With the annual Academy Awards in its 98th edition, it was only a matter of time before those who attend the prestigious event pay tribute to their predecessors through their looks. On the 2026 Oscars red carpet, that’s exactly what several notable guests did, eschewing the preferred form of method dressing for something more cinematic.
Given that this ceremony is held to toast the stirring on-screen portrayal and box office achievements of the best the industry has to offer, it’s fitting that those who turn out gesture towards the rich history of fashion and film that set the scene for them. This year was certainly a more demure affair, with bridal whites the predominant colour choice and feather accents the defining way to steal the spotlight.
However, these classic gowns certainly still found a way to nod to the past, be it through pulling a look directly from the archives or emulating a dress worn by a previous winner, perhaps in a way of having their success impart onto the wearer.
The most notable iteration of red carpet referencing came in the form of Jessie Buckley’s custom Chanel gown. Whilst the actress, who made history by becoming the first Irish woman to secure the coveted Best Actress award, shares a Celtic connection with Johnathan Anderson and was speculated to be wearing Dior, it was French-Belgian couturier Mattieu Blazy who had the privilege of dressing her for the occasion.
And what an occasion it was, with the luxuriant’s light pink bustier chiffon dress and red satin leather stole broadcast to the world as Buckley accepted the statue through a teary-eyed acceptance speech. (She dedicated the win to the “beautiful chaos of a mother’s heart”, which is an incredibly moving devotion given the subject matter of Hamnet.)
Appropriately, Blazy crafted the gown with Grace Kelly’s 1956 Oscars dress in mind. Though the late Princesses was made by MGM’s in-studio costume designer, Helen Rose, she also wore the silhouette to accept her Best Actress award for her performance in The Country Girl. The same dress, the same stage, close to 70 years later.
Elsewhere, Gracie Abrams accompanied her boyfriend, and Buckley’s co-star, Paul Mescal for what is his second outing to the Oscars, wearing a cropped bustier and pencil skirt darted with embroidered camelia flowers. Also by Chanel, the look emulated the essence of the naked dress Bob Mackie designed for Cher to wear to the 1987 Oscars—where she also took home the top prize for her role as a pragmatic widow in Moonstruck—in all its chintzy glory.
Of course, it wouldn’t be a red carpet reference without mentioning McKenna Grace’s tribute to Gwyneth Paltrow’s bubblegum pink Ralph Lauren dress from 1999, the same year she took home the brass ring for her work in Shakespeare in Love.
Later, at the Vanity Fair after party, Hailey Bieber honoured the long lineage Giorgio Armani has of dressing Oscar winners by wearing a bespoke leopard print dress inspired by the Italian brand’s autumn/winter 2005 haute couture collection.
In the words of Taylor Swift, I think I’ve seen this film before. So, without further ado, scroll on to see all the iconic fashion references you might’ve missed on the 2026 Oscars red carpet.
All the Iconic Fashion References on the 2026 Oscars Red Carpet
1. Jessie Buckley and Grace Kelly
Jessie Buckley in Chanel
Grace Kelly in Helen Rose
2. Gracie Abrams and Cher
Gracie Abrams in Chanel
Cher in Bob Mackie
3. Mckenna Grace and Gwyneth Paltrow
McKenna Grace in Vera Wang
Gwyneth Paltrow in Ralph Laurent
4. Hailey Bieber and Giorgio Armani
Hailey Bieber at the 2026 Vanity Fair Oscars After Party
Giorgio Armani's Autumn/Winter 2005 Haute Couture Collection
