While the SAG-AFTRA strike may have caused a (necessary) derail in the red carpets in the middle of this year, 2023 did not suffer from a lack of inspiring fashion. We didn’t get Timothée Chalamet and Zendaya joined by Austin Butler and Florence Pugh on their Dune 2 press tour or the 2023 Emmy Awards—but now we have those (as well as many more star-studded moments) to look forward to under a new union deal in 2024. Despite those losses, though, the red carpets that did take place did not disappoint. The Met Gala, per usual, provided many memorable moments, from the feather-covered confection Nicole Kidman pulled from her own personal archive to Bad Bunny’s take on a Chanel couture bride. Of course, there was also the Cannes Film Festival, Vanity Fair Oscar party, and Barbie press tour, which all platformed some must-see looks. Plus, the end of the strike in November allowed some last-minute premieres to take place before the ball dropped on 2023, and Hunter Schafer was able to squeeze in that knockout, artistic Schiaparelli look. But all of that is just the beginning. To really appreciate the year in fashion, keep scrolling for the 25 best red carpet moments from 2023.
Rihanna in Valentino and A$AP Rocky in Gucci
The couple arrived fashionably late to this year’s Met Gala, themed “Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty,” but of course, their outfits were worth the wait. Rihanna attended the event in a custom Valentino look, becoming the living embodiment of the Chanel camellia, while A$AP Rocky paid homage to Lagerfeld by recreating an ensemble the designer wore at his spring/summer 2005 show almost two decades ago.
Jennie in Chanel
The Blackpink singer affectionately called “Human Chanel” attended the Cannes Film Festival premiere of her show, The Idol, in a romantic, white lace Chanel spring/summer 2020 couture dress with black tulle off-the-shoulder details.
Zendaya in Valentino
We weren’t blessed with quite as many Zendaya red carpet moments as we would have liked this year, but she did make up for it with the few she delivered. At the SAG Awards back in February, for example, she satiated us with this custom Valentino number, which featured 190 rosettes on the skirt.
Nicole Kidman in Chanel
Nicole Kidman turned back the clock almost two decades when she attended the Met Gala in the same custom Lagerfeld-designed Chanel dress she wore for her appearance in “Chanel No. 5, the film,” a three-minute long fragrance ad back in 2004.
Angela Bassett in Christian Siriano
Angela Bassett brought volume to the Critics’ Choice Awards in a velvet, tiered Christian Siriano dress.
Dua Lipa in Chanel
As one of the evening’s hosts, it makes sense that Lipa attended the Met Gala in an iconic look—the white tweed gown from Chanel’s fall/winter 1992 haute couture collection, originally modeled by Lagerfeld muse, Claudia Schiffer.
Ava DuVernay in Prada
The director looked poised and beautiful in a custom butter-yellow Prada dress with an off-the-shoulder neckline while attending the premiere of Origins at the Cannes Film Festival.
Bad Bunny in Jacquemus
Lagerfeld was known for his bridal looks that closed out every Chanel couture show—but at this year’s Met Gala, singer Bad Bunny flipped that tradition on its head when he attended the event in an all-white, bridal-inspired suit with a shawl covered in rosettes.
Lily Gladstone in Valentino Couture
The Killers of the Flower Moon actress made her Cannes Film Festival debut in a gorgeous floral Valentino number at the premiere of the Martin Scorsese-directed film.
Elle Fanning in Vivienne Westwood
Twelve years ago, Lagerfeld styled Elle Fanning for his book, Little Black Jacket, by placing a daisy crown on her head and the titular jacket on top of the white dress she wore to set that day. For the 2023 Met Gala, Fanning worked with Andreas Kronthaler and milliner Stephen Jones to pay homage to this moment, attending the event in a strapless ivory lace dress with a tailored, cropped black crepe jacket on top and a daisy crown on her head.
Storm Reid in Prada
A dress that likely should have gotten more attention when it first debuted: Storm Reid’s sequin-covered, strapless Prada from the Chopard Trophy ceremony at the Cannes Film Festival.
Natalie Portman in Dior
The fashion world was awash with excitement when Natalie Portman stepped out for the premiere of her film, May December, at the Cannes Film Festival in a recreation of Christian Dior’s famed Junon dress, originally created by the designer himself for his autumn/winter 1949/50 collection.
Tracee Ellis Ross in Balmain
Leave it to Tracee Ellis Ross to always bring the drama. The actress took on the red carpet at the Vanity Fair Oscar party this year in a complete look from Olivier Rousteing’s fall 2023 collection, styling it just as it was originally presented on the runway.
Cate Blanchett in Louis Vuitton
Cate Blanchett has situated herself as the green carpet queen, constantly re-wearing couture looks to multiple events, and working with designers to create new pieces out of previously discarded fabric. The latter process is what birthed the actress’ 2023 Oscars look. A black skirt made from fully sustainable silk was paired with an iridescent draped top from an archival LV collection, creating a chic, simple, and most importantly, sustainable red carpet moment.
Cardi B in Dilara Findikoglu
Dilara Findikoglu elongated her hair clip-covered dress from her fall/winter 2023 collection for Cardi B to wear to the MTV Video Music Awards. The result was unexpected and exciting—classic Cardi.
Hunter Schafer in Ann Demeulemeester
Ludovic de Saint Sernin’s tenure at Ann Demeulemeester may have been short-lived (it only lasted one season), but it will forever be remembered thanks to Hunter Schafer, who wore this extremely risqué look from the collection to the Vanity Fair Oscar party.
Kendall Jenner in Jean Paul Gaultier Couture
Fashion fans might remember this dress, as the ivory version was worn by Marion Cotillard at the 2008 Oscars when the actress took home the big award of the night for her portrayal of Edith Piaf in La Vie en Rose. At the Vanity Fair Oscar party this year, Kendall Jenner brought out the black-and-gold rendition from Jean Paul Gaultier’s spring 2008 couture show, proving great clothes never go out of style.
Tems in Lever Couture
Not only did Tems’s ethereal Oscar dress make a statement on the red carpet, it also did so on the Internet. The dress went viral for its voluminous silhouette, which blocked the views of those sitting behind her in the audience of the awards show.
Elle Fanning in Alexander McQueen
Fanning does not mess around when it comes to her Cannes red carpet looks. At this year’s event, she lived up to her “one-woman Met Gala” reputation when she attended the opening ceremony in a custom Alexander McQueen gown—an iteration of a similar look from the brand’s fall/winter 2023 collection—featuring a tulle skirt and a sculptural corset top.
Lupita Nyong’o in Misha Japanwala
The breastplate Lupita Nyong’o wore to the 2023 Tony Awards was cast and molded to her body by Pakistani artist and designer, Misha Japanwala. Her work revolves around the rejection of external bodily shame; the artist recreates these realistic body-shaped pieces as a form of resistance.
Margot Robbie in Schiaparelli
Margot Robbie’s entire Barbie press tour was an absolute joy, as she and her stylist, Andrew Mukamal, delivered one vintage Barbie-inspired red carpet look after another. Her most successful, though, was likely this Schiaparelli moment at the Los Angeles premiere, modeled after the “Solo in the Spotlight” Barbie from 1960.
Gigi Hadid in Abu Jani and Sandeep Khosla
Gigi Hadid attended the Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre Gala in a Chikankari sari designed by Abu Jani and Sandeep Khosla. The piece was made over the course of an entire year in the Lucknow region of India.
Hari Nef in Dilara Findikoglu
A little whimsy on the red carpet never hurt anyone, which is why the cutlery-covered Dilara Findikoglu dress Hari Nef wore to the Europe premiere of Barbie was a welcome addition.
Grace Elizabeth in Christopher John Rogers
While for the most part, the Met Gala red carpet was filled with black and white looks, model Grace Elizabeth brought the color in this tonal pink ballgown, which Christopher John Rogers originally designed for Vogue’s tribute to Karl Lagerfeld.
Hunter Schafer in Schiaparelli Haute Couture
Thank god The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes secured a SAG-AFTRA Interim Agreement, because we got to experience Schafer in this Schiaparelli fall/winter 2023 couture collection dress at the Berlin premiere.