No matter who you ask, this is the best show of the season, so it’s no surprise that Sarah Burton’s Givenchy is the big news come Oscar night 2026. “I love that,” “It’s so beautiful,” “exactly what I want to look like right now,” recalls FashionNicole Phelps’ chorus of female voices stepped out of the speech with a focus on individualism. “Each woman is herself, each silhouette is her own character,” Burton said. This is confirmed by the new silver carpet. vanity fair Elle Fanning (Elle Fanning) and Kaia Gerber (Kaia Gerber) headlined the Oscar party and won the Best Dressed Award of the night at the 98th Academy Awards.
Burton’s ladylike minimalism (Fanning wore a black satin duchess bustier draped bow dress, while Gerber wore a similarly bare-shouldered red velvet draped slit dress) was echoed elsewhere at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) event, which focused less on nude dresses (which was the unofficial dress code years ago) than on refined, custom looks that focused on cut, fit, fabrication and detailing.
Take Hailey Bieber, for example, who shelved Saint Laurent’s Anthony Vaccarello in favor of the Giorgio Armani studio, who designed her a leopard-print gown with a simple, hourglass silhouette but hours of meticulous embellishment to achieve those dramatic spots; Kim Kardashian, the face of Gucci’s new slick-brained era, wore a form-fitting gold confection; Kendall Jenner Jenner wore a pale blue Chanel gown, while Matthieu Blazy flexed his muscles in an old Hollywood way.
Indeed, the sight of models Adwoa Aboah and Paloma Elsesser in slinky black (yet covered) confections, and CBK’s official spring ambassador Sarah Pidgeon in a metallic Calvin Klein slip, made the sheer looks of yesteryear seem a bit rude on an evening that was less about fashion’s response to the party and more about those taking home the statuettes. (Even Jessie Buckley took a cue from Grace Kelly and ditched her pretty pink Chanel gown for an LBD, aiming for effortless Best Actress style.)
After a fashion month that doubled down on “authentic” dressing, it must be gratifying to see this season’s new vibe on the world’s biggest stage. We wouldn’t normally suggest taking fashion tips from the Oscars after-party, but move away from superfluous looks and toward thoughtful details. real Representing a person, we can always get behind.
Check out the best strip shows vanity fair Here’s the Oscars after-party.


