Nicole Kidman's Most Iconic Red Carpet Looks We Can't Stop Staring At

Nicole Kidman is known for rocking daring and controversial looks on the red carpet. Her fashion-icon status dates back to the 1990s when she accompanied her then-husband, Tom Cruise, to attend the 1997 Oscars in a chartreuse-hued silk Dior gown designed by John Galliano, which is considered a landmark moment in fashion. Even more than two decades later, the actor still fondly remembers it as one of her favorite red carpet gowns. However, it was after Nicole Kidman's divorce from Tom Cruise in 2001 that she truly started to experiment with style. Over the years, Kidman has dazzled fans with memorable fashion choices.

"I have no sense of what's fashionable," she told Jennifer Aniston during a Harper's Bazaar interview. The "Babygirl" star has worked with some of the most influential designers in the world, but she rarely thinks about trends. "I just know what I like to wear." Over the years, the star has brought memorable looks as well as train wrecks to the red carpet, but one thing that stays the same is her authenticity.

In 2003, Nicole Kidman wore a black, simplistic gown designed by Jean Paul Gaultier to the 75th Academy Awards, and went home with her first Oscar that night for playing Virginia Woolf in "The Hours." Perhaps the classy and modest gown isn't her most flamboyant outfit, but it certainly isn't one Kidman would ever forget. "I was so inspired by his talent and ability to shape the body with his designs, and by the mastery with which he transformed a simple piece of black fabric into something magical," the actor said of the designer, per the Herald Sun. Kidman and the French designer go way back to the late 1990s, with the actor recalling, "I was his very first couture client."

In the '90s, when the designer opened a couture house under his own name, Kidman bought a piece from his very first couture collection in 1997. "My God, Nicole Kidman! I had a client!" Gaultier recalled his reaction in a 2011 interview with The New Yorker. He didn't hesitate when Kidman approached him again a few years later. "When in 2003 she asked to wear a dress to the Oscars, I was delighted," he told the Herald Sun. "For me, that an actor at her level wants to wear my clothes because she likes my work is very flattering." In 2014, the gown was donated to the National Gallery of Victoria as part of the "The Fashion World of Jean Paul Gaultier: From Sidewalk to the Catwalk" collection.

The flapper dress Nicole Kidman wore to the 2004 Golden Globes is considered one of her most iconic looks, but for all the wrong reasons. The 1920s retro outfit saw her in a plunging sequin dress with metallic paillettes and a matching glittering gold headband. Her hair was also curled in a flapper style.

Kidman was nominated for Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture-Drama for "Cold Mountain." Her dress for the evening easily stood out in a mostly modernly dressed crowd, but in the wrong way, as the star recalled. "My mama thought I had many bad red carpet looks," she told W Magazine. "I remember wearing a headdress once to the Golden Globes. I didn't know what I was doing. Got to have a few train wrecks!" It turns out, Nicole Kidman's bold style ended up being too outdated.

However, the gown seemed to have all the markings to make it into one of her favorites. Gold has a special place in Kidman's red carpet styles as evidenced by her many gold gowns and accessories. One of her favorites was the gold gown she wore to the 2000 Oscars, designed by John Galliano. "I wore the most beautiful little 24-karat gold vintage mesh gloves," she said about the accessories she wore with the frock. "They had little gemstones in them." The 2004 flapper dress not only had her best color but also reflected her bold fashion choice.

In 2006, Nicole Kidman walked down the red carpet at the Rome Film Festival in Italy in a nude sequined sheath dress designed by Hollywood A-list designer, the late L'Wren Scott. "L'Wren and I have been dear friends for years now. She knows what aspects to accentuate in a woman, and is able to make you feel incredibly sexy and sophisticated when you are in one of her exquisite designs," Kidman told The Telegraph (via Time) in 2011. 

"L'Wren was exceptionally chic and refined, but she was also very sexy, and I think that her clothes depict that combination," the actor also told Christie's. The 2006 nude dress led to her owning many pieces from Scott, and it almost got out of control. "I can't name just one piece I loved that L'Wren designed, there were so many!" she told the outlet.

Back then, the nude dress from Scott's second collection made headlines and was heavily covered in the press. "It caused a sensation because it was just pure Hollywood glamour — no extraneous detail, just a beautiful shape," fashion consultant Kerry Taylor explained to Christie's. The dress fitted Kidman so perfectly, though so minimalistic. "It was almost like she was wearing her skin," said Christie's head of sales, Caitlin Yates. The nude L'Wren Scott was a timeless design and was sold in 2011 online for £8,125.

The year 2007 is one to be remembered for Nicole Kidman's stunning transformation. Her fiery, sculptural Balenciaga gown at the 79th Academy Awards is one of her most memorable looks. With a halter neckline, the scarlet gown designed by Nicolas Ghesquière featured a floor-trailing, oversized bow at the neck. The "The Invasion" star completed her look with classic crimson lipstick and sparkling diamond bracelets. "Balenciaga has been with me through some of the most memorable events in my life," Kidman said in a press release (via People) in 2023 when she became an ambassador for the brand.

"I really believe at the end of the day; fashion is about creating feelings and emotions," Ghesquière told Cate Blanchett in an interview for the Maison's exclusive series (via YouTube). While the scarlet Balenciaga only appeared once on the red carpet, it left a strong impression on the rest of the world. Photos of the red gown resurfaced in 2012 when the stunning Emma Stone stepped out of the car looking the spitting image of Kidman's 2007 Oscars look. Her Giambattista Vall gown was a similar shade of red and featured a giant bow tie at the neck just like Kidman's. It wasn't long before many pundits flooded the internet comparing the uncanny resemblance between the two gorgeous dresses.

Nicole Kidman showed up to the 67th Cannes Film Festival in a blue Armani gown. The 2014 event took place after the premiere of her Grace Kelly biopic, "Grace of Monaco," where she played the titular character — a Hollywood star turned princess who married Prince Rainier III of Monaco in 1956, and her graceful, sophisticated dress was partially inspired by the character. 

"It's a princess dress with a twist," Kidman told the Daily Mail. "It plunges a bit, right?" she referred to her neck, which was missing a necklace. It turned out that the actor was planning to wear the same necklace Grace wore in the film. Created by Cartier, the necklace was a replica of Rainer's gift to Princess Grace in 1956 worth $5 million, but sadly, it didn't match her dress, so she opted for Harry Winston earrings.

The star revealed that she did have other choices. "There were three gowns and I picked the Armani." From Armani Privé's spring 2014 couture collection, the strapless deep blue ball gown was studded with Swarovski gems to the thighs and was inspired by the free spirits and exotica. "This is a woman who moves around the world and picks ideas from the beautiful things she sees," the designer said at the preview (via WWD). 

In 2017, Nicole Kidman attended the Golden Globes in an ethereal, metallic Alexander McQueen gown, styled by Julia von Boehm, former fashion director at InStyle, who made an exception by taking on the "Big Little Lies" star as her only celebrity client. To complete the look, the actor wore a shade of lipstick called "Kidman's Kiss," a color invented by makeup artist Charlotte Tilbury just for Kidman. The look was meant to be a little edgy with her hair styled into a messy half updo that resembled a fishtail braid. While her hair and makeup was on point, her gown attracted some hate. Many commentators suggested that Kidman should've left the sleeves at home.

"She's not going the safe road," von Boehm defended Kidman's dress to The New York Times. "There was never a question of not wearing the sleeves." The choice was a bold one, but there was nothing wrong with it. As the stylist, she would happily do it again, asserting, "No regrets."

Kidman addressed the criticism in an interview with The Edit (via Stuff) and revealed that her mother advised her to "cover up more," but she refused to go with what was safe. "I have worked with directors who are divisive, so I'm used to (criticism), and as my husband (Keith Urban) says, 'You don't want to have a thick skin; that's not a compliment.'"

Nicole Kidman was in love with the royal blue Armani Privé gown she wore to the 2018 Oscars. The gown featured a giant bow at the waist in addition to a daring lingerie-style bodice and a front slit. To give the dress the proper attention it deserved, the star opted for minimal assessors. She wore a pair of black Louboutins, dangling Harry Winston earrings, and an orange-based red lipstick. "No dress has ever changed my life," she began in an essay for Harper's Bazaar about this particular dress, but the royal blue Armani Privé was certainly a close contender.

The gown made "The Killing of a Sacred Deer" actor feel like a princess in a fairy tale. "It really does have that Cinderella quality." She was in awe of the personal touch of the design that complemented her every move. "Strangely enough, despite the boning on the corset top, this dress was unbelievably comfortable," she said. Kidman was not only able to sit through four hours of the Oscars in this dress, but she also commended the outstanding craftsmanship of the gown. "I have to say they really take care of the details, like how to make a giant bow sit."

Due to the pandemic, the 2021 Golden Globes ceremony took place virtually, sans red carpet, but it still gave Nicole Kidman the chance to dress up again. "The Undoing" star was nominated for Best Actress in a Miniseries for her hit HBO psychological thriller, and for the event, she stepped into a custom Louis Vuitton gown. The black frock, decorated with crystal braids and silver and gold beads, featured an apron-style pleated skirt. Julia Von Boehm styled the star with matching Louis Vuitton sandals, a black ribbon headband in addition to an updo, and most notably, a personal touch with Kidman's own jewelry. "That feels more real during these times," the stylist told The Hollywood Reporter.

The gown, which consisted of approximately 8,000 beads and crystals, took 425 hours to make and brought those working in the fashion industry together. "I think it's super important to support the designers throughout this pandemic," von Boehm added. To her, the '90s-style gown is minimalistic enough to be humble, and sophisticated enough to be timeless. "It's about finding the fine line between what looks gorgeous and makes people dream, but is also appropriate." Normally, Kidman would have several options to choose from, but one gown was enough that year.

In 2022, Nicole Kidman received an Oscar nomination for Best Actress in a Leading Role for her performance in "Being the Ricardos." She had a color in mind for her red carpet gown, so she came to her long-time collaborator, Armani Privé, who made a new shade just for her. "They dyed it," Kidman told E! News about the color of her gown. "I was like, 'I really want to wear blue.'" And thus, the Nicole Kidman Blue was born. "They made this color." Hundreds of hours went into bringing the pale blue retro-style gown to life. The craftsmanship is unmatched. The gown not only saw a clash of vintage and modern, but it was also a timeless creation inspired by haunting imagery from old Hollywood. "It derives from a very classic silhouette," stylist Julia von Boehm told Vogue. 

Kidman's fashion stylist described the design as an ode to "quiet elegance" that remained true to the actor's styles over the years. At the same time, it serves as a reflection of the revolution and timelessness of cinema. "You can't just strip it all [back] because that's not what the world is." The dress is a form of escapism. "We need a little bit of show business and glamour to keep dreaming and having hope [during] all of this." 

To remember one of Chanel's most influential designer, Karl Lagerfeld, who took over the brand in 1983, Nicole Kidman walked the red carpet at the Met Gala in 2023 in the same dress she wore in the 2004 Chanel No. 5 perfume commercial. "For Karl," she wrote in the caption of the Instagram reel she shared on the day of the gala. 

The light-pink sequined dress featured a feathered train and a tulle bow on one shoulder. "There's whimsy to it, and it's so light as a feather, and it's unbelievably comfortable," Kidman told Vogue at the event. Not only did the star preserve the dress perfectly after 19 years, but she also remembered working with Lagerfeld keenly. "I have the sketches when he was drawing it." Lagerfeld and Kidman first met when he photographed her for Interview magazine in the early 2000s. Though many stars recalled the late designer as kind and brilliant, Kidman remembered him more as a friend. "He made me laugh," she remembered.

Nicole Kidman brought a reimagined 1951 Cristóbal Balenciaga gown to life at the 2024 Met Gala in honor of the "Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion" exhibition. Designed by Demna Gvasalia, the white double-silk bustier featured a ruffled design inspired by flamenco dancers' dresses and 3,000 organza feathers. Jason Bolden styled Kidman with a pair of Harry Winston cluster diamond earrings and a Secret Combination platinum and diamond bracelet. 

"It was something that I saw in [a Richard] Avedon photo," the star told an interviewer on the Met Gala red carpet (via The Hollywood Reporter). Astonished by the style and the design, she asked Gvasalia to bring the beauty to life. "He reinterpreted it in the vein of the sleeping beauties and the gowns, bringing them back to life. So I consider this to be a 'Sleeping Beauty' brought back to life."

The actor couldn't get the dress out of her head. "I just fell in love with the idea of kissing a Balenciaga couture gown awake," she told Vogue. The dress was originally worn by one of the first supermodels, Dorian Leigh, whose dancer-like poses inspired Balenciaga to design a dress that paid homage to his Spanish roots. More than half a century later, it was rediscovered.

Nicole Kidman attended the 2025 Golden Globes for her erotic thriller "Babygirl" in a stunning Balenciaga gown. The custom-made dress was created with a mesh of crystals and rhinestones embroidered, while giving an overall liquid impression. Kidman complemented the shimmering, metallic look with a vintage, 1920s Art Nouveau wristwatch, and wore her hair in a '60s-inspired retro updo, which highlighted her bone structure. But what had everyone talking was the low, backless dress. Never too shy to show off bold fashion styles on the red carpet, the star rocked the show-stopping gown with grace.

When asked if it was difficult to get ready for the Golden Globes, Kidman told Inside Edition, "Yes, it is. ... You just have the support of your family and you sit there patiently and do your hair and makeup. I meditate a little bit and then, off we go."

Two days earlier, the Oscar-winning actor broke down during her acceptance speech for the International Star Award, following the death of her mother in September 2024. "My whole career has been for my mom and my dad, and they're not here now," she said during the speech (via Entertainment Tonight). However, she promised to honor them by continuing to work. "I'm sorry I'm crying, I didn't want to do that, but I feel my mama right now, so this is for you."