Best of Oscars 2025 “Wicked Oscars, or Best Looks and Dangerous Ideas”. Story by Eleonora de Gray, Editor-in-Chief of RUNWAY MAGAZINE. Photo Courtesy: GettyImages / Ariana Grande / Schiaparelli / Cynthia Erivo / Louis Vuitton / Demi Moor / Armani Privé / Halle Berry / Christian Siriano / Jeff Goldblum.

Introduction – Oscars promoter of political ideas

The 97th Academy Awards, held on March 2, 2025, celebrated the pinnacle of cinematic artistry, with the film “Anora” emerging as the night’s most lauded production, securing five Oscars including Best Picture, Best Director for Sean Baker, and Best Actress for Mikey Madison. However, beyond the accolades, the Oscars red carpet dazzled with sartorial brilliance, as Hollywood’s elite showcased ensembles that epitomized glamour and elegance.​

Last year, Barbie—a film that boldly asserted that women can lead, rule, and shape their own destinies—was shut out of the awards. This year, Wicked, a story about diversity and embracing differences, was similarly dismissed. Instead, Anora, a film centered around the son of a Russian oligarch, took home nearly every major award. To call this a coincidence would be naive.

The ideas shaping these decisions are not born out of artistic merit but political alignment. The return of ultra-conservative rhetoric—where women are expected to step back from leadership, where diversity is pushed aside, where wealth and power dictate value—has already begun reshaping the cultural narrative. These ideas were not just waiting for a change in government; they were already creeping in, even under Biden’s presidency. The Oscars, which once symbolized artistic independence, have now become a mouthpiece for this shift.

And then there is the glaring promotion of Russian wealth. As the United States openly embraces Russian oligarchs under the new administration, inviting them to invest and build, even proposing the construction of “Trump Town” with Russian-American collaboration, we are watching in real-time how culture is being molded to reflect power interests. It is no longer about celebrating storytelling—it is about conditioning the public to accept and admire these narratives.

When the most prestigious cinematic award ceases to be about cinema, when it becomes a vehicle for ideological reinforcement, we are no longer just watching an awards show. We are witnessing the quiet rewriting of what is acceptable, what is valuable, and what deserves recognition. And that is far more dangerous than a golden statue ever could be.

These patterns raise questions about the values the Academy endorses. The sidelining of films that highlight women’s empowerment and diversity, coupled with the celebration of a narrative involving Russian wealth, suggests a shift aligning with recent political sentiments.

Oscar Academy’s Board of Governors – promoters of political ideas

The selection of Oscar winners is conducted by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), an organization comprising over 10,000 members from various disciplines within the film industry. Yet, the outcomes prompt a reflection on whether external political climates are subtly influencing cinematic recognition, potentially overshadowing artistic merit.​

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) is governed by a Board of Governors, responsible for its strategic direction and corporate oversight. The Board comprises representatives from each of the Academy’s branches, ensuring a diverse, democratic and comprehensive leadership.

Does it really? If the process is truly democratic, then why have so many fundamental democratic values—women’s leadership, diversity, and inclusion—been so easily cast aside?

Know your “heroes” who prefer women’s leadership and diversity to disappear from the world

Chief Executive Officer
Bill Kramer

Chief Operating Officer Of The Academy And General Counsel For The Academy Foundation
Brendan Connell, Jr.

Chief Marketing And Communications Officer
Jennifer Davidson

Chief Oscars Officer
Teni Melidonian

Chief Membership, Impact & Industry Officer
Meredith Shea

Chief People And Culture Officer
Bridgette Wilder

Executive Vice President, Awards Production And Special Events
Maryjane Partlow

Officers for 2024–2025:

• President: Janet Yang
• Vice President/Secretary: Howard A. Rodman
• Vice President/Treasurer: Donna Gigliotti
• Vice President: Lynette Howell Taylor
• Vice President: Lesley Barber

Newly Elected Governors:

• Patricia Cardoso (Directors Branch)
• Jennifer Fox (Producers Branch)
• K.K. Barrett (Production Design Branch)
• Chris Tashima (Short Films Branch)
• Andy Nelson (Sound Branch)

Reelected Governors:

• Rita Wilson (Actors Branch)
• Kim Taylor-Coleman (Casting Directors Branch)
• Paul Cameron (Cinematographers Branch)
• Eduardo Castro (Costume Designers Branch)
• Jean Tsien (Documentary Branch)
• Pam Abdy (Executives Branch)
• Terilyn A. Shropshire (Film Editors Branch)
• Laura C. Kim (Marketing and Public Relations Branch)
• Lesley Barber (Music Branch)
• Brooke Breton (Visual Effects Branch)
• Howard A. Rodman (Writers Branch)

It’s been said. Let’s see the beautiful side of Oscars 2025 night and celebrate stars and fashion houses who brought imagination to live. 

Let’s celebrate dialogue between fashion houses and the actors they adorned

Each gown, each suit, was a statement—of heritage, of craftsmanship, of identity. It wasn’t just about looking beautiful; it was about embodying the essence of an era where style is as much a part of history as the films we honor.

Ariana Grande in Schiaparelli: The Dreamer’s Silhouette

Grande’s Schiaparelli was an ode to the house’s surrealist roots. A sculpted bodice, beaded with meticulous precision, met a voluminous skirt that moved as if untouched by gravity. Schiaparelli’s gift has always been creating garments that exist somewhere between reality and fantasy, and on this night, Grande became the dream itself.

Cynthia Erivo in Louis Vuitton: The Presence of a Star

There are gowns, and then there are moments. Cynthia Erivo in Louis Vuitton was the latter. A luminous emerald green, as if drawn from the depths of something mythical, molded into an exquisite silhouette of strength and grace. Louis Vuitton, known for balancing heritage with reinvention, crafted a piece that didn’t just dress Erivo—it amplified her.

Demi Moore in Armani Privé: The Elegance of Restraint

Few understand minimalism like Giorgio Armani. Demi Moore’s Privé gown was the kind of quiet luxury that doesn’t demand attention—it commands it. A shimmer so subtle it felt whispered, lines so precise they seemed inevitable. Armani doesn’t embellish; he refines. And in that refinement, Moore’s presence spoke louder than any ornament ever could.

Elle Fanning in Givenchy: A Study in Romance

Some gowns are meant to be worn. Givenchy’s creation for Elle Fanning was meant to be remembered. Delicate lace, cascading like an unfinished sonnet, whispered of another time. Givenchy has always held the past and future in delicate balance, and in this moment, Fanning became the perfect medium—both a classic muse and something unmistakably modern.

Emma Stone in Louis Vuitton: A Masterpiece in Motion

712 hours. That’s what it took for Louis Vuitton’s artisans to bring Emma Stone’s gown to life. And it showed. Every bead, every stitch, bore the mark of something deliberate, something created with both time and intent. If fashion is a language, this gown was poetry—rhythmic, measured, impossible to ignore.

Halle Berry in Christian Siriano: The Art of Light

Halle Berry has always understood how to wear a moment. In Siriano, she became one. The fabric caught the light as if it were born from it, reflecting not just brilliance but a spirit that refuses to be anything less than radiant. Siriano, a designer who understands movement as much as structure, created something worthy of Berry’s undeniable presence.

Jeff Goldblum in Prada: An Exercise in Wit

Prada has long been fashion’s greatest intellectual, playing with structure, subverting expectation. On Jeff Goldblum, the house’s playful irreverence found its perfect subject. A floral blouse, a perfectly tailored jacket, a scarf that spoke of confidence rather than necessity—Goldblum didn’t just wear Prada. He inhabited it.

Lupita Nyong’o in Chanel: The Enduring Ideal

Chanel is not just a fashion house. It is an institution, a philosophy of elegance that has withstood time. On Lupita Nyong’o, that philosophy became a living portrait—grace without effort, beauty without demand. Chanel doesn’t chase trends. It creates legacy. And Nyong’o, luminous in its craftsmanship, reminded us why.

Whoopi Goldberg in Christian Siriano: The Luxury of Individuality

Not all glamour conforms. Whoopi Goldberg’s Christian Siriano was a reminder that true style is never dictated, only defined by the wearer. A gown that defied expectation, combat boots that dismissed convention—this was fashion as self-expression, as it was always meant to be.

A Night Where Film and Fashion Became One

Cinema and couture have long shared a language—the art of illusion, of reinvention, of telling a story without words. The Oscars were where that dialogue reaches its most poetic form, where actors and designers weave a tapestry of culture, legacy, and vision.

Tonight, the screen and the seam intertwined once more, crafting a spectacle that will linger long after the lights have faded. But this time, it will be remembered not just for its glamour, but for what was deliberately left behind—women’s leadership, diversity, and inclusion. This was not just a night of cinematic celebration; it was a stark display of how the Oscars have become an instrument in the manipulation of public opinion.