LOS ANGELES — America Ferrera bid a fond awards season farewell to “Barbie” on the Oscars red carpet Sunday in a stunning, sparkly Atelier Versace gown in the film's signature pink, while Rita Moreno wore a huge smile and a statement black gown from Badgley Mischka.
Hollywood's big night in Los Angeles included few fashion risks, with many sticking to classic silhouettes, black and other standard colors. Others offered an under-the-sea-vibe in soft seafoam colors with mermaid crystals and shell-like designs.
Emma Stone was in the sea camp in a soft pastel strapless look with a faint shell pattern in mint and a wide peplum at the waist. It was Louis Vuitton. Hailee Steinfeld in Elie Saab was also sea-like in sheer ethereal blue-green with wings attached at the wrist. Lupita Nyong'o was sea-adjacent in feathers and sequins by Armani Privé.
Moreno, at 92, waved to photographers as she showed off her pleated taffeta and velvet gown. Brittany Snow offered a refreshing show of color in a bright strapless custom Monot dress paired with a statement choker.
Cynthia Erivo, in Louis Vuitton, shut down the carpet in deep green leather, dinosaur-like spikes along the back. Emily Blunt and hubby John Krasinski matched in off-white, she in Schiaparelli couture with shoulders that floated above her body, that extended silhouette touch a mini-trend of the night.
Anya Taylor-Joy was full shell in a Dior Haute Couture strapless look in a sparkly scallop design.
Da'Vine Roy Randolph, on the top of her fashion game this awards season, wore an A-line pale blue tulle gown from Louis Vuitton with oversized sleeves embellished with tulle fringe. Ariana Grande also went big in a puffy pink gown that also had huge sleeves.
Lavender had a moment on a few. So did Billie Eilish in a Chanel schoolgirl look with a black jacket, pattern skirt, white socks and black Mary Janes. She and others on the carpet wore red pins supporting a cease-fire in Gaza.
The “Godzilla Minus One” group, meanwhile, showed up carrying toy monsters.
Many men stuck to black in tuxedos and other looks, including a fashion star of the awards season, Colman Domingo in a double-breasted tuxedo look, a custom Louis Vuitton, paired with cowboy boots and a jewel at the center of his bow tie.
"I wanted to shine like a diamond″ he told E! “I’m having a great time.”
Ryan Gosling and Bradley Cooper also went for black tuxedos. Gosling went with Gucci with silver bead piping, and Cooper went double-breasted in Louis Vuitton. No ties for either, along with others.
And there was a predictable spray of sequins for the women. White looks also represented, including Kirsten Dunst in Gucci. There was lots of black for the women, too, including a custom Schiaparelli for Sandra Hüller with extended shoulders and the perfect fit.
Erika Alexander of “American Fiction” wore a white strapless gown with a black skirt trimmed in pastel tulle. The designer, Christian Siriano, said it was made in a miraculous four days.
Laverne Cox, working the carpet for E!, was the epitome of Old Hollywood glam in an hourglass look of black and low-plunging gold, her hair piled high as she fluttered a feather-light neck piece that trailed behind. Her look is vintage Mugler.
Scott George, a member of the Osage Nation and the first Indigenous person to receive an Oscar nomination for best original song, was among the early arrivals in a gray look trimmed in green and purple, his tie in matching colors.
A couple of little cuties in nominated short films were delighted to walk. Porché Brinker of “The Last Repair Shop” was in ethereal soft blue, and Juliet Donenfeld of “Red, White and Blue” looked all-the-way grown up in a blinged-out strapless dress.
Red, an “IT” color of the awards season, had some early enthusiasts as arrivals heated up.
Issa Rae, a red carpet standout, stunned in plunging deep green from Ami Paris. The top sparkled.
“I am wearing green for good luck,” she said. “I wanted to feel old Hollywood.”
Gabrielle Union wore another stunner, a strong silver embellished look from Carolina Herrera that offered an armor vibe.
“I am feeling myself,” Union said.
Among the risk-takers? Charlotte Kemp Muhl, who walked with Sean Ono Lennon in a backless and near sideless black dress. Eugene Lee Wang, following in the footsteps of Billy Porter, donned a full ball skirt with a crop jacket.
Daniel Scheinert of the Daniels wore a Fashion Brand Company jacket adorned with a snake. It's a buzzy brand worn by a lot of comedians, including SNL’s Sarah Sherman.
Among the men who opted out of black was Taylor Zakhar Perez in powder blue. Simu Liu of “Barbie” brought the Kenergy. He rocked a black Fendi look with a wrap-around jacket closed with a brooch.
"It's a fun situation, and I like brooches,” he said.