This year’s red carpets served us some of fashion’s most memorable moments – from Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo’s viral Wicked looks to Kim Kardashian channelling Princess Diana.
Method-dressing (when an actor pays homage to the film they’re promoting through their fashion) took the year’s red carpets by storm. However, some celebrities’ classically timeless looks also made just as big an impact.
Here are the most memorable fashion moments from 2024’s red carpets…
1. Zendaya
Zendaya had a plethora of eye catching red carpet looks this year – from her method-dressing for the tennis blockbuster Challengers to her ethereal drama on the Met Gala red carpet.
However, her look that stole this show in 2024 was her futuristic silver suit styled by Law Roach at the Dune: Part Two premiere in London.
The one piece featured structured chrome panels pulled from the Mugler’s 1995 Couture collection and was styled with patent pointed heels and wet look hair.
2. Ariana Grande
The film adaptation of the world’s favourite musical, Wicked, not only took the box office by storm this year – but the fashion world too.
Leading the way were film stars Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande who served up an array of incredible red carpet looks, embodying their characters: the wicked witch and good witch.
Grande’s most memorable look from the tour however had to be her fairy-tale pink gown that she wore to the Australian film premiere.
The 31-year-old actor and singer wore a custom Glinda gown by Vivienne Westwood with a corseted bodice adorned with intricate and sparkling embellishments.
The dress featured puffed shimmering sleeves and a dramatic tulle skirt, cascading in layers of blush pink. To accentuate the princess persona even further, Grande accessorised with a diamond butterfly choker by Lorraine Schwartz and minimal pink make-up.
3. Cynthia Erivo
Cynthia Erivo, Grande’s co-star, sported her best Wicked look at the London film premiere in a dramatic Schiaparelli ensemble.
Trading in her usual green colour palette – as a nod to her role as Elphaba – Erivo, 37, opted for a striking black velvet bodice and a capacious, flared tulle skirt that revealed a glittering copper mosaic underneath.
The shimmer extended to Erivo’s tights and she completed the look with black opera gloves, platform heels and De Beers jewellery, topped with a black fascinator.
4. Nicola Coughlan
Nicola Coughlan kept it ‘very demure, very mindful’ at the Fashion Awards in December this year.
The Irish actor wore a structured black off-shoulder gown with a silk blue bustle and a black hairbow.
The round gown silhouette – inspired by 19th century Regency dress styles – was perfect for the 37-year-old Bridgeton star. The dress was by Indian designer, Gaurav Gupta, who has also dressed the likes of by Beyonce and Cardi B.
5. Rihanna and A$AP Rocky
Rihanna’s public appearances are now few and far between – but when she does appear on the red carpet – she makes it worth everyone’s while.
The 36-year-old Barbadian singer took the the Fashion Awards red carpet in December with her partner A$AP Rocky who was named ‘cultural innovator’ at the event.
Rihanna wore an-eye catching furry turquoise dress and matching hat with a plunging black corset. The star dipped into the archives for her look, wearing an outfit from Christian Lacroix’s autumn/winter 2002 couture collection.
Never one to be outshone, this year Rihanna paired her vibrant look with pointed-toe heels, sheer tights and lots of diamonds – after all, the event was presented by the jeweller Pandora.
6. Colman Domingo
One of the best dressed male actors of 2024 has undoubtedly been Colman Domingo.
The 55-year-old American actor has become a household name thanks to his roles in Rustin and Netflix’s new thriller series, The Madness.
At the Critics’ Choice Awards in January, Domingo wore a Valentino Haute Couture mustard suit with a gilt ruffled overcoat and baby blue shirt.
The actor finished the dazzling look with a pair of pointed golden Christian Louboutin boots, Bulgari jewellery and an Omega watch.
7. Cardi B
Cardi B is not afraid to make a statement on the red carpet. This year, the rapper bought gothic glamour to the Met Gala in mounds of voluminous black tulle.
The 32-year-old WAP singer chose an avant-garde creation by Windowsen – an emerging label founded by Chinese designer Sensen Lii.
Cardi B wore a black, off-the-shoulder silhouette which came with mounds of tulle and a sweeping train, following her annual tradition of supplying head-turning Met Gala looks.
8. Chappell Roan
American singer Chappell Roan turned heads in a custom ruched red gown and a prosthetic pig nose at the UMG Grammy after party in February.
The 26-year-old Good Luck, Babe! singer wore a silk dress by independent designer Efrain Nava, a custom headpiece by Manny Robertson, who has also designed for looks featured at Ru Paul’s DragCon.
Roan finished her look with a pair of vintage Christian Dior knee high buckle boots.
9. Kim Kardashian
Something perhaps not on everyone’s 2024 bingo card was Kim Kardashian showcasing Princess Diana’s wardrobe at the Los Angeles CMA Art and Film Gala in November.
The reality star wore Princess Diana’s gold, silver, amethyst and diamond Attallah Cross necklace with a plunging white Gucci gown and pearl choker.
The 44-year-old SKIMS founder bought the pendant at a Sotheby’s auction for £163,800 in January 2023.
Previously, the late Princess showcased the dramatic cross quite differently at a charity gala in October 1987. Diana wore a Catherine Walker Elizabethan-style black and burgundy dress with a high neck ruff.
10. Bad Bunny
Cardi B wasn’t the only star to wow at the Met Gala in May this year. The Puerto Rican rapper Bad Bunny made his mark in the menswear department in a Maison Margiela midnight blue ensemble.
The 30-year-old musician wore a navy suit with white and red exposed thread and a red ribbon lampasse.
The artist finished the look with a wool flower bouquet, bouffant beret and custom made ‘Tabi’ boots – a shoe that Maison Margiela’s then creative director, John Galliano, made viral this year.
11. Carey Mulligan
A timeless red carpet look that stuck in people’s minds this year was Carey Mulligan’s Oscars dress.
The Promising Young Woman star wore a elegant and sleek sleeveless black gown by Balenciaga with matching full-length opera gloves.
Mulligan, 31, was dubbed as the award ceremony’s best dressed celebrity of the evening. The gown’s gentle form-fitting silhouette and delicate sweetheart neckline encompassed the soft elegance and femininity of 2024’s biggest fashion trend ‘quiet luxury’.
The dress featured a dramatic mermaid skirt, which flared out at the knees under the scalloped hem, with a white tulle petticoat peeped out at the base. Mulligan kept her jewellery simple with a pair of classic diamond drop earrings.
“I think it’s my favourite dress I’ve ever worn,” the actor told Vogue.
12. Lady Gaga
While Lady Gaga served up an array of eye-catching red carpet looks this year, one of her best was a custom red gown for the London premiere of Joker: Folie à Deux.
The 38-year-old actor and singer channelled Harley Quinn in a blood red Celine gown, featuring voluminous shoulder pads and a sharp plunging neckline, which mirrored her onscreen character’s distinctive style.
The floor-length gown was finished with a Eighties-style cropped jacket which complemented Gaga’s sleek bob and smoky blue eye make-up. The star completed the look with black nail polish and minimal accessories, allowing the gown to do the talking.
