Awards season 2026, unfolding partly against the backdrop of war in the Middle East, will be remembered as one of the more challenging fashion seasons in recent years. While many beautiful gowns made appearances, several fashion houses in the midst of creative director transitions are still searching for a way to make a real impact on the red carpet.
While Matthieu Blazy has dominated Chanel’s red carpet presence over the past two months, Jonathan Anderson at Dior is still trying to strike the right balance between wearability, memorability and standout impact.
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The best dressed and most versatile star of awards season. Teyana Taylor wears a daring cutout Tom Ford gown at the Grammys
(Photo: Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP)
If there is one clear takeaway, it is this: the season was not defined by a single dominant trend, but by a recurring set of codes. Black gowns ranged from sharp minimalism to dramatic extravagance. Feathers emerged as a sculptural, sometimes animalistic motif. Deep V-necklines added a layer of restrained sensuality.
Within that framework, actress Teyana Taylor stood out as the season’s most compelling dresser. Demi Moore reinterpreted the feather trend with theatrical flair, while Selena Gomez set the tone early with a clean black gown accented by a white feather collar. Nicole Kidman delivered a double highlight in Chanel by Matthieu Blazy at the Oscars, looking as striking as ever.
Here are the best dressed of awards season 2026.
Teyana Taylor was, without question, the most versatile and exciting dresser of the season. From commanding front rows at fashion weeks to appearances at major award ceremonies, the actress (“One Battle After Another”) delivered a series of standout looks defined by confidence and a willingness to reinterpret trends on her own terms.
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Teyana Taylor wears Schiaparelli at the 2026 Golden Globes
(Photo: Monica Schipper/Getty Images)
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Teyana Taylor shows off a bold back slit at the Golden Globes
(Photo: Amy Sussman/Getty Images)
She kicked off at the Golden Globes in a striking Schiaparelli haute couture cutout gown, featuring an embellished back and a bold slit. At the BAFTAs, she wore Burberry, and at the SAG Actor Awards she embraced risk in an artistic “naked dress” by Thom Browne.
All of it built toward her peak moment at the Oscars, where she arrived in a feather-adorned Chanel gown, cementing her status as the face of the season.
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Teyana Taylor wears Burberry at the BAFTAs
(Photo: Dominic Lipinski/Getty Images)
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Teyana Taylor wears Thom Browne at the SAG Actor Awards
(Photo: Rodin Eckenroth/Getty Images)
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Teyana Taylor wears Chanel at the Oscars
(Photo: Reuters/Daniel Cole)
Much of the conversation around Demi Moore focused on her sharp bob haircut and extremely slim frame, but on the red carpet she pushed herself further, embracing gowns with a strong artistic language.
In two unforgettable appearances, she leaned into dramatic featherwork. At the SAG Actors Awards, she wore a black column gown with a peacock-inspired train by Daniel Roseberry for Schiaparelli haute couture. At the Oscars, she chose an elegant raven-like gown by Demna for Gucci.
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Demi Moore wears Schiaparelli haute couture at the Actor Awards
(Photo: Rodin Eckenroth/Getty Images)
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Demi Moore wears Gucci at the Oscars
(Photo: Julian Hamilton/Getty Images)
It was only a matter of time before Kim Kardashian and Demna reunited on the red carpet. At the Vanity Fair Oscars party, Kardashian wore a form-fitting gold gown straight from the runway, originally modeled by Alex Consani. Her attempt to stand out with blue contact lenses, however, felt like an awkward throwback to Kanye West’s 2016 Met Gala appearance.
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Straight off the runway. Kim Kardashian wears Gucci at the Vanity Fair Oscars party
(Photo: Neilson Barnard/Getty Images)
A dress that has it all: minimalism, maximalism, elegance, humor and a distinctive silhouette that nods to the history of the House of Dior through Jonathan Anderson’s contemporary interpretation.
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Elegance with a sense of humor. Mia Goth wears Dior at the Vanity Fair Oscars party
(Photo: Amy Sussman/Getty Images for Vanity Fair)
Nicole Kidman may be remembered this year for accidentally stepping into a photo with Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez during the Vanity Fair after-party, but her fashion choices were just as notable.
Wearing a gold gown with a frayed hem, Kidman looked radiant and continued the design direction she introduced on the red carpet in a light, feather-trimmed strapless dress, both by Matthieu Blazy for Chanel. After years aligned with Balenciaga, Kidman appears to be moving toward a softer, more luminous aesthetic.
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Nicole Kidman wears a feathered Chanel gown at the Oscars
(Photo: Arturo Holmes/Getty Images)
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Nicole Kidman changes into another Chanel gown at the Vanity Fair Oscars party
(Photo: Amy Sussman/Getty Images for Vanity Fair)
Selena Gomez opened the season with one of its strongest looks: a black column gown paired with a white feather collar at the Golden Globes. It became a blueprint many followed, establishing feathers as a key motif and Chanel as a dominant red carpet status symbol.
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A win from the very start. Selena Gomez wears Chanel at the Golden Globes
(Photo: Monica Schipper/Getty Images)
Actress Chase Infiniti consistently gravitated toward sculptural silhouettes by Nicolas Ghesquière for Louis Vuitton.
While her Golden Globes look fell short, she landed firmly on best-dressed lists at the BAFTAs with a burgundy strapless gown featuring an architectural mermaid silhouette, which she revisited in a more minimalist interpretation at the SAG Actor Awards.
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A distinctive silhouette. Chase Infiniti wears Louis Vuitton at the BAFTAs
(Photo: Dominic Lipinski/Getty Images)
At first glance, Rosalía’s Chanel look at the BRIT Awards appeared chaotic. But on closer inspection, it revealed a deliberate, animalistic energy crafted by Matthieu Blazy.
She later amplified that energy in a performance, switching into a white Vivienne Westwood gown.
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Animalistic energy. Rosalía wears Chanel at the BRIT Awards
(Photo: Reuters/Temilade Adelaja)
(Rosalía performs on stage at the BRIT Awards)
Jenna Ortega delivered one of the season’s most effective nods to the 1990s in a pale slip dress with a raw hem by Christian Cowan. The look divided opinion but captured the era’s spirit with precision.
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A nod to the ’90s. Jenna Ortega wears Christian Cowan at the Actor Awards
(Photo: Amy Sussman/Getty Images)
Relaxed, sophisticated and sharply on trend. Bella Hadid doesn’t miss with one of her most precise looks, featuring a sleek maxi skirt and a halter top with a champagne silk-satin collar. The Y2K trend has never looked more elegant.
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A precise look. Bella Hadid wears Prada at the Vanity Fair Oscars party
(Photo: Amy Sussman/Getty Images for Vanity Fair)
An equally polished and elegant look came from model Kaia Gerber, who chose a red strapless gown with layered detailing by Sarah Burton for Givenchy. The look can also be read as a nod to the red Versace dress worn by her mother, supermodel Cindy Crawford, at the 63rd Academy Awards in 1991.
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A nod to her famous mother? Kaia Gerber wears Givenchy at the Vanity Fair Oscars party
(Photo: Amy Sussman/Getty Images for Vanity Fair)
Norwegian actress Renate Reinsve maintained a consistent minimalist silhouette throughout the season. At the Golden Globes, she wore a silver Louis Vuitton gown with a rounded neckline that felt both restrained and precise.
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Minimalist with style. Renate Reinsve wears Louis Vuitton at the Golden Globes
(Photo: Amy Sussman/Getty Images/AFP)
After a misstep at the BAFTAs, Kirsten Dunst rebounded at the SAG Actor Awards with a perfectly executed little black dress by Khaite. The look demonstrated how minimalism, done right, can command attention.
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The right take on the little black dress. Kirsten Dunst wears Khaite at the Actor Awards
(Photo: Rodin Eckenroth/Getty Images)
Many stars opted for white gowns this season, often tied to bridal marketing by fashion houses. Amanda Seyfried stood out as the only one to truly succeed, wearing a flattering white strapless gown with draped detailing by Versace.
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The only one who got the white gown right. Amanda Seyfried wears Versace at the Golden Globes
(Photo: Michael Tran/AFP)
Lady Gaga remains one of the few stars who consistently delivers spectacle. At the Grammys, she wore a dramatic black feathered gown by Matières Fécales, which echoed Alexander McQueen’s iconic Fall-Winter 2009-10 feather designs.
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Never disappoints. Lady Gaga wears Matières Fécales at the Grammys
(Photo: Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP)
Actress Kate Hudson had a strong run across the season’s major ceremonies, maintaining a mostly consistent and elegant line. Still, she did not top her standout first appearance at the Golden Globes in a silver embellished halter gown by Armani Privé, a masterclass in both design and execution.
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A masterclass in design and execution. Kate Hudson wears Armani Privé at the Golden Globes
(Photo: Monica Schipper/Getty Images/AFP)