Zendaya, Margot Robbie and Emily Blunt lead sparkling Oscars red carpet fashion

Zendaya, Margot Robbie and Emily Blunt were among stars wearing sparkling outfits on the Oscars red carpet.

The shimmering theme felt appropriate for the biggest night in showbiz, but unusually for the Academy Awards, no one major trend dominated celebrity outfits.

Some of the biggest stars donned sparkles – like Barbie actress Margot Robbie, who made the surprise decision to wear black instead of pink.

Her shimmering strapless outfit was straight off Versace’s Milan Fashion Week runway, and was a more understated ensemble for Robbie, 33, who has spent much of the last year recreating classic Barbie outfits on the red carpet.

Dune: Part Two star Zendaya, 27, wore a shimmering outfit of an iridescent purple dress with a black sparkling bodice and palm tree-inspired detailing, from Armani Prive.

Emily Blunt, 41, who is nominated for the supporting actress gong for her role in Oppenheimer, wore a fashion label which has dominated the red carpet for this awards season: Schiaprelli.

The Italian fashion house is known for polished designs with a hint of the surreal, and this was certainly seen in Blunt’s sparkling outfit. The sequinned gown had heavily structured straps and cheeky detailing which looked like the outline of Y-fronts, and was paired with strings of Tiffany & Co jewellery.

Barbie star America Ferrera, 39, took a leaf out of co-star Margot Robbie’s style book, wearing a pink chainmail Versace gown – which looked like a mini version of one Robbie wore to a Barbie event in Sydney last year.

While Robbie’s outfit was a vintage look, worn by supermodel Claudia Schiffer in 1994, Ferrera’s was custom-made.

Among all the massive fashion houses represented on the Oscars red carpet, Dune: Part Two star Florence Pugh, 28, wore a lesser-known label – Del Core, a Milanese brand founded in 2020.

The bedazzled architectural bodice of the gown was matched perfectly by the statement snake-style Bulgari necklace.

Emma Stone, 35, was one of the celebrities opting against sparkles on the red carpet. Her awards season fashion has been heavily inspired by the 18th-century costuming of her character Bella Baxter in Poor Things, which has earned her a nomination for the best actress gong.

Her Oscars outfit was no different: a pale green strapless dress with a dramatic peplum detailing and a light brocade pattern. Fresh off attending Louis Vuitton’s star-studded Paris Fashion Week show last Tuesday, Stone once again chose a custom look from the French label.

Stone was not the only star in Louis Vuitton – Cynthia Erivo, 37, seemed to be channelling her character Elphaba in the upcoming film Wicked. 

Her leather-look green Oscars gown had sculptural statement shoulders, with ruffled strings of fabric hanging trailing behind her.

Erivo’s Wicked co-star, Ariana Grande, 30, also seemed to be inspired by her character in the film, Glinda, wearing a pastel pink Giambattista Valli Haute Couture gown with puffy sleeves and a long train.

The Queen’s Gambit star Anya Taylor-Joy, 27, wore a custom Dior gown that references one of the French fashion house’s most famous looks: the ‘Junon’ dress, designed by Christian Dior in 1949.

The original gown had a white bodice and a voluminous skirt made up of heavily beaded ‘petals’. 

Taylor-Joy’s outfit had similar petal detailing on the skirt, with a few key differences – the overall colour was more silvery grey, and the petals were smaller, making for a column-style silhouette.

No Hard Feelings actress Jennifer Lawrence, 33, also wore a Dior ensemble, and was one of the few examples of patterns on the red carpet, wearing an old Hollywood-inspired polka dot strapless dress.

Actress Kirsten Dunst, 41, channelled Nineties minimalism in her all-white outfit. The Gucci gown had a square neckline, a low back and spaghetti straps, and was styled with a bold red lip and loose hair.

Dunst seems to be developing an increasingly close relationship with Gucci, and was pictured sitting front row for the Italian fashion house’s most recent Milan Fashion Week show.

Nominated for best supporting actress for her role in The Color Purple, Danielle Brooks, 34, chose a timeless all-black look by Dolce & Gabbana.

The strapless gown had silver detailing on the bodice, a thigh-high leg slit and a dramatic bow with a train.

Lupita Nyong’o, 41 – who took home the best supporting actress award for her role in 12 Years A Slave in 2014 – wore a sparkling lilac gown with feather detailing from Armani Prive.

The pastel colour and deep-V neckline almost felt reminiscent of the pale blue Prada gown she wore to the 2014 Oscars.