The Best-Dressed Stars at the 95th Academy Awards

Tonight, Malala Yousafzai made her Oscars debut as an executive producer on the short film Stranger at the Gate. She was one of the first arrivals on the red carpet, and she instantly set the bar impossibly high in a silver sequined Ralph Lauren hooded gown. The garment is eternally powerful, which is why it looks so fitting on Yousafzai. The educational activist is a formidable force, especially when swaddled in glistening sequins.

Rosettes are everywhere—on the red carpet generally and on the Oscars champagne carpet tonight—but Nicole Kidman made them look tantalizing instead of tired. On this Armani Privé gown, the rosettes don't drown Kidman, but instead appear to bloom off her shoulder and at the top of her thigh, brushing against her shoulder and leg. You know those bouquets a lover gifts you that you just want to immerse yourself in and hold tight? This feels like that kind of intimacy wrapped up in a dress. There's no denying she looked confident as all hell—I mean, how could she not?—which made the already sexy look even sexier.

Hong Chau oozed classic elegance in her Prada gown. It could have easily have been a simple pretty-in-pink moment, but the black sequined feather trail gave the look that dark sensual mystique Prada is known for. Chau also added a Mandarin collar to her dress as "a shout-out to [her] roots" and to Prada's 1997 show, which featured cheongsam-style dress. This was an instance of someone truly wearing a dress instead of having it wear them. It looks like it was made for her, because it was, but the thoughtfulness behind each detail made it uniquely personal for the Oscars carpet, where glamour is often prioritized over personality. This dress, though, has plenty of both.

Lady Gaga's Versace dress came straight off the runway from the fall 2023 show Donatella Versace held in Los Angeles just last week, as seen modeled by Gigi Hadid. While the theatrics that often come with Gaga's red-carpet moments are performance art, it was lovely to see her wear a dress that did all the talking. Gaga looked beautiful, and her personality shined in this look without her having to say a word. And, of course, the surprise low-cut back that exposed everything gave this look the kind of (literally) cheeky nod she's known for, without her having to employ a red-carpet posse.

Everyone was anticipating Cate Blanchett to re-wear a dress from a previous ceremony, as she has been doing for years (and especially frequently) on the red carpet. And even though she didn't go back into her own personal archive for this statuesque Louis Vuitton look, the top itself is archival, and she kept it eco-friendly with a skirt made of sustainable silk. The look flowed like silky liquid, frozen in time as it swirled around her body, swaddling her in splendor. While other guests simply walked down the red carpet, Blanchett glided.

Andrea Riseborough looked extremely punk rock in a custom Alexander McQueen made of pink lace. The pockets gave her that nonchalance of a true rock star; she looked poised with her back arched just so and her hands tucked at her hips. Basically, she appeared extremely chill at one of the world's least chill events. Not to mention she accessorized with an impossibly awesome antique metal ear cuff. Even better, there are photos circulating on Twitter of her wearing a black leather jacket thrown over her shoulders. It's all just so cool without being too cool, and refreshingly less precious than most Oscars looks tend to be.

Michelle Yeoh feels like a red-carpet shapeshifter. Whereas plenty of stars opt for a specific aesthetic for their Oscars campaign, Yeoh isn't afraid to experiment, step outside of her comfort zone, and reinvent her style every time. Tonight, she went angelic in a Dior Couture gown that looked like a wearable cloud, accessorized with a precious tiara-like headband. The look is reminiscent of what most of us in childhood envision wearing when we're all "grown up." And so, it felt apt that Yeoh made history in this dress, decades after what many in this industry would wrongfully characterize as her "prime." This dress, and her Oscars moment, felt like a childhood dream fulfilled.

Michelle Williams also went the angelic route in a Chanel couture gown with a cape that fell forward instead of trailing behind her. It made her look like she was caught in a dreamy snowstorm where it was hailing sequins. Williams always looks ethereal, but there is something about this particular look that feels even more otherworldly than usual. She looked like a wispy Degas painting personified.

Tems wore a more avant-garde version of the hooded gown in a Lever Couture piece that swirled around her like a trail of smoke. Her dress was one that was best seen from all angles, its tulle caressing her cheeks, shoulders, and hair like a tender embrace. If Michelle Williams and Michelle Yeoh looked like angels, Tems looked like the cloudy, feathery landscape of heaven itself.

Rihanna apparently arrived at the Oscars in an Eagles T-shirt and a large sequined hat. Everyone was too caught up in how iconic she was in her apparent indifference (a friend even texted me to say she's now surpassed iconic; "She simply is iconography") to be disappointed at the potential of her denying us another red-carpet moment. But this is Rihanna, and Rihanna never disappoints. Instead she made another fashionably late carpet appearance in an incredible belly-baring Alaïa. There's so much about it that's so good. The slits at her thighs! The leather detail wrapping around her neck and chest, perfectly framing her belly! The leather train! The just messy enough updo! In conclusion, Mother is MOTHERING.

Guests at the Oscars often get so caught up in wearing something over-the-top they opt for a princess-like ensemble that doesn't suit them. But Phoebe Waller-Bridge would never. She's the kind of actress who knows who she is and what she likes. That sensibility really shone through in this glorious Dolce LBD. Waller-Bridge looks comfortable and poised, luxuriating in a dress that feels oh so very her.

In recent years, people have decided to stop taking risks at the Oscars, instead going for the expected instead of something more lively. Not Janelle Monáe. She was clearly having fun in her playful Vera Wang gown, which added a nice pop of color to the colorless carpet. The look is enough to singlehandedly bring back black velvet chokers. This dress also is characteristic of the kind of fun she is known to have with her style; as she told a red-carpet interviewer, "I represent me."

The entire Internet has spoken, and Cara Delevingne's look is a well-received slay. While a majority of guests opted for white or black this year, Delevingne stood out in a deep romantic red. The rose detail at her shoulder is oversized but it doesn't overpower like floral adornments tend to do. And the draping of her gown at the hip is reminiscent of dramatic curtains at a play, parting ways to spotlight her leg at center stage. The look was a reminder that Cara Delevingne isn't just a fashion girl, but a true supermodel with an undeniable presence—and a face card that never declines.

Salma Hayek is a fiery vision in this burnt orange sequined gown by Gucci. The color looks like the fleeting moment in a sunset you can never quite capture in a photo, when the pink fades into the yellow before the night sky takes over. Hayek not only bottled that same beauty with this look, but radiated it completely with every step she took.