A Timeline Of Cher’s Vintage Oscars Looks That Will Grace Moodboards Forever
“I was dressing to go to work – presenting is work,” Cher once said of her often outrageous, always scene-stealing outfits worn to the Oscars.
As her career morphed and expanded to see her win an Academy Award herself (she walked away with Best Actress for Moonstruck in 1988), the star dressed up for the occasion with a flair that only Cher can. She has since admitted feeling that the Academy didn’t like her, and her arguably ‘showgirl’ orientated aesthetic, saying: “They hated the way I dressed and I had young boyfriends so they thought I wasn’t serious. So I came out and said, ‘as you can see I got my handbook on how to dress like a serious actress’.”
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Cher’s Academy Awards outfits don’t just tell the story of a life-long commitment to sheer textures and twinkling sparkle, but are an homage to her great friend and frequent collaborator, Bob Mackie, too. Since they met in the ’70s, Cher has almost exclusively worn his designs to the Awards, whether presenting or anticipating a win.
The most remarkable thing about the now 74-year-old star’s Oscars legacy? She hasn’t attended the Academy Awards since the year 2000. Since then a swathe of ingenues, clearly inspired by her daring approach, continue to do the Oscars red carpet work on Cher’s behalf. Note Zendaya in luminous yellow Valentino, slashed at the midriff and reminiscent of Cher’s ’70s look, and Andra Day’s close-cut Vera Wang chainmail dress at the 2021 ceremony.
While we might have to wait at least another year – and let’s hope not another two decades – for Cher to return to the Academy Awards red carpet, her sartorial legacy will forever remain as part of the ceremony’s history, whether the Academy approves or not.
Below, British Vogue takes a look at Cher’s winning moments at the Oscars in closer detail.