The Best Dressed Stars At The 2019 Oscars
The 91st Academy Awards were held on Sunday, February 24th at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, California — and although the awards ceremony had no official host, the evening provided many a headline-making moment. From the surprise appearances of the Saturday Night Live holy trinity — Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, and Maya Rudolph — to the spectacular opening performance by Queen and Adam Lambert, to the equally as spectacular (but infinitely more intimate) performance by Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga — the 2019 Academy Awards ceremony was definitely one for the books.
Of course, your favorite stars brought their fashion A-game for Hollywood's biggest night. The red carpet was a sea of your favorite celebs donning jaw-dropping hot pinks, dazzling sequins and beads, dramatic cape trains, and one history-making tuxedo ballgown. You read that right — a tuxedo ballgown (thank you, Billy Porter). Here's a look at some of the best looks from the 2019 Academy Awards.
Lady Gaga
What a year it's been for Lady Gaga! All eyes were on Mother Monster as she arrived to the 91st Academy Awards on Sunday, only days after she confirmed to People that she and fiancé Christian Carino had ended their engagement. However, her recent break-up seemed to be the furthest thing from Gaga's mind — instead, the Oscar-nominated actress and singer looked to be absolutely glowing with excited anticipation ahead of her big night.
Gaga was up for two awards — one for Best Actress in a Leading Role and one for Best Original Song, the latter of which she won. In her emotional acceptance speech, she thanked her A Star Is Born director and co-star, Bradley Cooper, for believing in her — because as she's told us before, there can be 100 people in a room... eh, you know the rest.
The new Oscar winner looked stunning throughout the night in an all-black, flowing Alexander McQueen gown with an exaggerated hip. The gown's relatively understated design was careful not to overshadow the 128 carats of fancy yellow and white Tiffany and Co. diamonds Gaga wore around her neck. Talk about sparkle!
Billy Porter
If you didn't know already, you definitely know by now that Billy Porter reigns as red carpet royalty. From the embroidered Randi Rahm Couture suit and hot pink cape he wore to the Golden Globes, to the canary yellow gown and matching blazer he wore to the AFI Awards — Porter has proven time and time again that he's not afraid to bend gender norms on the red carpet.
While he technically wasn't nominated for any Oscars, Porter was one of the evening's most talked about stars for his daring and dramatic red carpet look. The Kinky Boots star arrived to the awards ceremony wearing a custom Christian Siriano gown, which featured a floor-sweeping silhouette and tuxedo-inspired top. Porter revealed to Vogue the inspiration for his Oscars look, which will forever be imprinted in the red carpet fashion history books, saying, "I want people to understand that you don't have to understand or even agree with other people's authenticity or truths, but we must all respect each other. ...People are going to be really uncomfortable with my black ass in a ball gown — but it's not anybody's business but mine."
Charlize Theron
Charlize Theron stunned us on the 2019 Academy Awards red carpet for more than one reason. Not only did she look stunning in her custom, slate blue Dior gown, but the Atomic Blonde actress is blonde no more! Instead, Theron debuted her new dark brown hair, which was chopped into a chic, chin-length blunt bob. Apparently, the decision to sport a bob was made last-minute by Theron and her hair stylist, Adir Abergel, who posted a photo of the big chop to Instagram with the caption, "Decided to chop it all off before the big moment."
While her signature blonde locks have always been a staple of Theron's style, we're convinced there's no look in which the actress won't look completely stunning. Her short, chestnut-colored bob added the perfect, edgy touch to her backless, high-neck Dior ballgown, which Theron accessorized with three layers of dazzling diamond necklaces, including a Bulgari serpent motif.
Angela Bassett
Angela Bassett played a queen in Black Panther, and reminded us all at the 2019 Academy Awards that she's still the undisputed queen of the red carpet. The actress stunned in a hot pink, one-shoulder, custom Reem Acra gown, which featured an oversized statement bow and figure-hugging silhouette. Jennifer Austin, the Black Panther star's stylist, revealed to The Hollywood Reporter why Bassett and the dramatic gown were a match made in red carpet fashion heaven.
"She's somebody that can pull off drama," Austin told the publication. "I loved the drama on the sleeve. Everybody knows Angela has amazing arms, and she loves her arms, so anything that showcases that and heightens that [is a winner]."
Bassett kept her make-up understated to complement her bold and vibrant ballgown, sporting a simple smokey eye and a matte, maroon lip. The star tied her long locks into a ponytail at the nape of her neck, and wore chandelier-style earrings to pull her stunning look together.
Glenn Close
Nominated for Best Actress in a Leading Role for her performance in The Wife, Glenn Close unfortunately didn't take home an Oscar this year. However, the legendary actress did look the part of a golden statuette in her custom House of Herrera gown designed by Wes Gordon. The jaw-dropping ballgown was unlike anything we've ever seen on the red carpet, featuring tuxedo-style pockets, a dramatic cape train, and four million beads. Oh, and did we mention that the ensemble weighed a whopping 42 pounds? Heavy is the head that wears the crown — err, dress.
Gordon took to Instagram to express his excitement over dressing Close, writing, "Working with [Glenn Close] over the past several weeks has been the most incredible experience. She is brilliant in every sense of the word. Congratulations on your very well-deserved nomination tonight, Glenn. I am so proud to have worked with you to create this special moment."
Jennifer Lopez
Here's a question for you — is there a "Best Dressed" list that Jennifer Lopez isn't on? Honestly, how could there be? Lopez has been slaying the red carpet fashion game since day one, gifting us with looks like the belly button-baring, sheer Versace gown she wore to the 2000 Grammy Awards, and the absolutely angelic Elie Saab ballgown she wore to the 2015 Oscars.
Of course, Lopez didn't disappoint with her chosen look for the 91st Academy Awards. The star sparkled — quite literally — in a custom, mirrored mosaic, Tom Ford ballgown. You read that right — mirrored. Stylist Rob Zangardi dished to The Hollywood Reporter how he and stylist Mariel Haenn helped bring Lopez and the show-stopping gown together.
"This time, we loved selecting from these couture pieces because you could see that the designers really put their heart and soul into these show pieces. It was really amazing," Zangardi told the publication. "We thought she looked like a modern version of the Oscars statuette."
Gemma Chan
If we could use only two words to describe the overall theme of the 2019 Academy Awards red carpet fashion, those words would be "hot pink." A number of stars glided down the red carpet wearing hot pink ensembles, including Linda Cardellini, Sarah Paulson, and Dame Helen Mirren. However, the hot pink gown that caught our attention more than any other belonged to Crazy Rich Asians star (and our new red carpet fave) Gemma Chan. The actress stunned in a custom Valentino Haute Couture hot pink ballgown with a frilled collar and floor-sweeping train.
Chan's stylist, Rebecca Corbin-Murray, told The Hollywood Reporter that the Valentino creation was actually the first gown Chan tried on when searching for the perfect Oscars-night dress. "It was so spectacular that we couldn't not wear it," Corbin-Murray gushed. "The color is so joyful and the silhouette is glorious. It's everything modern haute couture should be. We had the Jimmy Choo bag and shoes hand-dyed to match."
Regina King
It was a big night for Regina King, and the actress definitely dressed for the occasion. King was the talk of Tinseltown from the moment she stepped onto the red carpet wearing a jaw-dropping, classic white Oscar de la Renta ballgown with a sweeping train and thigh-high slit — a welcome, modern rendition of an old Hollywood glam staple. The gown featured a strapless bodice which gathered beautifully at King's waist to create a classic hourglass silhouette, and the star wore diamond accessories and her dazzling, million-watt smile to pull the entire look together.
Of course, King looked like an actual queen as she took to the stage to accept the first award for the evening — Best Actress in a Supporting Role for her work in If Beale Street Could Talk. In her teary-eyed acceptance speech, King called herself "an example of what it looks like when support and love [are] poured into someone." Can someone pass the tissues?