The Most Experimental Red Carpet Looks at the 2025 Oscars
Some stars experimented with their looks on film's biggest night, from Omar Apollo's scarf-as-a-necktie to Cynthia Erivo's custom Louis Vuitton gown.
Hollywood's biggest night in film arrived and, with it, one of the year's biggest red carpets for fashion. Celebrities famously pull out all the stops at the Oscars, often wearing custom and couture pieces with decadent finished of jewelry. Most of the times, stars keep it traditional when it comes to what they wear. But Sunday night, a handful of attendees decided to mix things up at the Academy Awards with more experimental looks.
While many actors opted for Old Hollywood glamour in the form of column dresses (like Raye's fire-red Vivienne Westwood gown), some took the Oscars red carpet as a moment of sartorial play. Halle Berry wore a dress by Chrisitan Siriano that looked like a broken mirror. Cynthia Erivo, who is nominated in the Best Actress category for her performance in Wicked, wore an opulent green velvet gown with puffed, off-the-shoulder sleeves. Louis Vuitton made the custom number, which featured a gravity-defying collar in addition to its sculptural sleeves and voluminous skirt. Erivo's nails, which have been innate and artful at her every red carpet appearance, were extra long and covered in crystals and custom designs.
Lisa, a member of the K-pop group Blackpink, made a surprising appearance at the illustrious event, wearing a stunning Markgong suit. The look featured a floor-length blazer, a collared button-up, and black pants subtly peaking through. Rather than the typical gown, Lisa dared to dip into menswear. The Korean rapper and singer is making Academy Awards' history as the first K-pop act to perform at the ceremony.
Other celebrities on the Academy Awards red carpet kept the experimentation to a minimum, but they're still worth a close look. Timothée Chalamet wore a bright, banana-hued Givenchy suit, making fashion history with the look by Sarah Burton. Queer actor and musician Omar Apollo embodied glam with his look as he donned rosy cheeks and eyeliner underneath a veil. Instead of conforming to the traditional black suit, Apollo jazzed things up with a scarf as a necktie, a black-and-white polka dot button-up, jacket, and pants, all by Valentino. He also rocked a Chopard lizard brooch, men's go-to accessory over the past year, in the look styled by Brandon Tan.
Nothing was off limits this year (except naked dresses, which reigned discourse at the Grammys), and some brave stars chose to close awards season with a sartorial bang. Keep scrolling to see the most experimental red carpet looks at the 2025 Oscars.
