AfriPulse
When Jessie Buckley stepped out for the Oscars 2026, she did so in custom Chanel. That’s a fabulous fact on its own: How many people can say they’ve had a gown from the world-famous French fashion house made for them? But Buckley’s scarlet-red and bubblegum dress (or, in official parlance per Chanel, “a light pink bustier chiffon dress with a red satin leather stole”) was both an important personal style moment for her…as well as a hallmark of Old Hollywood.
In 1956, Grace Kelly wore a ball gown with a remarkably similar silhouette to the Oscars. It wasn’t by Chanel but a costume designer. Which one, is, well tough to say. These were back in the days when movie stars belonged to certain studios and often wore custom dresses made by the studios as well. In 1955, Kelly wore a gown by Edith Head, the legendary head of Paramount Pictures costume department, to accept the Oscar for the studio’s film The Country Girl. However, at that time, Head was on loan to Paramount for that film by MGM. And MGM’s costume designer was Helen Rose—who also made Kelly’s iconic long-sleeved wedding dress that she wore to marry Prince Rainier III of Monaco in 1956. The internet is murky on the design credit.
Regardless of the exact origin, designers paying homage to creations of the past is nothing new—everything essentially has a reference. But this one feels particularly aesthetically apt: This is Buckley’s first Academy Award nomination, which she got for her heartbreaking portrayal of Agnes Shakespeare. It’s cemented the 36-year-old as one of the most preeminent actors of her generation, just like Kelly was.
Style-wise, it’s also a callback to a past aesthetic. While semi-sheer dresses, feathers, and slips are all the trend in 2026 (and often fantastically so, as seen on this year’s carpet on Teyana Taylor and Nicole Kidman), demure, full-skirt ballgowns like Buckley’s are less commonplace. It’s, well, a little bit retro. The beauty styling just added to the Golden Age aura: her blonde hair was in a deep side part, her mouth painted with a rich red lip.
Buckley is styled by Danielle Goldberg, the powerhouse stylist known for her work with Ayo Edebiri, Greta Lee, Eva Victor, and more. Throughout awards season, Buckley has worn a mix of premium luxury labels like Balenciaga and Dior. But it seems that for her outfit on acting’s biggest night, she wanted the very vibe Coco Chanel once famously opined about: “A girl should be two things,” the French designer is credited with saying. “Classy and fabulous.”
Source: VanityFair | Read the Full Story…
