The first fashion trend of the Oscars 2022 is attention-grabbing and undeniable: red dresses. As stars began to assemble outside the Dolby Theater on March 27, it became clear that nearly every third actor was wearing a striking red ensemble.
Maybe it’s a nod to Old Hollywood, a plea for a return to drama after years of pandemic drabness, or a subtle campaign for the new Pixar movie Turning Red. Shades of ruby, blush, and candy apple would fill the theater. Were the celebs and their stylists blushing at the repetition along the carpet? Or can we take the presence of many women in red as a simple sign that Hollywood has really, really missed over-the-top award shows?
So pronounced is this trend that three out of five women in the Oscars 2022 best supporting actress category opted for red. Ariana DeBose and Kirsten Dunst, up for awards for in their work in West Side Story and Power of the Dog respectively, took their looks in opposite directions. DeBose wore a custom Valentino two-piece set in solid scarlet, with a defined bodice, voluminous pants, and a dramatic cape. Dunst wore a vintage Christian Lacroix gown made of a semi-sheer fabric rippled like an elaborately frosted cake. And Aunjanue Ellis, nominated for King Richard, wore custom Versace: a sweeping burnt-red-orange gown with wording along the sleeve.
Jennifer Garner, a regular on the Oscars best-dressed list is doing it too—a lipstick-looking, off-the-shoulder red column dress, with a neckline that is similar to DeBose’s. Marlee Matlin, star of best-picture nominee CODA, went classic with a custom scarlet Monique Lhuillier fitted satin gown with a 1940s silhouette. Her costar Amy Forsyth wore a ruffled Marchesa one-shoulder dress with a high slit. Tracee Ellis Ross strutted the carpet in an ankle-length Carolina Herrera in a more muted pinky red. And Rosie Perez stayed true to her name with a stunning Christian Siriano dress with a slim train.
Simu Liu, star of Marvel’s Shang-Chi, joined in, rocking a tuxedo in about the shade of a red velvet cupcake. “You chose violence,” one ABC red carpet host commented, appreciatively. The 2022 Oscars red carpet warned us: The evening was not likely to be subtle.
