Carey Mulligan responds to critics of her 2024 Oscars dress

When I polled my Who’s What Wear colleagues about the most beautiful Oscars dresses ever before this year’s ceremony, one look emerged as the clear winner: the Balenciaga gown Carey Mulligan wore on the Academy Awards red carpet in 2024. The black and white strapless mermaid dress was a re-creation of a Cristóbal Balenciaga design from 1951. That day when Mulligan’s photos went viral, I knew she would be at the top. Everyone’s best dressed list.

However, the widespread popularity of the look didn’t stop fashion critics from presenting their hot looks. Some corners of social media dismiss redesigns of older designs as merely rehashing the past. He argues that fashion should prioritize originality, fresh ideas and innovation over nostalgia and familiar styles.