Lupita Nyong’o Just Wore This Year’s Biggest Bridal Fashion Trend at the 2025 Oscars

When it comes to this year’s fashion trends, more brides are turning to the past for inspiration. In addition to dramatic ball gowns, long sleeves, and cathedral-length veils, soon-to-be newlyweds are incorporating a vintage-inspired element into their dresses through a basque waist. This U- or V-shaped dip at the intersection of the bodice and skirt first debuted during the Victorian era. However, centuries after the look first appeared, it’s making a comeback not only in the world of weddings, but also Hollywood. 

Tonight, on March 2, 2025, at this year’s 97th Academy Awards at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, Lupita Nyong’o gave a nod to the rising trend in her ensemble. Her look, which was styled by Micaela Erlanger, included a subtle basque waist, pearl straps, a silk bow, and a long skirt with pleats. Erlanger reportedly started her research for the look last fall while visiting the Chanel Atelier during Paris Fashion Week. “I found this incredible photo of Linda Evangelista on the runway, I think from the ’90s, in a beautiful dress that stood out to me as understated, elegant, timeless, and glamorous—everything I hoped to achieve with the overall mood and feeling of Lupita’s look,” she told Marie Claire. (Nygong’o stars in the animated film The Wild Robot, which is nominated for this year’s Academy Award for Best Animated Feature Film.)

After finding the look, the stylist collaborated with Nyong’o on the ensemble. According to the outlet, it took 600 hours to install over 22,000 embroidered elements on the gown. However, even with all of the intricate additions, Erlanger (and Nygono’o!) were pleased with the outcome of the bridal-inspired gown. “I think the dress we created embodies that perfectly,” Erlanger told Marie Claire. “It’s understated and beautiful, allowing Lupita to shine.” The actress paired her wedding-inspired look with a pearl-studded hairstyle. Incorporating the gem into her hair, nails, and earrings, Nyong’o showcased a vintage bridal look.

The whimsical dress also includes nods to Nyong’o’s previous red-carpet looks. In 2014, before winning Best Supporting Actress for her role in 12 Years a Slave, the actress famously donned a long blue-hued Prada gown reminiscent of a fairy tale. Her stylist reflected on previous gowns in the interview with Marie Claire: “I’m like, everything you had originally thought you wouldn’t like, we’ve done—and we’ve done it well! We laugh about it now.”

This year, she continued to embrace that ethos by incorporating a subtle drop waist into her attire, a style many modern brides are gravitating toward for into their wedding-day look. “Since Bridgerton premiered in late 2020, interest in vintage-inspired silhouettes has been more popular than ever,” Alexa Baker, an associate designer at Revelry, previously told BRIDES.