Elle Fanning stepped onto the Oscars 2025 red carpet last night, March 2, in a Givenchy custom haute couture piece by Sarah Burton. It’s the designer’s first for the house, unveiled at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. White French Lyon lace and silk tulle shape the dress, with a molded corset and a Watteau caped back that flows sharp. A black grosgrain bow belt ties it off, riffing on Hubert de Givenchy’s 1952 debut. Fanning, presenting Best Costume Design, made her Academy Awards debut a flex, locking in a look that’s already a marker.
Sarah Burton’s move to Givenchy has been the buzz since she took the creative director gig in September 2024, after years steering Alexander McQueen. Her first runway drop for the brand is set for March 7 in Paris, but Fanning gave us the teaser no one saw coming. The dress pulls from Givenchy’s roots—think Ivy Nicholson strutting in ’52—while Burton tweaks it with a corset that’s less retro, more now. It’s a slick handover from her McQueen days, where she and Fanning already had a thing going—remember that crystal-crusted gown from Cannes 2023? This time, she paired it with a Cartier choker from 1958, keeping the vintage-modern mashup tight. Sidney Toledano, Givenchy’s board chairman, called Burton’s vision “invaluable” when she signed on, and this debut proves he wasn’t just talking.
Fanning’s not new to the red carpet game, but this was next-level. Playing Sylvie in A Complete Unknown, the Bob Dylan biopic up for Best Picture, she’s been everywhere this awards season—Golden Globes, SAGs, you name it. Last night, she didn’t just show up; she set the tone. The dress screams her vibe—classic with a twist, like she’s channeling Old Hollywood but remixing it for 2025. Burton gets it too, saying she’s all about Fanning’s “bold choices” and “creativity.” With Givenchy’s Paris show five days out, this is the kind of drop that keeps the hype rolling. White lace might sound safe, but in Burton’s hands—and on Fanning—it’s anything but.
