Margaret Qualley has become a red-carpet favorite in recent years. Thanks to her love of vintage pieces and breezy take on fashion, the 30-year-old actor has become known for her refreshingly authentic spin on special-event style, with this year’s Academy Awards being no exception.
For the 2025 Oscars, Qualley hit the red carpet in an elegant black backless gown courtesy of Chanel. Constructed out of black silk-velvet fabric with statement shoulders, a plunging back, and a sweeping train, the gown was specifically inspired by look 90 from Chanel’s 2005 Spring/Summer ready-to-wear collection. It took over 153 hours of work to have the dress ready for Sunday’s red carpet.
The gown’s pared-back simplicity served as the perfect canvas to allow her standout accessories to truly shine, with Qualley wearing a number of stunning pieces from Chanel’s High Jewelry collection, including the Motif Russe necklace, Étoile Filante bracelet, Impression Florale earrings, and Pluie de Comètes and Ruban ring, all made of 18-karat white gold and glittering with precious diamonds.
“I had the support of my incredible stylist, Patricia Villirillo, and the team at Chanel [for tonight’s look],” Qualley shares with Harper’s Bazaar. “This is a custom dress inspired by a Spring 2005 Chanel gown, and my hair and makeup team, Anna Cofone and Tyron Machhausen, and Emi Kudo, who did my nails—they’re all magic makers!”
Machhausen specifically had two beauty muses in mind when he was planning Qualley’s Oscars glam.
“I was inspired by Margaret’s stunning black velvet gown, and I wanted to create a makeup look that both exuded effortless glamour and felt timeless,” he shares. “It was very French-girl chic, à la Inès de La Fressange meets Jane Birkin.”
When it comes time to make a decision on what gown is the gown, the actor has a trusted circle of confidantes who she often calls in for assistance. For the Golden Globes, Qualley enlisted the help of her close friend Lana Del Rey when it came time to figure out her glam. This time around—and for most red-carpet occasions—the actress got a second opinion from her sister, Rainey Qualley, before stepping out for the cameras.
“My sister, Rainey, she pushes me in the way only family can,” she shares. “And she’s been playing dress-up with me all my life.”
This year’s Academy Awards marked Qualley’s first time attending the show in five years, and she made her return in a big way. Along with attending in support of her film The Substance, directed by nominated director Coralie Fargeat, she also made a surprise appearance onstage, performing a choreographed number as part of the ceremony’s tribute to the James Bond film franchise. For the special number, she switched out of her velvet gown into a red satin dress perfect for twirling in upon the stage of Los Angeles’s Dolby Theatre.
“It feels so surreal,” the actress says of returning to the Oscars this year. “I couldn’t be happier to be here and to be able to support my dear friend Demi Moore. It’s been an honor to stand alongside Demi, just as it was an honor to lay on that tile floor with her. She’s an angel, and I’ve enjoyed every minute with her.”
GET MARGARET'S GLAM
JEUX DE LUMIÈRES Multi-Use Eyeshadow and Highlighter Palette
JOUES CONTRASTE INTENSE Cream-to-Powder Blush
LES 4 OMBRES Multi-Effect Quadra Eyeshadow
STYLO YEUX WATERPROOF Long-Lasting Eyeliner
LE ROUGE DUO ULTRA TENUE Ultrawear Liquid Lip Colour
