The Tamesis
Nowadays, the Oscar Nominees Luncheon — an annual event for Academy Award contenders that always involves a formal group photo — is just another show-stopping stop in the awards season campaign; another opportunity to display elegant sartorial style and unrelenting enthusiasm. However, in the 1980s, 1990s and early years, this was not the case. Back then, stars like Steven Spielberg, Whoopi Goldberg, River Phoenix and Frances McDormand were wearing jeans instead of sharp tailoring; Cate Blanchett and Gwyneth Paltrow were wearing fuzzy knits instead of dramatic ball gowns; and Sofia Coppola was wearing the minimalist, pared-back separates that have always been her trademark. Most of the attendees were makeup-free, wearing flats, sunglasses, low-key riffs on their bags (shocking, I know), and didn’t seem to be taking the whole thing seriously. In short, it was a completely different world.
In honor of the 2026 Oscar Nominees Luncheon on February 10, relive the event’s refreshingly casual heyday below.
