How much do Award Show dresses cost and do celebrities pay for them? (2024)

The nominations for the Oscars have been finalized and the cinema industry’s awards season is about to start in earnest with the 94th Academy Awards ceremony to be held in the Dolby Theater, Hollywood on 27 March. Before the stars walk the red carpet in LA, the awards circuit will alight in London for the BAFTAS on 13 March, Santa Monic Pier for the Film Independent Spirit Awards a week earlier, with the Critics’ Choice Awards taking place on the same day as the BAFTAS. The Golden Globes, traditionally considered a barometer for Oscars consideration, held a muted ceremony in January after boycotts of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association by numerous actors and media companies. The event was not televised and there were no stars on parade, which will make attention on the BAFTAS and Oscars red carpet even more pronounced this year.

Among the nominees for the acting awards will be some of the biggest names in the business - Jessica Chastain, Olivia Coleman , Penelope Cruz, Nicole Kidman and Kristen Stewart will vie for Best Actress – while Don’t Look Up’s nod for Best Picture ensures the presence of a red carpet favourite, Jennifer Lawrence, who carved out ger own piece of awards ceremony history in 2013 when her elaborate Dior Couture dress caused her to trip up the stair on the wat to collect her Best Actress statue for Silver Linings Playbook. The dress reportedly cost $4 million, but Dior were happy to hand it to Lawrence as she was the brand ambassador at the time. They were probably even happier with Lawrence’s tumble, which swiftly filled the upper reaches of every celebrity website in the world.

How much does an Oscars dress cost?

Lawrence’s $4m number may seem a little extravagant but in reality, fashion houses and luxury brands are tripping over themselves to drape their wares over the biggest stars in the industry. Lawrence, the star of the Hunger Games franchise and a four-time Oscar nominee as well as a three-times Golden Globe winner, was the highest paid actress in the world in 2015 and 2016 and reputedly her Dior dress holds the record for the single most-expensive piece of attire ever worn on a red carpet.

As might be expected, awards ceremony dresses don’t come cheap. Six figures is fairly standard, although of course not every attendee chooses to go down the haute couture route. Kim Basinger designed her 1990 dress herself, Björk’s bizarre swan dress will not be forgotten swiftly and Trey Parker and Matt Stone (of South Park fame) rocked up in 2000 wearing dresses themselves. Male stars don’t need big budgets to attend an awards ceremony, where a decent tux or suit might cost between $3,000 and $5,000, but any watchmaker or shoe smith worth their salt will be looking to get their products on wrists and feet for the cameras.

By contrast, the most expensive ensemble ever is thought to be Cate Blanchett’s Armani Privé dress and Chopard jewellery from the 2013 Academy Awards, which came in at a cool $18m.

So who foots the bill? Unsurprisingly, the stars are not expected to fork out for their gowns and baubles, with many designers happy to pay for their dresses to be put on show. Stylist Jessica Paster, who has worked with Blanchett and Emily Blunt, told Vogue that actresses can pick up anything up to $250,000 to wear a designer’s creations on the red carpet.

Jennifer Lopez revives iconic green Versace dress that led to the invention of Google Images 👗 https://t.co/eDKfkNqw8f

— BBC News (UK) (@BBCNews) September 21, 2019

What happened to Oscars dresses after the ceremony?

Generally, the gowns worn by the stars on awards nights are the property of the designer, and as such the vast majority are returned when the cameras stop flashing and safely stored away. But as Tanya Gill, who has worked with Jane Fonda, Hilary Swank and Kate Winslet, told Vanity Fair in 2017, occasionally a designer will be happy enough for their muses to keep their creations.

One such example is Jennifer Lopez’s revealing green Versace dress that the singer and actress wore to the Grammys in 2000, which was lapped up by the fashion media and celebrity websites to the extent the fashion house felt compelled to let her keep it. They could hardly say no: Lopez's look led to the invention of Google Images.

Some fashion houses may also take a punt on a long-term relationship with a particular star and therefore seek to sweeten the deal by making a gift of a dress. When an actor and a brand team up, it is much like any other commercial arrangement, with the star expected to wear what the company provides to awards ceremonies for the duration of the contract.

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How much do Award Show dresses cost and do celebrities pay for them? (2024)

FAQs

How much do Award Show dresses cost and do celebrities pay for them? ›

A-list celebrity Oscars outfit costs $10 mil. The average “A-list” actress spends around $10 million on their outfit ensemble. The average attendee spends $1.5 million and first-timers spend around $266,000 on attire.

Do celebrities pay for their dresses? ›

It has to be noted that the actresses do not pay for their dresses, as famous designers such as Dior, Versace or Armani are willing to pay for them themselves.

How much do Oscars dresses cost? ›

The cost of an Oscars outfit is a more humble $1.5 million for the average attendee and $266,000 for a first-timer, WalletHub estimates.

Do Oscar nominations pay for their dresses? ›

Big-name stars often wear gowns and diamonds that cost thousands — sometimes millions — of dollars, but there's a good chance those celebrities don't pay a cent.

Do celebrities get to keep their dresses? ›

As a rule, designers lend their dresses for no more than 48 hours. And after this period of time, the dress should be returned to them. But sometimes, an actress can get a dress as a gift. However, some celebrities don't follow this and purchase their red carpet dresses themselves.

Do celebrities have to pay to attend award shows? ›

No, no one above the line (the folks that show up at the bottom of the movie poster: actors, directors, producers) do not pay for their travel and hotel rooms. The studio covers that as part of the film's award season marketing budget.

Who pays for the dress? ›

Who traditionally pays for the wedding dress? One of the most closely stuck-to traditions is that the bride's family will pay for the wedding dress. This also includes any accessories the bride may wear, such as a veil, a bag and shoes. For modern weddings, the bride may want to pay for her own dress.

What is the most expensive celebrity dress ever sold? ›

Marilyn Monroe's 'Happy Birthday Mr President' Gown

The figure-hugging garment, which we saw worn by Kim Kardashian at the 2022 Met Gala continues to remain as the world's most expensive dress ever sold at auction. The gown, designed by Jean Louis, is adorned with over 6000 hand-sewn rhinestones.

What is the most expensive dress ever? ›

The most expensive dress in the world sold for $30 million, created by Debbie Wingham. The diamond-encrusted gown took over six months to design and complete. The second most expensive dress in the world, the Valentino Garavani, was sold for $7.5 million.

What is the most expensive dress worn at the Oscars? ›

Answer: Christian Dior Haute Couture's dress worn by Jennifer Lawrence is by far the most expensive dress ever worn to the Oscars with the price at $4,000,000. Question: Who designed the most expensive dress worn at the Oscars? Answer: Raf Simons designed the dress that Jennifer Lawrence wore to the Oscars in 2013.

Do celebrities own the clothes they wear? ›

Do actors/actresses get to keep the clothes they wear during movies or TV shows? No. Definitely not, as a generality, or a rule. If it is a studio film, those costumes belong to the studio wardrobe department.

How do celebrities get dressed for events? ›

Some use a stylist's services, some dress themselves. Usually the stylist will select several outfits loaned from designers, as well as accessories, and the celebrity will choose from that what they feel the best in. Jewelry is also loaned most of the time.

What brand do celebrities wear the most? ›

In this ultimate guide, we will take a closer look at the top 10 fashion brands loved by celebrities.
  • Chanel. Chanel is a French luxury fashion house that has been a favorite among celebrities for decades. ...
  • Gucci. ...
  • Louis Vuitton. ...
  • Dior. ...
  • Versace. ...
  • Balenciaga. ...
  • Prada. ...
  • Saint Laurent.
Jan 28, 2024

Do celebrities ever wear the same outfit twice? ›

But occasionally, even A-listers love their outfits so much they deem them worthy of another outing. From Catherine, duch*ess of Cambridge (AKA Kate Middleton) and Princess Diana, Jennifer Lopez to Selena Gomez - to name but a few - royals and celebs alike love a chic outfit repeat.

Do celebrities pay for Met Gala? ›

😂😂😂😂😂, no. The Met Gala is an invitation-only event, and Anna Wintour is in charge of the guest list… like, to the point where even *if* a designer/brand spends the money to buy an entire table, Anna still dictates the people it gets to invite.

Do celebrities have to pay for clothes? ›

'Kay, but Who Pays for the Clothes? Celebs work directly with designers to create their looks (or pull from archives), so nope: No one is forking over a buncha money for couture. They're fully just out here wearing it for free!

Do celebrities get clothes for free? ›

However, what celebrities wear on a day-to-day basis (jeans, dresses, handbags) is usually gifted to them by a brand through public relations agencies. This is a practice called “celebrity seeding.” Think of it like product placement you see in movies and TV shows, just on a Kardashian's (or whoever's) body.

Do celebs get free clothes? ›

The majority of celebrities have wardrobe stylists. These stylists receive free clothing from brands in return for the celebrity wearing them.

Do celebrities pay for their Met Gala dresses? ›

Many celebrities who attend don't pay for their own ticket. Instead, the entry cost and costumes are bankrolled by major fashion houses. In exchange, the fashion house receives the exposure, and the goodwill of having contributed to the fundraising. However, tickets didn't used to be so expensive.

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