Carey Mulligan's Chic 2024 Oscars Dress Was Inspired by a 1951 Balenciaga Design

The 2024 Oscars red carpet served up a sea of sophisticated looks with a heavy dose of drama, from Eva Longoria's striking structured black gown to Michelle Yeoh's dazzling sequined look. Carey Mulligan also hopped aboard the high drama trend wearing a breathtakingly elegant sleeveless black gown by Balenciaga with matching full-length opera gloves.

With its gentle form-fitting silhouette and delicate sweetheart neckline, the gown was all soft elegance and femininity. However, the star of the show was the dress's dramatic mermaid skirt, which flared out at the knees — under the scalloped hem, a white tulle petticoat peeped out at the base. Mulligan kept her jewelry simple, opting for a pair of classic diamond drop earrings and went sans necklace.

For true fashion aficionados, this gown may look familiar. It turns out, the dress is actually a close copy of the classic Flamenco dress designed by Balenciaga in 1951. As vintage fashion expert Cherie Blach noted, the iconic dress also featured a monochromatic color scheme and a daring tulle mermaid skirt.

Nominated for her performance as Felicia Montealegre in Maestro, a biopic about the legendary composer Leonard Bernstein, Mulligan certainly looked appropriately opera-ready in this simple, classic look at this year's Oscars.

The actress has been nailing timeless It-girl fashion for years. Earlier this year, she made the case for the oversized blazer, pairing a grey jacket with frayed jeans and a simple high-necked black top. Last month, she appeared on the red carpet for the premiere of her film Spaceman wearing an effortlessly elegant black gown and, once again, opting to go with minimal jewelry. In other recent appearances, she's gone for all-black and all-white pant suits. And in each of these recent photo calls, her sleek blonde bob has completed the look.