The 2023 Oscar Awards brought an end to the 2023 awards season — and did so with a burst of glamour. Fashion commentator Melissa Rivers certainly thought so, given that stars “save what they feel is their best dress for the Oscars” and a return to formal dressing-up is already here — particularly seen in the shift from the winter awards shows to the Oscars.
“This year has been all about a return to glamour,” Rivers shared exclusively with Footwear News during the ceremony on Sunday. “We’ve seen big jewelry, we’ve seen hair that’s done — not just messy and down. Color, color, color has been the story of this year — and then today popped up a lot of white, but in a non-bridal way. We’ve seen that all awards season.”
Sofia Carson at the 95th Annual Academy Awards held at Ovation Hollywood in Los Angeles, Calif. on March 12, 2023. CREDIT: Arturo Holmes/Getty Images
Rivers says a great Oscars red carpet moment can be colorful or neutral — but the truly great moments “take your breath away” from their glamour and flow, citing her favorite looks from Angela Bassett, Michelle Yeoh, Sofia Carson, Cara Delevingne and Cate Blanchett as examples.
“The woman is wearing the dress, the dress isn’t wearing her,” Rivers said. “Look at Angela Bassett tonight. Was that not a movie star moment? The hair, the jewelry, the makeup, the dress, the color of the dress, the fit of the dress, the confidence. The one that I haven’t heard a lot of people talking about yet is Stephanie Hsu, from ‘Everything Everywhere’ in that pink — and it was modern. I thought that was a great moment.”
Angela Bassett attends the 95th Annual Academy Awards on March 12, 2023 in Hollywood, Calif. CREDIT: WireImage
Contrastingly, Rivers says “worst” looks weren’t truly present at the Oscars — or even during the 2023 awards season. She did reveal that looks can be “underwhelming,” however, citing examples as Ana de Armas, Zoe Saldana and Nicole Kidman as “not feeling finished.”
Rivers shares that Oscars shoes are typically the most refined and elegant of the season — even if they’re a trendier shape, like Florence Pugh’s platform pumps.
“You always see more of an elegant shoe, or what they used to call back in the day an ‘evening shoe,’” Rivers said, emphasizing how shoes can make or break an outfit. “Sometimes, something is just so incongruent with the dress that it’ll be like, ‘Amazing, amazing, amazing, oh crap. The shoe ruined it.’ There’s a delicacy to a true evening shoe.”
Florence Pugh attends the 95th annual Academy Awards at Ovation Hollywood in Hollywood on March 12, 2023.. CREDIT: Gilbert Flores
As the Oscars close the year’s awards season, they often create long-lasting red carpet moments that visualize how people are approaching fashion. This year, Rivers believes the Oscars emphasized a return to formality through large gowns and bold jewelry as a contrast to our everyday lives.
“I think women want to look pretty,” Rivers said. “Everybody’s still very anxious and very nervous and what’s appropriate, what’s inappropriate for the times we’re living in. I think this year we really saw the women embracing wanting to be glamorous and beautiful.”
However, she’s also anticipating a change in aesthetics due to fashion’s cyclical nature.
“I think it is all completely cyclical,” Rivers predicts. “After all these gowns, I think we’re going to start to see very pared-down again, and instantly that’s going to look very fresh. The pendulum always swings the other direction.”
Melissa Rivers’ Top Looks at Oscars 2023
Angela Bassett wears Moschino on the red carpet.
Angela Bassett at the 95th Annual Academy Awards held at Ovation Hollywood in Los Angeles, Calif. on March 12, 2023. CREDIT: Gilbert Flores for Variety
Michelle Yeoh wears Dior on the red carpet.
Michelle Yeoh at the 95th Annual Academy Awards held at Ovation Hollywood in Los Angeles, Calif. on March 12, 2023. CREDIT: Gilbert Flores
Cara Delevingne wears Elie Saab and Stuart Weitzman on the red carpet.
Cara Delevingne at the 95th Annual Academy Awards held at Ovation Hollywood in Los Angeles, Calif. on March 12, 2023. CREDIT: Gilbert Flores
Stephanie Hsu wears Valentino on the red carpet.
Stephanie Hsu at the 95th Annual Academy Awards held at Ovation Hollywood in Los Angeles, Calif. on March 12, 2023. CREDIT: Gilbert Flores for Variety
Cate Blanchett wears Louis Vuitton on the red carpet.
Cate Blanchett at the 95th Annual Academy Awards held at Ovation Hollywood in Los Angeles, Calif. on March 12, 2023. CREDIT: Gilbert Flores for Variety
Sofia Carson wears Giambattista Valli on the red carpet.
Sofia Carson at the 95th Annual Academy Awards held at Ovation Hollywood in Los Angeles, Calif. on March 12, 2023. CREDIT: Arturo Holmes/Getty Images
Melissa Rivers’ Most Underwhelming at Oscars 2023
Ana de Armas wears Louis Vuitton on the red carpet.
Ana de Armas at the 95th Annual Academy Awards held at Ovation Hollywood in Los Angeles, Calif. on March 12, 2023. CREDIT: Gilbert Flores for Variety
Nicole Kidman wears Armani Privé on the red carpet.
Nicole Kidman at the 95th Annual Academy Awards held at Ovation Hollywood in Los Angeles, Calif. on March 12, 2023. CREDIT: Gilbert Flores for Variety
Zoe Saldana wears Fendi couture on the red carpet.
Zoe Saldana at the 95th Annual Academy Awards held at Ovation Hollywood in Los Angeles, Calif. on March 12, 2023. CREDIT: Getty Images
PHOTOS: Discover all the stars at Oscars 2023 in the gallery.
