Styling the 2026 Oscars

By: Maeve Moynihan Edited by: Savannah Stewart

This year’s Oscars showcased celebrities’ personal styles through red carpet ensembles that combined influence and fashion. As more public figures find their voices working alongside designers, they become instrumental in capturing looks that are truthful representations of their identities and preferences. This authenticity illuminates both sincerity and autonomy in self-presentation. 

“A Human Touch,” the night’s theme, featured a more meaningful, customized array of styles. The event’s re-evaluated structure also made it distinct from prior years. Aspects like the new “Achievement in Casting” category and a focus on original films instead of franchises helped present the Oscars in a new light, as the event attempted to battle irrelevance from societal opinions regarding voting patterns and nomination predictability.  

The Oscars have always been a societal phenomenon; people across the country rearrange their schedules to critique and celebrate pinnacles of talent in categories like “Best Picture,” “Best Makeup & Hairstyling,” “Best Original Song” and many others. But the title of “the best” has changed, largely due to changing media interests and streaming platforms producing original films. The number of nominations increased alongside the growth of the entertainment industry, adding even more depth to the Oscars.     

The film industry’s growth has had an undeniable influence on the fashion world. Together, actors and designers incorporate their voices into creations that represent new takes on the award ceremony. Actors Odessa A’zion and Damson Idris are some celebrities who experimented on the carpet by individually styling themselves. 

“Marty Supreme” star Odessa A’zion explained that expressing personal style on the runway can be challenging. To her, red carpet outfits can’t be “every day” ones so available pieces are restricted and selective. But personal interests, like her red carpet velvet gown accessorized with diamond studs, represented a parallel between her style and that of the runway’s.  

By styling herself, A’zion says she avoided coming off as performative, or “branded” to the public which is sometimes a consequence of entirely pairing one’s image with labels. Individual creative direction gives attendees more freedom of expression, contributing to the Oscars’ legacy of sparking trends in styling across various communities. 

American singer, dancer and actress Teyana Taylor has worked hand-in-hand with stylists for many award shows. Not only can this help represent style to an audience, but it can create a more trusting relationship with designers, who can then be inspired in the creation of future pieces.

British actor Damson Idris also chose to style himself for the event this year, glamorizing a Prada suit with his jewelry brand, DIDRIS. His outfit showcased the labels he works with, while representing his creative vision by wearing his own jewelry brand. 

Zendaya recently re-wore her 2015 Oscars dress to the premiere of “The Drama,” exemplifying the Oscars’ relevance and changes. Reviving fashion from over 10 years ago elevates nostalgia in fashion. 

The Oscars are evolving to a larger audience. With the media being such a prevalent form of representation today, it can be hard for users to gauge between what is real, and what is promoted or staged. People look up to the Oscars, and the incorporation of personalized style into the theme, which incorporates a sense of authenticity into society as a whole. 

Celebrities' choice in wearing their own preferences illustrates how anyone’s style can be fashionable without having a designer label attached to them. By bridging both personal and designer-focused forms of style together, multiple perspectives and voices in fashion are highlighted. This encourages people to represent their own individual fashion labels alongside luxury designer ones.

© 2026 by FETCH COLLECTIVE