10 must-see looks from the 2026 BAFTAs red carpet

By Leah Dolan, CNN

London (CNN) — As if there weren’t already enough showstopping outfits at London Fashion Week this weekend, the coinciding 79th British Academy Film Awards on Sunday offered another stage for brands to showcase their designs as Hollywood A-listers including Timothée Chalamet, Teyana Taylor, Chase Infiniti, Ethan Hawke and Kirsten Dunst descended on the city’s Royal Festival Hall for the UK’s glitziest film awards ceremony.

Savvy stars understand the significance of the BAFTAs: Not only does it offer a chance to celebrate the best in British creativity, but its red carpet also offers an opportunity to propel one’s career. For years now, fashion has played a greater role in a film’s marketing strategy, as evident most recently with “Wuthering Heights” and “Marty Supreme.” Meanwhile, more stars are signing lucrative ambassadorship contracts that arguably allows them to skip the mainstream, well-paying blockbuster in favor of a more niche film project, so long as they wear their client’s clothes on the red carpet.

At this year’s event, the clothes were quirky, distinctive and elegant, and often in subdued shades like crimson, plum and black. Some attendees chose to support British fashion stalwarts such as Roksanda, Erdem and Burberry, the latter whose runway show this evening will close out London Fashion Week. Other stars, like BAFTAs Rising Star nominee Archie Madekwe who wore a silk neck ruff by Dior, toyed with British historical dress codes.

Seemingly in keeping with the eccentric whimsy that British fashion has become known for, many of the otherwise more traditional gowns came with something unexpected — see the sculptural hem on Chase Infiniti’s Louis Vuitton dress or the dramatic, side-swiping cut-out of Renate Reinsve’s. Meanwhile, there was also plenty of Matthieu Blazy’s Chanel, with several celebrity guests including Maya Rudolph, Gracie Abrams, Jessie Buckley and Tilda Swinton wearing his zeitgeist designs.

See 10 looks from the BAFTAs that caught our eye.

Kirsten Dunst

It was Kirsten Dunst’s first BAFTA awards, and although she was nominated for her performance in “Roofman,” she arrived on the red carpet looking like she had taken inspiration from another award-winning film: “Poor Things,” which spurred a trend for inflated mutton sleeves. Her giant puff-sleeved dusty rose jacket (which sat on top of a pale pink and black midi dress) was from Valentino, and looked best when posed in a power stance.

Ethan Hawke

It’s hard to go wrong with a suit by Giorgio Armani (the late designer has long defined red-carpet glamor with his sleek, tailored designs). Such was the choice of Ethan Hawke at the BAFTAs: the “Blue Moon” actor and Richard Linklater favorite wore a one-button suit by the Italian label paired with a champagne-colored shirt and smart dress shoes. Yet, staying true to his personal style, which in recent years has seen the actor embrace classic, understated menswear with an unexpected bohemian edge, he injected personality into his BAFTA outfit with a jeweled gold bolo tie.

Teyana Taylor

Teyana Taylor is carving out a name for herself as a red carpet vixen, — setting her own terms on how a movie star should appear in the arena of fashion. For her latest look at the BAFTAs, in which she was up for best supporting actress for “One Battle After Another,” Taylor wore a deep maroon-colored Burberry gown that wrapped every inch of her body (and then some) in a satin-like finish. The tall, vampyric popped collar, which she peeped out of overtop, was powerful and gloriously villainous.

Tilda Swinton

Another Chanel disciple, Tilda Swinton opted for a cropped tuxedo jacket and high waisted pants from the brand’s Métiers d’art 2026 collection. Keeping her neck and ears bare, Swinton accessorized the sharp suiting with a dazzling diamond ring and two Chanel brooches.

Archie Madekwe

If Swinton kept her tailoring traditional, Archie Madekwe went for something a little more off-the-cuff — or off-the-ruff — with a custom Dior suit and a ribbon-tied, silver-trimmed neck ruff in lieu of a tie. It was a fun nod to a different era of British dressing, one more associated with the old Bard and original patron of the British arts, William Shakespeare, who was often captured in portraits wearing ornate frilled collars.

Glenn Close

After showing up earlier in the day to support the fashion designer Erdem Moralıoğlu, whose London Fashion Week show marked two decades of his namesake label, Glenn Close also opted to wear the brand as she walked the red carpet at the BAFTAs, where she was also a presenter. There, she demonstrated that occasion dressing doesn’t always require a trailing dress, as she opted for a black boxy jacket and matching skirt with a silver floral print.

Timothée Chalamet

After recent eye-popping outfits like the zesty orange jacket and trousers he wore to promote his film “Marty Supreme,” Timothée Chalamet was uncharacteristically pared-back at the BAFTAs, wearing a sharp all-black look (a double breasted tuxedo jacket and matching pleated trousers, complete with a silk shirt and silk bow tie) designed by Sarah Burton for Givenchy.

Reneta Reinsve

Cutout gowns and ‘naked’ dresses are now par for the course on any red carpet, but Reneta Reinsve’s elegant approach at the BAFTAs has landed her on many a best-dressed list, including Vogue’s. Wearing a black strapless Louis Vuitton gown with midriff cutouts that revealed her toned torso, the Norwegian actress and “Sentimental Star” accomplished a rare feat: toeing the line between tasteful and sensual dressing.

Chase Infiniti

While some stars attending the BAFTAs wore snug or slinky dresses that clung to their bodies, others opted for more voluminous looks that took up space. First-time BAFTA nominee and “One Battle After Another” star Chase Infiniti managed to do both. The breakout star and Louis Vuitton ambassador wore a custom look from the French luxury brand — a strapless, maroon fishtail dress — that simultaneously enhanced her natural curves while creating a sculptural statement.

Gracie Abrams

Stars did a great job at matching their outfits to the brooding weather of mid-February London, and Gracie Abrams’ sheer Chanel dress was no exception. Accompanying her partner Paul Mescal, who was nominated for best supporting actor in “Hamet,” Abrams’ chocolate-colored gown was artful yet understated — embellished with swimming Koi fish rendered whimsically in beads and trimmed with a turquoise beaded neckline.

With contributions from CNN’s Kati Chitrakorn.

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