
In November, Ariana Grande' took home the trophy for the Oldest Vintage Look of 2025: a circa-1952 Gilbert Adrian ballgown at the Wicked: For Good London premiere, crafted by The Wizard of Oz costume designer himself. But in terms of the year's best vintage looks overall, selects stretched far beyond the yellow brick road.
Every major red carpet in 2025—from TV show premieres to the Cannes Film Festival—came with trips deep into designers' archives. Some stylists worked overtime to secure pieces with references to their clients' latest on-screen characters; others evoked Old Hollywood award-winners with references to red carpets of decades past. Across the board, these pieces felt even rarer than a bespoke gown, because they were stitched with history.