Critics Choice Awards red carpet in 13 key looks
Ariana Grande continues to embrace her “Wicked” character Glinda’s signature pink — this time in a custom cape gown by Alberta Ferretti.
(CNN) — Just four days into the new year, Hollywood’s 2026 awards season kicked off in relatively pared-back style at the 31st Critics Choice Awards on Sunday evening.
The annual ceremony is considered a bellwether for the Oscars, with the industry closely monitoring how hotly tipped movies like “Sinners” and “Hamnet” perform among the Critics Choice Association’s (CCA) hundreds of members. The star-studded awards show also offers a glimpse at the fashion trends that may unfold between now and the Academy Awards in mid-March.
If that is the case, we may be in for two months of sleek dark gowns, neutral palettes and womenswear spins on classic men’s tailoring.
Organizers’ decision to line the entrance to Santa Monica’s Barker Hangar with a black carpet, rather than a red one, set a somewhat somber tone — one that was matched by an abundance of black suits and dresses. Playfulness was expressed in other ways, however.
The voice cast of “KPop Demon Hunters” showed how to put an adventurous spin on the monochromatic trend, particularly Audrey Nuna in a voluminous Marc Jacobs circle shift dress. The likes of Teyana Taylor and Keri Russell, meanwhile, turned to sharp suiting, with the latter among several attendees opting for reworked tuxedos, her perfectly cropped jacket adorned with a statement brooch. Similarly, Ethan Hawke’s double-breasted suit from Bode was given a folksy twist with white embroidered accents.
Elsewhere, “Marty Supreme” star Odessa A’zion oozed goddess-like glamour in a gown by Dubai-based label OTT; Chase Infiniti, nominated for her performance in “One Battle After Another,” stunned in a sleeveless, butter yellow Louis Vuitton two-piece; and Elle Fanning went archival in a shimmering vintage dress by Ralph Lauren.
Celebrity stylist Law Roach gave fashion insiders another talking point in Ariana Grande’s custom Alberta Ferretti gown. Always one for a niche red carpet reference, Roach dressed Grande in what appeared to be a homage to American actor and singer Diahann Carroll, who wore a near-identical dress to the Oscars in 1969.
Meanwhile, Megan Stalter and her “Hacks” co-star Paul W. Downs playfully nodded to a much more recent instance of red carpet dressing — emulating Timothée Chalamet and Kylie Jenner’s co-ordinating orange outfits from the “Marty Supreme” premiere in December.
Below are 13 key looks from the red carpet.
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