The Best Vintage Looks From the 2024 Awards Season

The award season red carpet is typically the place where custom couture and fresh-off-the-runway looks come to shine. Lately, however, Hollywood A-listers have been heading in a different fashion direction, embracing vintage fashion on the step and repeat. Whether it’s iconic ’90s runway frocks or archival jewelry pieces dating decades further back, these celebrities have demonstrate the timelessness of great style. In the year 2024, the retro can feel totally fresh.

At last night’s Oscars after-party, a handful of stars embraced a variety of vintage designs. Jennifer Lawrence slipped into a white lace Givenchy gown from its fall 1996 collection (originally worn by Kate Moss on the runway, no less); Margot Robbie slipped into a gold Mugler mini dress from spring 1996. Sydney Sweeney, meanwhile, wore a white Marc Bouwer gown that Angelina Jolie first wore to the Oscars back in 2004.

Margot Robbie in vintage Mugler from spring 1996
At the 2024 Oscars

Photo: Getty Images

This year’s Golden Globes ceremony, meanwhile, kicked off awards season with a bevy of retro frocks. Elle Fanning shined in archival Pierre Balmain, a cream and white strapless gown from 1960 embellished with an oversize bow at the bust. Carey Mulligan donned a vintage Schiaparelli mermaid gown from 1949; with its spliced bodice and sculptural ruching, the look came across as strikingly contemporary. Elsewhere, the most head-turning jewels of the night were vintage: Dua Lipa donned a Tiffany Co. necklace from 1962, which was fabricated in gold and platinum with luxurious yellow beryl, topaz quartz, and diamonds.

At the 2024 Governor Awards, Olivia Rodrigo slipped into a silky black Saint Laurent gown from its fall 1997 couture collection. Stars like Claire Danes—in vintage Balmain—and Lizzy Caplan—in Yohji Yamamoto from spring 1999—chose archival looks at the 2024 Emmys, while Miley Cyrus rocked a vintage (and sparkly!) Bob Mackie dress for her performance of “Flowers” at the 2024 Grammys.

Of course, these stars’s decision to pluck pieces from the archives makes a statement beyond style. In a crowded, competitive arena like awards season—where there’s so much pressure for celebrities to don extravagant looks, each one better than the next—these vintage moments spotlight a need for more sustainability and consciousness on the red carpet (especially given that fashion and its supply chains have major impacts on the environment). Sometimes, creating new outfits just isn’t necessary—especially when there is a goldmine of retro ensembles for stars to choose from, all of which pack just as much of a punch.

Below, the best vintage style from the 2024 awards season.