Culture / TV & Movie
4 Oscars 2026 Red Carpet Trends That Will Define the Rest of the Year
From Armani Privé pastels to Thom Browne sculpture, the Dolby Theatre carpet previewed where formalwear is headed
Beyond the individual best-dressed lists, the 98th Academy Awards red carpet on March 15, 2026 offered a clear read on where eveningwear is heading for the rest of the year.
Kate Hudson wore a pale green gown pulled from Armani Privé's Spring/Summer 2026 collection, part of a broader wave of soft, jewel-toned colour replacing last year's monochrome. Elle Fanning's sparkling custom Givenchy by Sarah Burton and Arden Cho's oversized-sleeve Miss Sohee gown pointed to volume and drama returning to red carpet silhouettes, while Audrey Nuna's sculptural corseted Thom Browne look, complete with moiré skirt and gold fingertip jewellery, showed how avant-garde tailoring is creeping onto the world's most conservative dress code.
Milo Manheim's tonal tuxedo by Zac Posen's Gap Studio, meanwhile, signalled a quieter shift in menswear toward modern, monochrome formalwear. Paris couturier Lloyd Klein summed up the carpet's enduring power succinctly: a single silhouette can travel the world in a night and become part of fashion history. For style-watchers in Singapore, the Oscars carpet remains the fastest, most reliable preview of the color and shape trends that will filter down to ready-to-wear over the following months.
About the author
Jing Yi Tan
Fashion editor and writer covering design, image-making and the creative networks connecting Southeast Asia.
