The complete list of nominations for the 95th Academy Awards has been announced! Stars such as Cate Blanchett, Ana de Armas, and Michelle Yeoh compete to take home the coveted “Best Actress” title, with de Armas being the only Latina in the category and the only Latina actress considered for a 2023 Oscar.
Every year the Academy Awards only contemplate the acting and film credentials of the nominees; however, viewers undoubtedly enjoy the fashion — including which brands are on the red carpet.
As part of their recent Designer Discounts report, which aimed to analyze the designer brands with the highest resale values, the trends experts at Wethrift have teamed up with fashion expert Louisa Rogers of Studio Courtenay to select some of the most stunning designer gowns worn by previous Best Actress winners.
“Simple couture dresses start at around $10,000 but can reach as high as $500,000 depending on the intricacy, embellishment, and hours put into creating each garment by highly skilled atelier artisans,” Rogers explains.
“Classic designer names like Givenchy will maintain their value - particularly in more timeless designs - but will not appreciate in the same way that iconic looks (such as Charlize Theron in Gold Gucci) or brands that have cultivated a lot of hype around them might when it comes to appealing to collectors of couture,” the expert adds.
“Reese Witherspoon’s Dior gown worn at the 2006 ceremony was a vintage couture piece from the 1950s. Similar dresses sold at auction have seen a considerable increase in value, tripling or even quadrupling in price. One should absolutely consider vintage couture dresses as a finite resource that will continue to appreciate in value.”
“When it comes to a ceremony as prestigious and globally viewed as the Academy Awards, designers will often use their gowns as opportunities to generate press coverage or as living advertisements, so the cost of making is rarely proportional to the resale value.”
Wethrift shared with HOLA! USA how much each piece has increased in value since first being worn at the Academy Awards. The 95th Oscars will be held on Sunday, March 12, 2023, at the Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood and will be televised live on ABC and in more than 200 territories worldwide.
Reese Witherspoon - Walk the Line - 2006
The night she won the Oscar for portraying June Carter Cash in the biographical drama Walk the Line, Reese Witherspoon wore a vintage silver-toned beaded dress from Dior, initially made in 1955.
Kim Kardashian
wearing Marylin Monroe’s iconic dress to the 2022 Met Gala may have angered some fashion lovers. Still, there’s no denying that it also created a renewed interest in classic designs from heritage French fashion houses, and 1950s Dior is among the most iconic and significant in fashion history. This dress is truly a museum piece, and the experts doubt Reese could wear it today without experiencing a similar online backlash.
- Designer: Dior
- Value then: $12,000
- Value now: $37,500
- Appreciation: +212%
Charlize Theron - Monster - 2004
While taking home the best actress trophy for Monster, Theron channeled 1950s Hollywood glamour, wearing an embellished nude-colored Gucci gown with a V-neck, spaghetti straps, and split to the front.
- Designer: Gucci
- Value then: $120,000
- Value now: $180,000
- Appreciation: +50%
Gwyneth Paltrow - Shakespeare in Love - 1999
One of the most iconic red carpet looks of the past 25 years, the bubblegum ball gown worn by Gwyneth Paltrow when she accepted her Oscar for Shakespeare in Love in 1999 inspired a generation of high-school prom dresses. The gown featured a plunging v-neck and a dramatic taffeta skirt.
With the looming release of the Barbie movie starring
Margot Robbie
, there is likely to be a renewed interest in ultra-feminine looks like this that feature an American heritage edge. This gown, with a similar silhouette and pink taffeta material, is also similar in style to the late Vivienne Westwood’s designs, likely to boost its desirability.
- Designer: Ralph Lauren
- Value then: $120,000
- Value now: $172,500
- Appreciation: +44%
Julia Roberts - Erin Brockovich - 2001
The best actress winner from 2001 wore a dramatic mix of velvet and satin. The Valentino gown had attention-grabbing white satin piping from the V-neckline dress. The delightful details, such as the peekaboo panel on the bust and tulle fishtail train, finished off with strips of white satin; all worked together to make a true classic.
- Designer: Valentino
- Value then: $95,000
- Value now: $120,000
- Appreciation: +26%
Brie Larson - Room - 2016
The floor-grazing royal blue dress featured a voluminous skirt and chic ruffles and was finished off with a dramatic waist-cinching belt. The blue ruffled gown was custom-made by Gucci, especially for the 2016 ceremony, which explains how this iconic look has stood the test of time and increased in value.
- Designer: Gucci
- Value then: $32,000
- Value now: $40,000
- Appreciation: +25%
Natalie Portman - Black Swan - 2011
The Black Swan actress donned a purple ankle-length gown, which featured an off-the-shoulder neckline. The custom-made violet silk chiffon gown was designed by Rodarte and featured a thigh-high split and a train.
- Designer: Rodarte
- Value then: $24,000
- Value now: $30,000
- Appreciation: +25%
Jessia Chastain - The Eyes Of Tammy Faye - 2022
To pick up her Best Actress award at last year’s ceremony, Jessica Chastain dazzled on the red carpet in a beautiful, custom purple halter-neck gown made entirely of sequins and a hem designed with lilac ruffle trim.
Louisa highlights that despite being worn just 12 months ago, now that Alessandro Michele is no longer Gucci’s acting creative director, the gown will have become an “archival piece” that represents his innovative leadership and will have likely increased in value and desirability.
- Designer: Gucci
- Value then: $45,000
- Value now: $55,000
- Appreciation: +22%
Marion Cotillard - La Vie en Rose - 2008
To collect her best actress Oscar in 2008, Cotillard wore a mermaid-like Jean Paul Gaultier couture gown. The dress featured an intricately-detailed, ivory-colored skirt with a mermaid hemline.
- Designer: Jean Paul Gaultier
- Value then: $150,000
- Value now: $180,000
- Appreciation: +20%
Julianne Moore - Still Alice - 2015
Julianne Moore’s red carpet look featured a white strapless gown with black embellishments. The strapless column dress was trimmed with black sequin-encrusted applique flowers.
- Designer: Gucci
- Value then: $80,000
- Value now: $92,000
- Appreciation: +15%
Nicole Kidman - The Hours - 2003
To pick up the best actress accolade in 2003, Nicole Kidman arrived on the red carpet dressed in a sleek, midnight blue asymmetrical gown. The Jean Paul Gaultier gown featured a slit and one-shoulder neckline, accentuating her figure and adding interest to the elegant dark look.
- Designer: Jean Paul Gaultier
- Value then: $22,000
- Value now: $25,000
- Appreciation: +14%
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