Ariana Grande, Teyana Taylor, Timoth茅e Chalamet and a sea of other stars said goodbye to color at this year’s opting instead for black. And many in the crowd stuck with tried and true old Hollywood glamour Sunday.
But even in basic black, the red carpet had plenty of personal flourishes and playful embellishments.
Risk-takers 鈥淥ne Battle After Another,鈥� and Jenna Ortega went with 鈥渨hale tails,鈥� aka the tops of thongs, peeking out the backs of their black gowns. Taylor did it with her custom slinky Schiaparelli gown that showed off a deep low-cut back with a glittery low-hanging bow thong. Ortega, keeping it goth, wore a Dilara Findikoglu gown with black shoulder tassels and a black thong.
鈥淚 thought that was such a cheeky callback to Y2K fashion,鈥� InStyle Fashion Director Kevin Huynh said. 鈥淚 was just like, wow, you wouldn鈥檛 expect that on a red carpet.鈥�
Grande left behind her 鈥淲icked鈥� character’s signature pink color for a black Vivienne Westwood couture dress but brought back her ponytail. Other notable celebrities in black included Ayo Edebiri, Selena Gomez, Miley Cyrus and Mia Goth.
Edebiri chose a black off-the-shoulder Chanel dress embellished with jewels on the shoulders from Matthieu Blazy鈥檚 M茅tiers d鈥橝rt 2026 show.
Celebrities held onto their gowns and watched their steps as they posed for photos on high stairs that served as the red carpet. Like the Met Gala, they lined up at the bottom and had to perilously climb their way up.
gives a glimpse into how celebrities will showcase their original take on fashion as the awards season progresses. Since 1944, the show has honored the best in film and television.
The carpet, at The Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, California, is a chance for nominees to make a statement, though some are beholden to fashion houses who pay them as ambassadors.
Several, including George Clooney, wore Giorgio Armani. The fashion world lost Armani in September, but his eponymous brand lives on.
鈥淚t was nice to see so many attendees, including Julia Roberts and Kate Hudson, wearing the brand and pay tribute,鈥� said V茅ronique Hyland, fashion features director for Elle.
Pops of color hit the carpet
Not all celebrities followed the black dress trend.
Host Nikki Glaser, who held hosting duty for the second time, wore a strapless satin blush-pink corseted satin gown with a full skirt by Zuhair Murad. Emma Stone stunned in a butter yellow Louis Vuitton skirt set.
鈥淪inners鈥� star stunned in a flowy yellow Matthew Reisman gown. The mother-to-be revealed her baby bump on the carpet. Mosaku’s co-star Hailee Steinfeld showed off her pregnant figure on the carpet in a peach colored gown.
Stars shone in metallics. 鈥淪entimental Value鈥� actor Renate Reinsve twirled on the carpet in a shimmery silver tasseled dress by Nicolas Ghesquiere for Louis Vuitton. Her co-star Elle Fanning’s Gucci dress was embroidered with Norwegian flowers in honor of their Norwegian drama film.
Rising star Chase Infiniti reflected back the carpet and all its stars in her mirrored corseted gown by Nicolas Ghesquiere for Louis Vuitton.
鈥淪he鈥檚 now Louis Vuitton ambassador, which I think kind of shows her potential as a star,鈥� Vanity Fair style writer Jos茅 Criales-Unzueta said. 鈥淪o much of what happens behind the scenes helps define what we鈥檙e looking at, whether it鈥檚 a deal, whether its sponsorship, whether it is brand ambassadorship.鈥�
Claire Danes eschewed the academic, laid-back tailored looks of her 鈥淏east in Me鈥� character for an effortlessly elegant, couture gown designed by her close friend Zac Posen for GapStudio. Posen and Danes鈥� friendship and creative collaboration began in high school.
Posen began working on Danes’ Golden Globe gown in November. As both creative director for Gap and GapStudio designer, Posen told The Associated Press that elevating the American essential into eveningwear is part of his creative process for the brand.
For Danes’ look, Posen transformed the concept of the classic Gap pocket T-shirt into an off-white silk jersey couture gown with subtle bugle beaded detailing and embroidery. The shimmering dress featured a low scoop back and front pocket detail.
鈥淐laire has a great elegance to her and is deeply inherently sophisticated, but yet cool,鈥� Posen said. 鈥淭hose elements fit perfectly with one of our icons that has built and defined our brands, the pocket tee.
Is sheer dressing still in?
Celebrities are keeping the sheer dressing trend alive with no signs of it slowing down. Lisa of Blackpink wore a black sheer Jacquemus dress, and Jennifer Lopez posed in a see-through dress by Jean-Louis Scherrer.
Jennifer Lawrence walked the carpet in a floral sheer dress by Sarah Burton at Givenchy and accessorized her look with a glamorous floral silk stole.
鈥淛ust to go out in a naked dress that leaves very little to the imagination is one thing but what Jennifer Lawrence did was such a romantic approach to it,鈥� Huynh said. 鈥淚 think that really says a lot to Sarah Burton, the designer of Givenchy. She is a woman designing for women.鈥�
Men choose traditional looks
The male nominees didn鈥檛 stray too far from traditional looks. Colman Domingo pared down his typical colorful suits for a black suit by Valentino adorned with silver leaf brooches down his lapel.
Timoth茅e Chalamet, a winner for 鈥淢arty Supreme,鈥� has become one to watch for his fashion choices. Departing from his past colorful looks, Chalamet wore a black velvet vest and jacket from Chrome Hearts with black Timberland boots. Chalamet’s partner of three years, Kylie Jenner, did not walk the carpet with the actor, but viewers captured her in a custom silver column look by Ashi Studio. It was hand-embroidered with a fan-shaped crystal bead neckline.
After his viral premiere orange look for 鈥淢arty Supreme,鈥� Criales-Unzueta said Chalamet decided on a more traditional movie star style by choosing all black.
鈥淗eated Rivalry鈥� star Hudson Williams brought the cummerbund back but with a laid-back twist. The breakout star paired a white-peak lapel dinner jacket with an unbuttoned silk shirt. Williams, along with his co-star Connor Storrie, were presenters during the ceremony. Storrie wore a black tuxedo jacket by Saint Laurent, with black tie and shades.
鈥淚t鈥檚 really just sexy takes on classic menswear with just those little bit of edge to things,鈥� Huynh said.
Jenna Rosenstein, beauty director for Harper鈥檚 Bazaar, noted Storrie’s hair transformation. He plastered his trademark curly locks into a shaggy, retro-inspired mullet. Among the women, beauty highlights included the swoopy bobs of Edebiri and Gomez, she said.
鈥淚f there鈥檚 one thing you should invest in after this carpet, it鈥檚 a really good round brush, a can of hairspray and a statement lipstick,鈥� Rosenstein said.
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AP Lifestyles Writer Leanne Italie contributed to this report.
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