It’s that time of year again. This weekend, the Academy Awards is back for its 98th edition, and with another Oscars ceremony comes yet more red carpet fashion. While we wait to see what today’s stars churn out, awards season also gets us thinking about those red carpet looks that got some backlash, but were iconic nonetheless. The Academy Awards has had more than its fair share of those moments, and will likely have more after Sunday night’s awards. For all our favourites from the past, scroll down for the 17 most controversial Oscars looks of all time.

1. CELINE DION, 1999

In 1999, not only did Celine Dion flout the Academy’s black tie traditions by wearing a slouchy John Galliano suit, she also put it on backwards too. The singer, who was there to perform “My Heart Will Go On” from the Titanic soundtrack, accessorised the outfit with an architectural trilby and diamantéd glasses, ensuring that it went down in history as one of the ceremony’s most polarising outfits.

2. BJÖRK, 2001

Björk’s iconic swan dress needs no introduction. Created by the Macedonian designer Marjan Pejoski, the look was instantly ripped apart by critics, but has since become so famous it has its own Wikipedia page.

3. ANGELINA JOLIE, 2012

The controversy surrounding this Atelier Versace look was less for the actual dress and more for the way Angelina Jolie displayed it, brandishing her right leg from its thigh-high split. For those old enough to remember, 2012 Twitter subsequently went into a meltdown, and #AngiesRightLeg was the talk of the town for days after.

4. CHER, 1986

In 1986, Cher turned up to the 58th Academy Awards in a midriff-baring, bedazzled gown by Bob Mackie, along with an enormous plumed headdress to match. As well as stealing the spotlight and dominating headlines the next day, the look was reportedly a way to get back at the Academy after it failed to nominate her for her role in Mask that year.

5. NICOLE KIDMAN, 1997

By today’s standards, it’s hard to see what’s wrong with this – but 1997 was a different time. Back then Nicole Kidman’s chartreuse Dior couture gown was apparently so offensive Joan Rivers blurted out “What an ugly dress!” during the live broadcast. Though it was controversial at the time, Kidman’s Galliano creation is now credited with popularising Haute Couture on American red carpets.

6. KIM BASINGER, 1990

The actor’s 1990 Franken-gown got a lot of heat from the press for its unusual style – a dress-tux hybrid with an embellished opera glove. Basinger took a punt by designing the look herself, but it was universally panned by critics.

7. LIZZY GARDINER, 1995

In 1995, Lizzy Gardiner won the costume design Oscar for Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, and took to the stage in a gown formed of 254 American Express Gold cards. Gardiner didn’t think she would win, and the dress was meant to be a bit of fun, but she later said that people “felt upstaged or pissed off that I wasn’t taking things as seriously as I should”.

8. BARBARA STREISAND, 1969

Barbara Streisand won her Best Actress Oscar in 1969 for Funny Girl, and wore an Arnold Scaasi pantsuit while collecting it. Little did she know, the auditorium’s bright lights would turn the outfit completely sheer, scandalising the world in the process.

9. PHARRELL, 2014

Although the Academy’s black tie stipulations are more guidance than unwavering rule, Pharrell Williams caused a bit of a stir when he decided to wear shorts to the ceremony in 2014. He soon switched into that massive Vivienne Westwood hat to perform his hit “Happy”, but ended up losing Best Original Song to “Let It Go”.

10. DEMI MOORE, 1989

Someone else who caused a stir for wearing shorts was Demi Moore, who layered a velvet corset over lycra cut-offs at the 1989 awards. Famously a DIY construction made by Moore herself, the look was panned by critics.. “Maybe I was a little ahead of my time. Maybe I didn’t quite execute it,” she told WWD in 2026.

11. GWYNETH PALTROW, 2002

This is another look that seems quite tame by today’s standards, but proved extremely controversial at the time. “The actress didn’t even try to cover up in see-through Alexander McQueen and a bucketful of eyeliner that she must have borrowed from Margot Tenenbaum,” Entertainment Weekly wrote of the black, sleeveless gown. Years later, Paltrow commented, “I should have worn a bra”.

12. TREY PARKER AND MATT STONE, 2000

When you invite the creators of South Park to the Oscars, you should expect tomfoolery – and by Jove that’s what the Academy got! At the turn of the millennium, Trey Parker and Matt Stone turned up in J-Lo and Gwenyth Paltrow drag, and several other attendees weren’t impressed. They later admitted to being on LSD throughout the ceremony.

13. EDY WILLIAMS, 1986

American actress Edy Williams is known as the queen of the controversial Oscars look, and has worn risqué outfits numerous times. The most daring, though, was when she arrived at the 1986 awards in nothing but several strings of pearls draped strategically across her body.

14. TEMS, 2023

Unlike many on this list, Tems’ 2023 Lever Couture gown wasn’t controversial for being revealing or plain ugly – it went massively viral for blocking the view of the people sitting behind her. Sorry to those men!

15. WHOOPI GOLDBERG, 1993

Whoopi Goldberg’s green and purple pantsuit-cum-gown has never been accredited to a specific designer – and maybe that’s for the best. The look received very mixed reviews when she wore it to the 1993 awards, and has gone down in history as one of the Oscar’s most contentious looks.

16. UMA THURMAN, 2004

Uma Thurman’s Christian Lacroix milkmaid dress landed her on worst dressed lists in 2004, but it was an iconic fashion moment nonetheless. Since then Thurman has reportedly called it her “most embarrassing experience”.

17. GEENA DAVIS, 1992

In 1992, Geena Davis lost out on a Best Actress award for her role in Thelma & Louise, but instead went home with the consolation prize: most controversial look of the night. Her ruffled, high-low minidress, made by costume designer Ruth Meyers, took a lashing from the press, and Davis herself has said that she was “surprised” by the backlash.