The Tamesis
Like every awards show in recent memory, the 2026 Oscars are an event for old-school movie stars. As such, it tracked that many attendees at this year’s event drew inspiration from one of the screen’s most over-the-top icons of glamor: Jessica Rabbit. Sexy female singer in 1988 who framed roger rabbit— based on 1950s pin-up girl Vikki Dougan — has long served as both a paean to and a critique of Hollywood femininity: her ethereal eyes and voluptuous curves encapsulated in a now-iconic aqua sheath dress.
Kylie Jenner provided the most faithful interpretation of the 2026 Oscars show, arriving through the back door of the Dolby Theater in an almost cartoon-perfect silhouette in a lustrous scarlet Schiaparelli gown with a keyhole opening at the bust. “Jessica who?” she captioned an Instagram video (uploaded around the same time her boyfriend, Timothée Chalamet, hit the red carpet in an all-white Givenchy suit by Sarah Burton), perhaps a nod to their shared qualities. The busty, pouty avatar was originally thought to be a parody of a surreal sex symbol, and now Jenner has found its descendant on Instagram. It’s also worth noting that Jenner has worn this style of dress before, but in a shimmering black color.
