Fashion editor Alice Keegan discusses how an increasing number of celebrities and public figures have been opting for the pre-loved look for award shows and reputable events
Designers and stylists usually wait in anticipation for the beginning of awards season. The red carpet is typically the place where custom-made pieces are displayed and praised. Recently, however, A-listers have begun to head in a different direction. Retro and recycled fashion has been experiencing a Renaissance, with figures favouring and embracing vintage, second-hand pieces.
Pieces produced by major fashion houses including Chanel, Dior, Versace, and Thierry Mugler have been removed from their archives and re-worn by celebrities for star-studded events including the Oscars, Golden Globes, and Grammys. These range from archival items dating back to the 1950s and 60s, iconic 80s and 90s runway pieces, timeless jewellery and accessories. Here’s a rundown of the many times when pre-loved fashion appeared at film premieres, award shows and other highly anticipated events.
At last month’s Golden Globes, Ariana Grande wore a yellow Givenchy gown from the spring/summer 1996 collection, while Kylie Jenner referenced Elizabeth Hurley by wearing a silver chainmail Atelier Versace dress from spring/summer 1999. At the 2024 Oscars, Jennifer Lawrence wore a white Givenchy gown from a 1996 collection, which had originally been worn on the runway by supermodel Kate Moss, and fellow actress Margot Robbie stunned in a gold Mugler mini dress from their 1996 spring collection.
vintage clothing can act as a time capsule, powerfully evoking images of past eras, and how individuals hold them at a special place in their hearts.
Kim Kardashian memorably (and controversially) wore Marilyn Monroe’s glittering gold Jean Louis gown to the 2022 Met Gala. Monroe, in one of the most storied moments of her career, wore this dress when she sang “Happy Birthday, Mr President” to US President John F Kennedy in 1962. While Kardashian’s clothing choice received intense backlash, with accusations of her tarnishing the dress’s legacy and causing irreparable damage to the historical artefact, re-wearing indicates how vintage clothing can act as a time capsule, powerfully evoking images of past eras, and how individuals hold them at a special place in their hearts.
Many Gen-Z A-listers have worn outfits older than themselves to events. Singer Dua Lipa has championed vintage fashion pieces consistently throughout her career. She wore a Chanel dress to the Met Gala in 2023, which had originally been modelled by Claudia Schiffer for a 1992 couture collection. Zendaya attended a ‘Challengers’ photocall in 2024 wearing an archive Vivienne Westwood set from a 1994 collection. Olivia Rodrigo wore vintage Versace to the 2024 Grammys, a bejewelled cream gown from their spring-summer collection, a dress which had originally been worn by Linda Evangalista back in 1995.
Pre-loved and vintage fashion appearing on red carpets is not a new phenomenon, however. Actress Winona Ryder has even reworn a particular Pauline Trigére gown from the 1940s numerous times to different events, including the Oscars in 2000. Cannes Film Festival has been a regular spot for re-wearing pieces and showcasing second hand items, with Kate Moss previously attending a movie premiere in 1998 wearing a vintage Jean Desses feather-trimmed black dress, sourced from Lily et Cie. Emma Watson advocated for ethical fashion when she attended the London premiere of Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince in 2009 wearing a vintage Ossie Clarke creation. Natalie Portman wore a Christian Dior black and red polka dot dress from 1954 to the Oscars in 2012. The dress was soon sold for $50,000.
Many stars have opted for pieces worn decades previously by their fellow actors, singers, models and more. Sydney Sweeney wore a white Marc Bouwer gown to the 2024 Oscars, which had previously been worn by Angelina Jolie to the same event in 2004. According to Marie Claire, Sweeney reportedly stated that she was thrilled to wear a “piece of history.” Lily-Rose Depp attended the 2019 Met Gala in a black gold-chain dress from Chanel’s spring/summer 1992 collection, originally worn by Christy Turlington on the runway. Naomi Campbell re-wore a Chanel dress to Cannes in 2024 which she had worn on the runway two decades previously.
There are a myriad of ways to send a sustainable message on the red carpet. The fashion industry and the wider iconographic culture attached to it at large unfortunately breeds over-consumption via the relentless circulation of ephemeral trends.
Perhaps these reworking efforts are an indication of a cognisance for such climate concerns, and a growing awareness of the qualities of long-lasting clothing, and nostalgic homages to previous icons and their wardrobes. Either way, reviving and recycling vintage pieces is a trend which we should all hope is here to stay and just may be the look for 2025, if these red-carpet moments are anything to go by.