The 32 Best BAFTA Fashion Moments of All Time

Michelle Yeoh and Elizabeth Hurley — (Image credit: Getty Images)

The BAFTAs are, like, the British Oscars. As such, the red carpet is just as replete with stunning celebrity fashion looks each year. From elevated little black dresses to colorful ball gowns to glittery, intricate affairs, these are some of the best BAFTA looks of all time—and yes, Kate Middleton and Keira Knightley made the cut.

Thandiwe Newton

Thandie Newton poses in the press room during the EE British Academy Film Awards at Royal Albert Hall on February 10, 2019 in London, England.

Aside from maybe the Princess of Wales, Thandiwe Newton is the BAFTA red-carpet arrival we wait for each year. The British actress honestly never misses, but there's a particular spot in our hearts for this look from 2019. She wore a sculptural ruffled ballgown which she changed from strappy to strapless over the course of the night.

Léa Seydoux

Lea Seydoux poses in the winners room at the EE British Academy Film Awards at The Royal Opera House on February 8, 2015 in London, England

Léa Seydoux chose to dress like a ray of sunshine on the 2015 BAFTA red carpet. The Bond girl opted for a cap-sleeved pleated Prada full-length gown in a perfect shade of bright yellow, with cutouts above the waistline. She perfected the look with a neatly styled bob and eye-catching red lip.

Elizabeth Hurley

At the 1995 BAFTAs, Elizabeth Hurley showed up in a dress so jaw-dropping that her co-presenter Billy Connolly literally forgot his words. The dress in question was a sleeveless, V-necked, impossibly ruffled fuchsia gown by Versace—and yes, that is her skirt she's holding up in the picture.

Audrey Tautou

Audrey Tautou subverted red-carpet dressing when she showed up to the 2002 BAFTAs in a lacy gray tea dress and cardigan set with matching heeled, pointed-toe mary-janes. That year, the French actress was nominated for best leading actress for her role in Amélie, but ultimately lost out to Dame Judi Dench.

Gemma Chan

Crazy Rich Asians star Gemma Chan turned heads in a royal purple, all-over lace, strapless gown at the 2012 BAFTAs. The British actress paired the piece with black sandals, a satiny black clutch, and a skinny watch. She wore her hair styled simply down, and her makeup look played with shades of gray and pink.

Freida Pinto

Now that's a party dress. Slumdog Millionaire star Freida Pinto arrived at the 2009 BAFTAs in a supremely fun red-carpet look: a strapless, tulle gown in ballet pink with an impressive ruffled skirt. She made the look pop with a colorful necklace, sparkly clutch, and red nails.

Taylor Russell

There was never any doubt that Taylor Russell had "Hollywood star" in her veins. All you have to do is glance at her BAFTA look from 2024 to feel the truth of that statement: She wore every inch of her custom, white, feathered, cutout Loewe gown to perfection.

Emma Thompson

As one of the U.K.'s most beloved and enduring stars, Emma Thompson has been bringing the fashion to BAFTA red carpets for decades now. In 1993, Thompson dazzled in a sequined off-the-shoulder black top and full black skirt—accessorizing with her award for leading actress, which she won for Howard's End.

Viola Davis

At the 2019 BAFTAs, Viola Davis was nominated for leading actress for her role in Widows, and she more than dressed for the occasion. The American actress and filmmaker wore a black velvet gown by Armani Privé, embellished with a giant, asymmetric white bow which also functioned as a sleeve. A truly winning look, even though Davis eventually lost out to Olivia Colman.

Cate Blanchett

Cate Blanchett has never met a red carpet she couldn't turn every head on. The actress has the most impeccable fashion sense, and at the 2016 BAFTAs, she proved it in an elaborate Alexander McQueen with a sparkling floral bust and black feathered full skirt. Honestly, whoa.

Octavia Spencer

Octavia Spencer's best accessory here may well be her dazzling smile, but that's not to say she didn't absolutely nail her red-carpet look. For the 2018 BAFTAs, the Hidden Figures star shined in a sparkly black gown with tulle details by Sachin Babi. That year, many stars wore black to bring awareness to the Time's Up movement.

Kate Hudson

Kate Hudson wasn't interested in going under the radar at the 2001 BAFTAs, when she was nominated for best supporting actress. The star wore a pretty, long, beige shift dress, but it was her totally over-the-top, fabulous coat that stole the show, all multicolored beaded embellishments and fur accents. And that's without even mentioning those ringlets!

Kate Winslet

At the 2010 BAFTAs, Kate Winslet opted for a little black dress moment. She wore a full-length, scoop neck black gown by Stella McCartney, which was zhuzhed up with lace cutouts and a high leg slit. The Titanic actress accessorized with black sandals, and matching black and white jewelry.

Naomi Campbell

Naomi Campbell is an actress as well as a supermodel, which partially explains her always-flawless red-carpet style. At the 2000 BAFTAs, Campbell kept it simple in a full-length, black halter-neck dress with a mermaid-style silhouette. She wore her hair in a sleek updo to show off the dress—and her glitzy earrings.

Catherine Zeta-Jones

There's just something about the glamour of pre-2000 awards ceremony pictures. Catherine Zeta-Jones shines in this one from 1992 in a high-necked black gown embellished with pearls at the collar, with her drop earrings calling back to the sparkly detail.

Anna Kendrick

In 2021, the BAFTA red carpet looked a little different due to COVID restrictions. Posing here for the virtual red carpet, Anna Kendrick wears a pleated, multicolored gown by Zuhair Murad, ideal for twirling, paired with transparent PVC heels by Andrea Wazen.

Renée Zellweger

Renee Zellweger arrives at the EE British Academy Film Awards 2020 at Royal Albert Hall on February 2, 2020 in London, England.

Renée Zellweger does pretty in pink like no other. In 2020, the star won the BAFTA for best leading actress for her role in Judy. She accepted the prestigious award in this sumptuous of-the-shoulder silk Prada gown and matching pointed-toe stilettos.

Angela Bassett

We love nothing more than a bold solid-colored red-carpet look, and Angela Bassett delivered at the 2016 BAFTAs. The Black Panther actress made a splashy appearance in a high-necked, sleeveless, full-length fuchsia gown by Galia Lahav with a matching clutch and priceless-looking jewelry.

Anya Taylor-Joy

Red carpets welcome gorgeous gown after gorgeous gown, but we love it when something a little different comes along. Anya Taylor-Joy broke the mold at the 2017 BAFTAs in a powder blue tulle gown with a layered skirt and tight bodice embellished with a sequin tiger—courtesy of Gucci.

Keira Knightley

Keira Knightley was every inch the Hollywood star at the 2015 BAFTAs. She arrived in a strapless, calf-length dress by Giambattista Valli Couture, made up of an intricate white bodice and contrasting black skirt. Her hair was styled with an era-appropriate side parting to complete the look.

Emily Blunt

Emily Blunt showed up in full mermaid style to the 2008 BAFTAs, looking beautiful in a one-shouldered all-over sequined turquoise gown by Mark Bower. She let the dress do most of the talking but accessorized with a black clutch, a series of gold bangles, and some statement drop earrings.

Julia Roberts

Julia Roberts has been dressing sumptuously for red-carpet events since the '80s. At the 1998 BAFTA awards, the Pretty Woman star wore the heck out of a fitted, high-necked, long-sleeved wine-colored gown, paired with metallic heeled sandals. And can we talk about how shiny her hair looked?!

Scarlett Johansson

Incredibly, Scarlett Johansson was nominated not once but twice in the lead actress category at the 2004 BAFTAs, eventually winning for Lost in Translation (and losing for Girl With a Pearl Earring). Johansson didn't wear pearl earrings for the occasion, but did look beautiful in a gray-green satin gown with a bow embellishment.

Zoe Saldaña

Zoe Saldana attends the EE BAFTA Film Awards 2025 at The Royal Festival Hall on February 16, 2025 in London, England

Zoe Saldaña embraced old Hollywood glamour with her fashion at the 2025 BAFTAs, but kept her beauty look—hair styled down and minimalist makeup—on the modern side. The star looked pitch-perfect in a black, lacy Saint Laurent gown with a sculptural tulle collar.

Demi Moore

Demi Moore's dress for the 2025 BAFTAs was a true work of art: an endlessly intricate sequined halter-neck gown by Alexander McQueen, with a multicolored pattern a bit like a butterfly. It was the ideal choice to accompany Moore's nomination for leading actress for her role in The Substance—though she lost out to Anora's Mikey Madison.

Saoirse Ronan

Saoirse Ronan's gown for the 2020 BAFTAs was a sustainable collaboration between her stylist Elizabeth Saltzman and Gucci. "We wanted to create a gown that didn’t waste any resources or people’s time," Saltzman told Vogue at the time. The result was the simple elegance of a black silk ballgown.

Jennifer Lawrence

In 2018, many stars opted to wear black at the BAFTAs to drum up support for the Time's Up movement, Jennifer Lawrence among them. That year, the Silver Linings Playbook actress donned a stunning black gown with chiffon of-the-shoulder sleeves by Christian Dior Haute Couture.

Emma Stone

We love to see a color that's a bit different on the red carpet. In the case of Emma Stone at the 2024 BAFTAs, that color was a pretty popsicle orange. She wore a custom, one-shouldered Louis Vuitton gown with a brocade-style top and single puff sleeve, softened with a simpler A-line skirt.

Nicole Kidman

Category is: bridal chic. Nicole Kidman picked up her BAFTA for best leading actress for her role as Virginia Woolf in The Hours in 2003 wearing an exceedingly simple off-white, silk, strapless dress, with an asymmetrical skirt. She infused some fun into the look with her red beaded drop earrings.

Michelle Yeoh

At the 2001 BAFTAs, Michelle Yeoh was nominated for best leading actress for her role in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, though the award eventually went to Julia Roberts for Erin Brockovich. For the occasion, Yeoh sparkled in a floral sequined dress and furry, ruffly black coat.

Angelina Jolie

At the 2018 BAFTAs, Angelina Jolie joined in with the Time's Up movement by wearing black to the ceremony. Her stunning black velvet off-the-shoulder gown was designed by Ralph and Russo, and featured a train worthy of Jolie's A-lister status. A special mention for her diamond drop earrings, red nails, and signature cat eye.

Kate, Princess of Wales

Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge and Prince William, Duke of Cambridge attend the 70th EE British Academy Film Awards (BAFTA) at the Royal Albert Hall on February 12, 2017 in London, England

Prince William serves as President of BAFTA, so he and his wife Catherine are fixtures at the red-carpet awards. Every year that she attends, the Princess of Wales (formerly Duchess of Cambridge) looks as incredible as you might expect. In 2017, she went for an unforgettable off-the-shoulder Alexander McQueen floral gown.

Iris Goldsztajn is a London-based journalist, editor and author. She is the morning editor at Marie Claire, and her work has appeared in the likes of British Vogue, InStyle, Cosmopolitan, Refinery29 and SELF. Iris writes about everything from celebrity news and relationship advice to the pitfalls of diet culture and the joys of exercise. She has many opinions on Harry Styles, and can typically be found eating her body weight in cheap chocolate.