Janelle Monáe

Janelle Monáe’s stylist, Maeve Reilly, told WWD that when she first saw this embroidered gown in the Elie Saab Fall 2016 Couture collection, she knew it was the one for the actress’s 2017 Oscars appearance. “We [were deciding] back in December if this was going to be our dress,” Maeve said. “It was a moment where we saw her in it, and I cried. I’d never seen anything so beautiful in my life.” Similar to the other looks on this list, Janelle’s makeup took about an hour, “with 20 minutes focused on perfecting her brows,” makeup artist Jessica P. Smalls said. “I also spent a lot of time prepping her skin. I added some bronzer into her moisturizer for the glow.”

Ariel Wodarcyk