The best red carpet looks at the 2024 Oscars

CNN
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The red carpet sparkled at Hollywood's Dolby Theater on Sunday, as stars arrived at the Oscars in a flurry of sequins, glitter and stunning metallic gowns.

Lupita Nyong'o's Armani Privé dress, Gabrielle Union's dazzling Carolina Herrera number, and Michelle Yeoh's custom Balenciaga gown were among the dazzling looks showcased during an elegant — if somewhat adventurous — evening on the red carpet. (In fact, quite a few attendees opted for monochromatic black-and-white or black-and-white combinations.)

Elsewhere, 'Barbie' star America Ferrera gave the metallic trend a pop of color in a pink chain mail design by Atelier Versace, while 'Barbie' star Margot Robbie took a rare break from pink Barbie in an equally sparkling black dress by Versace. Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande also opted for colour-coded outfits, with an emerald green Louis Vuitton leather dress and the latter's custom pink Giambattista Valli gown, hinting at their roles in the upcoming Wicked film adaptation.

This awards season has offered plenty of flowers, cut-outs, and sheer dresses, but the Oscars ushered in a whole new theme: mermaid chic.

Sunday's red carpet was full of gowns channeling scallops and shells, from Anya Taylor-Joy's Christian Dior Haute Couture gown, inspired by Botticelli's “Birth of Venus,” to Best Actress nominee Carey Mulligan's custom Balenciaga look that featured an elegant mermaid skirt. Elsewhere, Emma Stone dazzled in a custom shell-inspired Louis Vuitton dress with a wide peplum waist, and Hailee Steinfeld looked ethereal in a foam green Elie Saab Couture design.

Menswear that evening was relatively simple, on Hollywood's most formal red carpet (although that didn't stop Simu Liu and “Young Royals” star Omar Rudberg from appearing shirtless). Even actors known for their colorful suits like Colman Domingo and Ryan Gosling, who arrived at Louis Vuitton and Gucci, respectively, stuck to a largely black palette, though many accessorized with pins, bracelets and brooches. However, Gosling made the change to the hot pink number for his performance of “I'm Just Ken,” which was nominated for Best Original Song during the ceremony.

Meanwhile, Ramy Youssef, Mark Ruffalo, Mahershala Ali and Finneas used their T-shirts to call for a ceasefire in the war between Israel and Hamas. They were joined by a few other attendees — including Billie Eilish, Ava DuVernay, and Quanah Chasinghorse — wearing red pins as part of the Artists4Ceasefire campaign.

Scroll down to see the best looks from the 96th Academy Awards.