The 12 Best Chanel Dresses in Oscars History

The 96th annual Academy Awards will be held in Los Angeles on Sunday, March 10, and I have several burning questions. Which Barbie will Margot Robbie re-create on the red carpet? Which movie will win Best Picture? Who will turn up to the Vanity Fair Oscars after-party? Only time will tell, but rest assured, you can count on us to deliver all of the answers in due time.
In the meantime, I decided to take a walk down memory lane and revisit iconic Oscars looks from years past. I've always associated Chanel with the pinnacle of luxury fashion, so I've focused this story specifically on looks from the storied French house once helmed by Karl Lagerfeld and now steered by Virginie Viard. What can you expect from my roundup? Well, one celebrity scored two spots on my list: Kirsten Dunst, who wore Chanel to the prestigious ceremony in 2005 and 2007. Scroll down to see my favorite Chanel looks in Oscars history.
Kirsten Dunst, 2007
Michelle Williams, 2023
Tessa Thompson, 2019
Nicole Kidman, 2004
Rinko Kikuchi, 2007
Diane Kruger, 2010
Kirsten Dunst, 2005
Sarah Jessica Parker, 2010
Penélope Cruz, 2008
Margot Robbie, 2018
Julianne Moore, 2015
Sofia Boutella, 2017

Erin got her start as a Who What Wear intern in 2011—back when the site only published a single story per day. (We have since increased that number twentyfold.) She graduated magna cum laude from USC and lives in Los Angeles. In college, she also interned at Refinery29, where she was promoted to editorial assistant and then assistant editor. After nearly three years at R29, she came back to WWW in 2015, where she is now the Associate Director of Fashion News. From the Oscars to the Met Gala, she leads the site's entire red carpet coverage strategy. She specializes in celebrity and fashion news but also enjoys writing travel features and runway reports. She frequently contributes to WWW's social accounts and has a sizable following on her personal TikTok.