Award season red carpets are not meant to be compared to fashion events like the Met Gala. While the Met Gala thrives on the spectacle of outfits functioning as conceptual art pieces, award season seems to demand a more restrained kind of glamour. These are long evenings spent seated in chairs, with fashion, after all, being about dress codes. Stylists aim to give their stars a polished A-list look but with small risks that could spark conversation.
These conversations spread relentlessly on the internet. It seems like everyone has their own list of best-dressed and worst-dressed. In this way, awards season does more than showcase looks; it actively shapes the fashion narrative. As we go through awards season from January to March, fashion commentary reaches its peak, and the red carpet becomes a testing ground where we collectively decide which trends from the previous year are worth keeping, and which new ones are poised to define the year ahead.
Menswear, in particular, has become increasingly exciting on the red carpet. Last year saw celebrities like Pedro Pascal, Timothée Chalamet, and Jeremy Strong generate buzz through bold styling choices, signalling a shift away from safe, uniform (mostly black) suiting. The momentum has continued into the current awards season. During the week of the Golden Globes 2026, my feed was flooded with comments on the Heated Rivalry cast duo, who quickly emerged as standouts on the red carpet. Hudson Williams appeared in a white Giorgio Armani tuxedo, with Connor Storrie in a slim Saint Laurent tailoring paired with a Mod-inspired hairstyle. The enthusiasm surrounding these looks suggests that 2026 menswear will be more about slimmer silhouettes and sharper lines.
Another recurring trend worth noting is the prominence of vintage and archival fashion. Odessa A’Zion’s appearance in vintage Dolce & Gabbana is just one example. Recent years have already demonstrated a growing appetite for fashion history on the red carpet. At last year’s ceremony, Ariana Grande wore a butter-yellow Givenchy couture gown from the Spring/Summer 1966 collection, while Anya Taylor-Joy opted for a blush-pink slip dress from John Galliano’s Spring/Summer 1998 Dior collection. These choices signal sustainability, reverence for craftsmanship, and a desire to stand apart through rarity. If current patterns persist, vintage and archival looks are set to remain a defining feature of awards season well into 2026.
Ultimately, awards season fashion reflects a balance between past trends and innovation. It tells us what we are reluctant to let go of and what we are ready to embrace next.
Photo by Samuel Ramos on Unsplash.
