WWD Style Director Reveals Bold Red Carpet Predictions for the 2026 Oscars

Alex Badia isn't interested in playing it safe. WWD's style director laid out his 2026 Oscars red carpet predictions with the kind of specificity that separates actual fashion knowledge from vibe-based guessing: three nominees, multiple designer scenarios, and one very compelling Schiaparelli obsession.

The thesis driving the whole piece is blunt. "The Oscars red carpet has long been predictable," Badia wrote, "a sea of classic silhouettes and safe color choices designed to please the mass audience and the Academy alike." His counter-argument comes in the form of historical receipts: Rihanna's Alaïa leather maternity look, which he calls "unapologetically daring," and last year's Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande pairing, where Erivo arrived in structured Louis Vuitton and Grande went full fantasy in Schiaparelli. "These moments prove that even in a traditionally restrained space, risk and personality can resonate."

His biggest bet is on Teyana Taylor. "I'm betting and hoping for another Schiaparelli moment, this time from the newly crowned fashion queen Teyana Taylor," Badia wrote. The reasoning is solid: Taylor attended the Schiaparelli couture show in January and backstage raved about creative director Daniel Roseberry's fantastical creations. There's a wrinkle, though. She was spotted at Chanel the week of Badia's writing, leaving open the possibility she goes head-to-toe Chanel instead. Two very different energies, both credible.

For Elle Fanning, Badia presents a choice between edge and elegance. A Givenchy by Sarah Burton moment makes sense, he argues, given that Fanning has surprised before with black velvet sculptural pieces. The alternative: an Elie Saab couture look that would keep her in familiar, ultra-chic territory. One path takes a swing, the other locks in a sure thing.

Jessie Buckley gets the most architecturally interesting prediction of the three. Badia floats the idea of a Jonathan Anderson Dior couture debut dress, describing it as "evoking a modern Greek goddess," or alternatively, a sculptural Balenciaga by Pierpaolo Piccioli pulled from his recent architecturally dramatic ready-to-wear collection. Either direction would be a statement. Buckley has been moving through Chanel, Balenciaga, and Dior this entire awards season, so the designer range Badia is working with tracks with her actual circuit.

Badia draws on recent runway and couture to build his forecasts, referencing standout couture gowns shown just weeks before his March 11 piece. The designer landscape he's navigating is genuinely stacked right now: Roseberry at Schiaparelli doing surrealist fantasy, Anderson in his Dior couture debut, Piccioli redefining Balenciaga's architectural language, and Sarah Burton's Givenchy chapter continuing to attract actresses who want structure without severity.

The 2026 Oscars hasn't happened yet, which means Badia's predictions still have room to land. Given that Taylor has been seen in the front rows of both Schiaparelli and Chanel in the same season, whatever she walks out in will be the most watched call of the night.