Inside the 2026 Academy Awards Fashion Forecast

Celebrity stylist Debra Afshani is preparing for Hollywood's biggest night, predicting a red carpet defined by bold sculptural silhouettes and intricate architectural cutouts. When it's a nominee, there's like a sacredness that, it just feels like this big important moment and I just really want to honor it. I mean, I do, I want, I want that, that's the case for everyone I work with, but it just takes it to another level. I definitely, you know, I know that there's, they'll be photographed usually more than some others. And then I do like imagine what it would end up looking like, you know, with an award. Afshani, whose clients include Hamnet director Chloe Zhao, notes a shift away from standard designs towards statuesque shapes and unconventional declitage. Recent awards shows have already hinted at these trends, with Hamnet star and Oscar front-runner Jesse Buckley making waves in a voluminous white cape. While fellow nominees Renate Reynsveev and Rose Byrne have opted for daring abdominal cutouts and shimmering silver sequins. The 98th Academy Awards will be presented this Sunday, the 15th of March.