Going into the 2025 BAFTAs (British Film Awards), I knew the red carpet's best-dressed list would miss one of its brightest stars: Kate Middleton, who went on a Caribbean vacation instead of attending this year's ceremony. There wasn't much time to miss the royal and her lineup of dazzling gowns as she took her well-deserved trip, however. Selena Gomez immediately lit up the Feb. 16 carpet in a custom Schiaparelli dress matching her engagement ring, and Cynthia Erivo payed homage to her Wicked costar Ariana Grande in Louis Vuitton minutes later. By the time all the evening's guests had filed into London's Royal Festival Hall, I couldn't think about who skipped the carpet, because there was so much fashion to enjoy in the now.
Quite simply, the 11 best-dressed stars at the 2025 BAFTAs red carpet majorly leveled up from last week's Critics' Choice Awards. While many of the evening's biggest designers overlapped with the recent carpet—Louis Vuitton, Prada, Chanel, and Giorgio Armani were in heavy rotation once again—the overall spirit leaned even harder into the upscale glamour that's typically saved for the Academy Awards in March. There were over-the-shoulder shawls and head-to-toe embellishments; several looks were custom couture, instead of the usual pulls from a recent runway collection. The ceremony may have been held in London, but it felt like Old Hollywood.
