-lampshade from the waist down in a baffling number. Whatever potential it had was ruined by the structured black band that looks like it was sourced from your local furniture shop.

Credit: Getty Images/Savion Washington

This article was originally published in The Straits Times.

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