This Week, the Best Dressed Stars Embraced the Element of Surprise  

In the lead-up to awards season’s grand finale—the Oscars this weekend—stars raised the stakes for themselves by choosing looks with theatrical flourishes and an element of surprise. Looking good is the bare minimum; one has to elicit a reaction. Last week celebrities did just that. The designer labels stitched to their garments may have differed, but every performer who headed out on the town was out to make an impression. 

Bringing your whole household onto the red carpet is a surefire way to tug at the heartstrings. Many Hollywood clans—the Smiths, Kardashians, and Beckhams—pose together at big events, but Gabrielle Union made the concept feel newly chic. At the premiere of her comedy Cheaper by the Dozen, Union arrived with husband Dwyane Wade and their daughters Zaya and Kaavia by her side. The first to wear Joseph Altuzarra’s fall 2022 collectsion, Union dazzled in the designer’s woven crop top and matching skirt. Still, the pièce de résistance was the coordinated mini-dress Altuzarra created especially for three-year-old Kaavia, an adorable addition that led to a viral mommy-and-me fashion moment. 

At the Producers Guild Awards, Rita Moreno offered a thrill on the opposite end of the fashion spectrum. The acting legend brought the drama in a black column gown and pastel cape from Greta Constantine. Having already worn a look from the brand at the Critics Choice Awards, Moreno knew how to make the Canadian duo’s lively creation resonate on the red carpet. From the moment Moreno waltzed into Los Angeles’ Fairmont Century Plaza with her ruffled train trailing behind her, she was the star of the show. 

Still, the most swoon-worthy surprise of the week came thanks to Oscar Isaac, who embraced Thom Browne’s tailoring at the premiere of his Marvel series, Moon Knight. Isaac was at his confident best in Browne’s classic flannel blazer, pleated skirt, and brogue boots. A truly modern leading man on- and off-screen, he may inspire his contemporaries to show a little leg.