Couture Gowns I'd Like to See on the Red Carpet (Or, If I Were a Stylist to the Stars)

As I was working on my Oscar red carpet blogs, I fell down the rabbit hole of looking at the recent collections of various designers, both their ready-to-wear and their couture lines. Some of the looks are truly bizarre, but there were quite a few that I could imagine seeing on the red carpet, including a number that I'd love to see on the red carpet. So I thought I would share a few looks from the designers we frequently see our favorite celebrities wearing, along with my thoughts on which celebrities we just saw at the Oscars that I would have wear them. 

This dusty rose Elie Saab gown is from the same collection as the gown Sofia Carson wore to the SAG Awards. I love the juxtaposition of vertical and horizontal pleating along the bodice and at the hip, as well as the angled front opening. It's a great color for a brunette, particularly one with darker skin, and it's especially flattering on a figure that is slender but not overly voluptuous. I'd love to see it on Halle Berry, who wore an Elie Saab gown when she won an Oscar in 2002. She also rewore the dress on the catwalk at an Elie Saab 45th anniversary show in November 2024. I think Raffey Cassidy would also look lovely in this gown. 

This Elie Saab gown features a similar waist detail and skirt and train designs to the above look, but the bodice includes an upswept fan of fabric, and it is in a striking shade of chartreuse. Chartreuse frequently appears on the red carpet, but not everyone who wears it can pull it off. I think Lupita Nyong'o, who we've seen look gorgeous in chartreuse, would look fantastic in this style, as would Mindy Kaling, who also looks great in chartreuse. They both have just the right amount of curves and the perfect coloring to be flattered by this gown. 

This dramatic Elie Saab design features a mermaid silhouette with an elaborate ruffled bodice. This gown could easily overwhelm the wearer, but a celebrity with great presence could pull it off. I'd love to see it on Cynthia Erivo, who has never been afraid of an extreme dress, or on Doja Cat, whose curvy figure and tiny waist would really emphasize the shape of the gown. 

This Valentino ballgown features a lacy, ruffled skirt and puffy floating sleeves in cream and dusty blue, and a strapless burgundy velvet hip-length bodice with a large ribbon bow. Mimi Keene wore a similarly cream and blue lace gown by Christian Dior to the 2025 BAFTAs, and I didn't love it because it felt too casual and country. But the deep color and rich texture of the velvet bodice of this design add the elegance and drama that the Dior lacked, and I'd love to see this gown on someone like Elle Fanning, whose gracefulness and youth would work with the frothy lace, even though it's not her usual style. I'd remove the floating sleeves, though. I'd also love to see it on Storm Reid, who hasn't quite found her red carpet style yet.  I think she could make this look work, with or without the sleeves. 

This purple and black polka-dot high-low Valentino dress isn't for everyone, but for a celebrity who likes a bit of whimsy, it could absolutely work. Miley Cyrus could pull it off exactly as accessorized here, or perhaps with some offbeat touch like bedazzled combat boots or studded fingerless biker gloves. I could also see Ariana Grande wearing a pink version of this dress with delicate strappy sandals and a rhinestone headband. 

This sleek, simple Prada gown is perfect for the current trend of simple dresses accessorized with amazing statement necklaces. I'd love for Monica Barbaro to wear it, both because she'd look stunning, but also because the color would be a subtle nod to the butter yellow suit worn by her A Complete Unknown co-star, Timothee Chalamet, at the Oscars. I also think the simplicity of the design would work well for Rachel Zegler, who occasionally is overwhelmed by her gowns due to her tiny frame.  

This white Chanel suit projects cool, businesslike elegance. It features a cropped, tailored jacket with a wide crocheted collar with feather embellishments on one side, and wide-legged, flared pants with a deep side slit at the hem and  crocheted trim on the pockets. Suits on female celebrities used to be limited to older stars like Glenn Close and Kathy Bates, but these days many younger celebs like Emma Watson, Ayo Edebiri, Rihanna, and Anna Kendrick have worn chic suits on the red carpet. I'd love to see Emma Stone in this one, especially with her current short pixie haircut. Ava Duvernay, who has been known to wear a pantsuit on the red carpet, and who looks terrific in white, would also look great in this suit. 

This white Chanel coatdress features multiple tiers of soft marabou topped with shorter fringe and silver-studded white ribbon, and matching fringe and ribbon on the round neckline. I love how the feathers and fringe float and swing, respectively, as the model walks. Tiers have been all over the red carpet of late, with varying degrees of success, and I'd love to see Zoe Saldaña redeem herself from her terrible Oscars bubble dress in this delight, which would highlight her gorgeous legs and her gorgeous coloring to perfection. I'd also love to see it on Lily-Rose Depp, who has both the long legs and the catwalk strut to show the dress off to great effect. 

I am in love with this Zuhair Murad column. The colored beading reminds me of stained glass, and I love the sweetheart neckline with a keyhole opening. I think it would look gorgeous on Amy Poehler, especially with her hair in an updo, a black velvet choker, and no gloves. Ana de Armas would also look beyond stunning in this gown, although I would leave her hair down and put her in black velvet gloves with a diamond bracelet and ring worn over the gloves. 

I'm also in love with this Zuhair Murad ballgown. The silhouette is great, I love the red floral strapless bodice with a leafy black sash and floral "petals" extending down the town of the skirt, and I especially love the to-the-waist slit. Not every celebrity looks right in a full ballgown, but I'd love to see this one on Mikey Madison or Selena Gomez. They both know how to work a glamorous dress on the red carpet. 

Another Zuhair Murad gown with a completely different silhouette, this pink gown features a wrapped bodice with a sheer scarf over one shoulder, a full sheer skirt, and silver and pink 3-D flowers wrapping across the front. I love the movement of the fabric, and the coverage is enough to support a curvy figure while still being slightly revealing. Penelope Cruz immediately comes to mind as a celebrity who would look stunning in this design, although I might put her in a peach or coral shade. Connie Nielson wore a slightly similar wrapped bodice with sheer skirt look at the Oscars that fell a bit short for me, and I'd love to see her in this dress instead, which seems to lack the flaws of her Oscar look. 

This beautiful taupe suit by Alexander McQueen features a jacket with super squared-off shoulders, upturned lapels, and an elaborately twisted front and straight, wide-legged pants. I love the mix of soft lines in the twist and harsh angles in the shoulders and straight-cut pants. I think this suit would look terrific on a petite figure, such as Fernanda Torres or Julianne Hough. Torres looks like she would be very comfortable in a suit, and although it doesn't match Hough's usually red carpet aesthetic, I would love to see her try a great suit. 

This grey, one-sleeved, off-the-shoulder Alexander McQueen design features a bodice that is half gold-and-silver lace, with a sheer grey lace panel in front and a side cutout, over a a frothy chiffon-and-feather skirt that draws up to mid-thigh, curtain style, on one side. It's not a look for just anyone; it requires a celebrity who is not afraid to be a little offbeat, perhaps even a little goth. Demi Moore comes to mind as one who's not afraid to be goth (or to show a little skin), and I think she'd look great in this dress. Scarlett Johansson is my second pick for this look. She may not go goth often, but she's not afraid to be a little edgy, and her athletic build would look great in this shoulder-baring look. 

This red wrapped Christian Siriano gown features long sleeves, a mock turtleneck, diagonal ruching across the bodice, which is fitted to the hip, and a loose flowing skirt with a crushed texture. I love the angled lines and textured fabric, and how the fitted silhouette is sexy despite being very covered-up. I can see this dress working well on Gal Gadot, who frequently wears red gowns. I'd also love to see it on Margaret Qualley, who has been experimenting with red carpet styles from demure and prim to traditional conservative glamour to showing a little skin. Both actresses have fair skin and dark hair that would look terrific against this shade of red, and they both have slender figures that would be flattered by the lines of the design. 

This angular Christian Siriano grid-textured gown features simple, stark lines, with an angled, off-one-shoulder bodice edge echoed by an angled peplum and an ankle-length drape falling past the knee-length hem. Its dramatic cut would suit a celebrity like Michelle Yeoh, who can effortlessly pull off nearly any style, as well as Felicity Jones, who has pared down her style of late, opting for simple, sleek silhouettes, which suit her better than the frothier gowns she's worn in the past. 

This structured Louis Vuitton two-piece look comprises a dramatically flared ivory jacket with cap sleeves, a round neck, and a buttoned flap closure, over a black chiffon skirt with a wide side opening. Paz Vega wore a two-piece ensemble to the Oscars that I didn't love on her, but I think she would look amazing in this LV look. The top is more well-proportioned for her, and the slim skirt would make her look about 7 feet tall. Charlotte Lawrence usually wears more classic glamour on the red carpet than the prairie chic she wore at the Oscars, but I think she could carry off a slightly edgier look, and I'd love to see her in this. 

The three remaining major celebrities that I covered at the Oscars are Da'Vine Joy Randolph, Isabella Rossellini, and Marissa Bode, all of whom require or prefer styles that are not usually found in designer collections. Randolph is plus-sized, Rossellini prefers a very loose and covered-up look, and Bode's designs need to accommodate a wheelchair. So I looked beyond the "standard" couture collections for recommendations for each of them. I began by researching designers they had worn in the past. 

I loved the Robert Wun gown that Da'Vine Joy Randolph wore to the BAFTAs, so I looked up his recent designs to find a good look for her. I don't love the weird mannequin (at least, I hope it's a mannequin), but I think this red gown would be great on her. She looks great in red, and the angled lines of the bodice, as well as the flare of the skirt, would work well on a shorter, curvier figure. Plus, a long trailing scarf always helps to add a sense of length and height. 

Isabella Rossellini frequently wears Dolce & Gabbana maxi dresses, so I browsed stores like Saks Fifth Avenue and Nordstrom to see what is commercially available. I find the floral prints she often wears to be a little busy, so I looked for a solid color dress, which I feel suits her better. I love this vivid green D&G gown which features a round-necked, long-sleeved lace bodice and a full, pleated chiffon skirt. It has a defined waist, unlike many of her recent red carpet looks, which I think would be more flattering and less matronly on her, and the color would bring out the contrast of her beautiful fair skin and dark hair. 

Marissa Bode is relatively new to the red carpet, but she wore designs by Tony Ward to both the SAG Awards and the Vanity Fair Oscar Party, so I looked through his collection for a style for her. I love this light blue gown with tiny pink and white 3-D beaded flowers. I think Bode would look better in a slightly more saturated color, so I would darken the fabric but line the skirt with this shade of blue - or even a pale pink to match the flowers! - then either shorten or draw up the front of the skirt, creating a hemline similar to her Oscar gown, revealing her legs and the contrasting lining. 

Did I forget any of your favorites? Disagree with any of my recommendations? Drop me a comment and let me know!