How Long It Really Took to Create 15 Iconic Oscars Looks

This is how the teams behind these mesmerizing Oscars outfits made it all happen.

By Ariel Wodarcyk
January 17, 2020
Cher and Halle Berry
From Cher’s towering custom headdress in 1986 to Reese Witherspoon’s vintage Dior gown in 2006, the most glamorous looks to grace the Oscars red carpet required weeks of pin-pricking labor, said Bronwyn Cosgrave, author of Made For Each Other: Fashion and the Academy Awards, and host of the fashion podcast A Different Tweed. As for each look’s finishing touches, “we usually spend about two hours in hair and makeup,” said celebrity makeup artist Molly R. Stern. Keep reading to learn how much time and effort went into putting together 15 of the most legendary Oscars looks.Getty Images

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.”

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