Here’s To The People Who Didn’t Play It Safe At The 2025 Oscars

In 2025, looking excellent at a public appearance is a given, so standing out from the pack requires a well-executed risk. In between all the perfectly fine silk and satin dresses debuted on both the ceremony and afterparty red carpets for the Oscars, there were a few hints of genius (or madness). This is a morning-after toast to those brave enough to do their own thing.

Zoë Kravitz, for one, fits into the snoozy yet objectively beautiful category I just lamented — from the front, that is. From the back, her custom Saint Laurent was netted and laced with crystals, scooped to sheer perfection to reveal one half of her bottom, sealed off with a bow. Hunter Schafer also threw caution to the sartorial wind and wore a 16Arlington silk dress and shearling jacket on the carpet, oozing rock-and-roll sex appeal. It’s like an insouciant ‘70s downtown club kid skipped whatever dinner she was supposed to attend and showed up to a gala uninvited, smudged eyeliner and messy hair in tow. It was the perfect counterpunch to all the prim glam the other 99% showed up in. The original risk-taker Julia Fox also casually flexed in two different outfits in one night, showing her range (and extensive wig collection) off with ease.

Sarah Paulson, ever the fashion darling, pulled fresh-off-the-runway Marc Jacobs out for the occasion, and also provided an antidote to the slim, sponsored-by-Ozempic dresses of the night with a bombastic velvet creation that refuses to be put in a box (we do wonder how it made it across the country in one piece). Omar Apollo also queered the space at the main ceremony with a Valentino look made all the more enticing with a sassy pose, a dainty black veil, and makeup worthy of its time in the spotlight. With all the earth-tone suiting and well-cut black tuxes, something modern cuts through the noise with ease — and earns a spot in our consciousness when it’s done this well. Kudos are also in order for Charlotte Lawrence for wearing a divisive Valentino clutch, plus notable Valentino wearers Chappell Roan, Alba Rohrwacher, and Hari Nef for their commitment to non-traditional glamour at all costs.

So, while there were probably over 1,000 dresses worn last night, hundreds of them custom-made just to wear for one evening, some dusted off from the archives and brought to light, we’ll remember the ones who defied categorization and went right when everyone else turned left. No offense to my wonderful stylist friends and the fashion community at large, but if I see one more column gown (possibly tiered) in black or white on the red carpet, I’m going to pack it up and move to an undisclosed rural location. With so much competition for eyes and praise, it’s better to tap into what makes you happy, whether that be linebacker-style shoulder pads or a ceramic cat purse. It’ll make for better memories (and memes) anyway.