16 Red Carpet–Worthy Looks That Will Make You Rethink Gowns Forever

16 Red Carpet-Worthy Looks That Will Make You Rethink Gowns Forever

It’s comical to think there was once a time where an actress in anything but a gown would be booed off the red carpet and subsequently torn apart by fashion critics the next day. Luckily, times have changed—and so have designers’ moods when it comes to dressing stars for evening. These days, the runways have proved that a glitzy suit or pant look can be equally as dazzling for the awards season circuit, if not more so.

Hedi Slimane’s first collection for Celine offered unisex suiting that has already been worn by the likes of Natalie Portman. There’s something undeniably chic about actresses embracing this elegant androgyny—and powerful, too, in the wake of #TimesUp, which advocates for gender and pay equality. Tom Ford also focused on suiting for his Spring 2019 collection, adding colorful lapels to tuxedo jackets.

Not all tailoring is so literal, though. At Dries Van Noten’s Spring 2019 show, a menswear-inspired blazer was given a fashion twist with a beaded, fringed sling worn cross-body. At Alexander McQueen, suit pants were worn with a shredded metallic top, with strategic cut-outs to show just the right amount of skin. Paging Charlize Theron, for the latter.

For a more experimental touch, someone like, say, Emma Stone could easily slip into one of the season’s luxe jumpsuits for the red carpet. We like Louis Vuitton’s Spring 2019 floral style, worn with a caged top underneath. There’s also Maison Margiela’s deconstructed corset, styled with drainpipe trousers. It just screams Rosamund Pike, who often favors black and white on the step and repeat.

Above, 16 runway looks that make gowns seem so passé. And here, 25 fabulous runway dresses we hope to see during awards season.