Nicole Kidman has had a very good run with red carpet dressing. Her red carpet history stretches across some of the most interesting eras of modern fashion, from the late-1990s John Galliano years to Nicolas Ghesquière’s Balenciaga, Karl Lagerfeld’s Chanel and, more recently, Demna’s archival Balenciaga and Matthieu Blazy’s Chanel. The dresses have changed, the designers have changed and the silhouettes have certainly changed, but Kidman has always understood the value of a really good gown.
Her latest look makes that history particularly easy to appreciate. At the Los Angeles premiere of ‘Practical Magic 2’, Kidman stepped onto the red carpet in a black lace Atelier Versace gown designed by Pieter Mulier, marking his first creation for the house since becoming its creative director. The dress came with a corseted bodice, lingerie-inspired lace, a dramatic asymmetrical skirt and a high slit that climbed up one leg. A matching black lace choker and lace Manolo Blahnik pumps pushed the look further into gothic territory. With Practical Magic being the reason for the evening, the witchy direction was almost too perfect.
But this is hardly a new chapter in Kidman’s fashion story. If anything, it is another example of why her wardrobe has stayed interesting for so long.
The 1997 John Galliano for Dior Chartreuse Gown
If there is one Nicole Kidman dress that belongs in the fashion history books, it is this one. At the 1997 Oscars, Kidman wore a chartreuse silk Christian Dior couture gown designed by John Galliano, complete with chinoiserie-inspired embroidery and an elegant, elongated silhouette. She paired it with pale blue satin shoes and a matching chinoiserie-inspired bag.
The colour alone was enough to make it memorable. At a time when red carpet dressing was still largely built around safe black, metallics and classic Hollywood colours, Kidman turned up in acidic green and made the whole thing look incredibly sophisticated. The dress has since become one of the most celebrated Oscar looks of all time. It also established one of the defining elements of Kidman’s style: she has always been very good at carrying a dramatic colour without letting the colour carry her.
The Ruffled Prada Gown at the 2001 Cannes Festival
For the Cannes premiere of Moulin Rouge! in 2001, Kidman wore a ruffled Prada gown that was every bit as romantic as the film she was promoting. The look was softer than the Dior moment, with layers of movement and a distinctly theatrical quality that worked beautifully against the Cannes setting.
Of course, Kidman was also promoting one of the most visually extravagant films of her career, so a little drama was entirely appropriate. Her wardrobe around ‘Moulin Rouge!’ remains particularly memorable because fashion and character became almost inseparable during this period. Kidman’s Satine was dressed in feathers, corsets, rhinestones and extravagant headpieces, and that heightened glamour carried over into her own red carpet wardrobe.
The Pale Pink Chanel at the 2002 Oscars
A year later came one of her most recognisable minimalist moments. Kidman wore a pale pink Chanel gown to the 2002 Academy Awards, a delicate, almost whisper-light look that stood apart from the more dramatic gowns surrounding it.
The dress was classic Chanel in its polish, but Kidman’s styling kept it from becoming overly precious. Her blonde hair was worn sleek and simple, allowing the pale colour and elegant silhouette to do the work. It remains one of the clearest examples of her ability to make a restrained gown look distinctly glamorous.
The Jean Paul Gaultier Gown at the 2003 Oscars
When Kidman won the Best Actress Oscar for The Hours in 2003, she chose Jean Paul Gaultier Haute Couture. The black gown had a long, lean silhouette with a one-shouldered neckline and delicate straps, giving the look a slightly unexpected edge for such a major awards-night moment.
It was a clever contrast to the more elaborate gowns she had worn in earlier years. There was drama in the cut, but the overall effect remained sleek.
The Chanel Feather Dress at the 2004 Oscars
Then came feathers. For the 2004 Oscars, Kidman wore Chanel in a satin gown finished with a feathered trim, bringing back some of the theatricality that has always suited her.
The look had a distinctly Old Hollywood quality, but the Chanel construction gave it a sharper fashion edge. Kidman wore her hair long and loose, keeping the focus on the unusual texture around the neckline. It was glamorous without becoming overly complicated, which is a recurring theme in her best looks.
The Red Balenciaga Bow at the 2007 Oscars
Few Kidman looks are as instantly recognisable as her 2007 Oscars gown. Designed by Nicolas Ghesquière for Balenciaga, the scarlet column dress featured a huge bow climbing up the neckline and trailing dramatically behind her.
The silhouette was extraordinarily simple. The bow did all the talking.The result was one of those red carpet looks that photographs beautifully from every angle. From the front, the colour and architectural neckline made an impact. From the side, the bow created an almost sculptural line around her body. It remains one of the strongest examples of Kidman and Ghesquière working in perfect sync.
The Black and Gold L’Wren Scott Gown at the 2013 Oscars
At the 2013 Oscars, Kidman moved into something much more intricate. Her L’Wren Scott gown was covered in black and gold beading, with swirling curlicue motifs running across the skirt.
It was almost jewellery in dress form. The embroidery created a graphic surface over the body, while the long silhouette kept the look sleek. The gown resembles a modern art piece, which is a fairly accurate way to describe a dress that was essentially built around its decoration.
The Louis Vuitton Gown at the 2015 Oscars
For the 2015 Oscars, Kidman wore Nicolas Ghesquière for Louis Vuitton, continuing a long relationship with the designer that stretches back to his Balenciaga years. The look was considerably more graphic than some of her earlier Oscar gowns, with a sleek silhouette and a strong decorative element around the neckline.
Kidman has always worked particularly well with Ghesquière because his designs give her something architectural to play against. There is usually a very clean line somewhere in the equation, even when the surface is embellished.
The Cobalt Armani Privé Gown at the 2018 Oscars
And then came the bow again, this time in brilliant cobalt blue.
At the 2018 Oscars, Kidman wore a strapless Armani Privé gown with a sweetheart neckline, a sharply defined waist and an enormous bow at the front. A thigh-high slit gave the otherwise classic column gown a flash of drama, while Fred Leighton diamonds and mirrored silver Christian Louboutin heels completed the look.
The dress was almost aggressively glamorous, which is exactly why it worked. The electric blue was striking against the red carpet, and the bow gave the silhouette a playful element without taking away from its polish.
The Archival Balenciaga at the 2024 Met Gala
Kidman continued her relationship with fashion history at the 2024 Met Gala, where she wore a recreation of a 1951 Cristóbal Balenciaga couture gown.
The dress was based on an original photographed by Richard Avedon and featured a sculpted, flamenco-inspired silhouette with a dramatic flared skirt. Rather than treating the archive as a costume box, Kidman and Demna approached the gown as a piece of couture that could be reconstructed for a contemporary red carpet.
The result was theatrical, romantic and slightly strange in exactly the right way. It also established what has become one of Kidman’s most interesting recent fashion habits: looking backwards to move forwards.
The Chanel Showgirl Moment at the 2026 Oscars
Kidman’s recent run of great fashion choices continued at the 2026 Oscars with a custom Chanel gown by Matthieu Blazy.
The powder pink silk dress had a crystal and black-beaded bustier, a feathered peplum and more feathers cascading down the skirt. It had a distinctly showgirl quality, with the kind of elaborate surface detail that catches every flash on a red carpet.
It was also a particularly fitting choice given Kidman’s long association with Chanel. From her early appearances in the house to Lagerfeld’s famous Chanel No. 5 dress and now Blazy’s new interpretation, Chanel has become one of the most consistent threads running through her wardrobe.
And Then Versace
Which brings us back to that black lace Atelier Versace gown. There is a nice circularity to Kidman’s latest fashion moment. She has spent decades moving between romance, minimalism, architectural couture and old-school glamour, and this particular dress brings several of those instincts together. The corsetry is overtly sensual, the lace has a vintage quality, the asymmetrical hem gives it a modern edge and the choker nods straight back to the gothic glamour of the 1990s.
More importantly, it looks like a Nicole Kidman dress. That is probably the most useful way to measure a great red carpet wardrobe after three decades. The designer may change, the decade may change and the silhouette may change, but the person wearing it should still be recognisable.
Kidman has managed that remarkably well. Her best looks have never depended on a single formula. Sometimes she needs a chartreuse Dior gown. Sometimes she needs a giant red Balenciaga bow. Sometimes she needs 250 pink ostrich feathers. And, apparently, sometimes she needs a black lace Versace gown and a choker to play a witch again.
Honestly, after all these years, we are very happy to keep watching.
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