The Tamesis
Jessie Buckley says she felt like she could breathe when stylist Danielle Goldberg first dressed her in an all-black The Row look. “I just want to meet you, but I haven’t met you yet,” Goldberg told Buckley after she got the call — the final call, in fact — to hold the Best Actress front-runner’s hand through a long and winding awards season. If that’s in November, then all roads lead to this: the 2026 Oscars.
After a pale blue brocade Dior dress, a sculptural Balenciaga gown and a pearlescent Bottega Veneta dessert, Buckley’s final stop on her awards season journey came to Chanel. Buckley has been building a friendship with creative director Matthieu Blazy — whom she describes as “a unique and dynamic artist” — as he also navigates the mega-fame juggernaut. “I love how he combines the past with the present and the energy,” Buckley said. “His performance is brilliant.”
Buckley’s Oscar gown, a floor-length bubblegum number with a contrasting red off-the-shoulder wrap neckline, followed the same style narrative as her blue velvet Chanel gown at the BAFTAs. “We like to create a vibe that’s cool but also classic and elegant,” she said of Goldberg’s signature approach to curating timeless fashion in a familiar It-girl style. Complete with Buckley’s signature side-swept bob and minimal makeup, the final stretch of the awards show aimed for the final say in effortless Best Actress style. This time, however, Buckley and Goldberg came up with a specific reference: Grace Kelly’s Edith Head dress from the 1956 Oscars.
But behind that iconic smile and those eloquent and seemingly impromptu acceptance speeches was a woman going through her first year as a mother. Yes, there’s champagne, but there’s also nappies, breast pumps and leggings as the Killarney-born, Norfolk-based star dresses up her ever-changing body with each new ritual. If sleep deprivation takes its toll, she doesn’t complain. Instead, they find solace in female companions who combine family and fandom.
“Honestly, don’t underestimate the power of a toilet because it can give you a nice rocking of your jaw and some minor relief,” she shared. “It’s a great place to be honest with your girls and enjoy it all.” Kate Winslet, in particular, was “rock solid in a very friendly moment” when tension threatened to overtake the night in Hollywood. “I’m not even sure she knew she helped me, but she did.”
