Secrets of Oscar night red carpet fashion, shared by an expert
The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, honor cinematic achievements in a ceremony drenched with all the glitz and glamour the motion picture industry can muster. In fact, that glitz and glamour handily commands as much cultural attention as the awards categories, as viewers tune in to see what fashions the cast members are modeling on the red carpet.
“It takes a lot of effort to look effortless,” said Stephany Greene, a fashion designer and stylist who teaches in Virginia Tech’s fashion merchandising and design program. “If they get it right, a star’s Oscar night style can set their career for life and keep them on everyone’s mind for decades to come, whether they win or not.”
Greene shared her expertise, discussing fashion trends and the tremendous behind-the-scenes efforts that create the looks seen on Oscar night.
What might the stars of “Wicked” wear to the Oscars?
“Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande have been accused of ‘method dressing’ by emulating the visual vibe of ‘Wicked’ on red carpets, wearing custom pink and green designs by Louis Vuitton, Thom Browne, Versace, and Vivienne Westwood,” Greene said. “Fashion writers have claimed that method dressing is a tired trend. I disagree. If we delve beneath the surface into their ‘psychology of style,’ we will discover that actors form very personal relationships with their characters after spending months and years investing themselves in bringing them to life. Method dressing is a great way for performers to celebrate the movie and honor their character, while promoting it on the red carpet at the same time.”
She added, “At the 2024 Oscars, Cynthia Erivo wore a green leather gown by Louis Vuitton, and Ariana Grande wore a pink Giambattista Valli gown. For the 2025 Oscars, their stylists may not want them to repeat last year’s looks. However, they might feel extra lucky method dressing in the same ‘Wicked’-inspired colors again, so I predict that Cynthia and Ariana will wear black, pink, green, or gold gowns designed by one of ‘the Vs’ — Valentino, Vera Wang, Versace, and Vivienne Westwood, or Thom Browne and Schiaparelli.”
What sort of work goes into crafting an Oscar red carpet look?
“Unless a gown is custom designed and fit for an actor, designer gowns are typically size 2 to 4, so actors must stay in shape or get in shape to fit into them. Actors’ faces and bodies are their currency. Their physical appearance is one of the tools they use to become characters in films and on stage, and in most cases, their personal image is also a tool, and the two merge into one when a celebrity goes to the Oscars,” Greene said.
“Fashion stylists for celebrities retain fashion designers to custom make gowns and loan clothing as well. The stylist schedules fittings either by traveling with the celebrity to the designer’s couture house to fit them in person, or they order samples to be shipped for the stylist to try on the client, or they reserve secret vintage rentals and take them to the client. To test lighting, fit, and check how the garment looks in a variety of settings, they take Polaroids because they don’t lie since they cannot be altered, and they’re printed in an instant,” she said.
“The stylist does a trial red carpet run, testing how the garment looks in various lighting, especially bright paparazzi-type lights that could reveal things the client would prefer to remain private,” Greene said. “They also practice walking, sitting, and moving in the most flattering camera-ready poses. The client, stylist, hair and makeup team, manager, and publicist narrow the options down to the top favorites. They discuss the best styles that represent the image they intend to portray and the impact they want to make at the Oscars.”
About Greene
Stephany Greene teaches in the Virginia Tech fashion merchandising and design program. She has worked as a fashion designer for Ralph Lauren, Tommy Hilfiger, Calvin Klein, and others, as well as a celebrity stylist, television host, speaker, fashion blogger, influencer, brand builder, and author. Read more about her here.
Schedule an interview
To schedule interviews with Stephany Greene, contact Mike Allen in the media relations office at mike.allen@vt.edu or 540-400-1700.
