Breathtaking Purple Looks on the Red Carpet
A color fit for royalty.
Purple isn't just the color of royalty. It's also a fabulous choice for a red carpet, and not just because it complements so many other shades. Purple outfits make the wearers stand out among a sea of attendees, and the color is gorgeous all along the spectrum—from the lightest lilac to the deepest plum. Some of our most famous dresses use this color to spectacular effect, from glittering Versaces to floral Zac Posens.
Kylie Jenner
This custom Versace was crafted over 30 days. The end result—a purple crystal mesh gown with ostrich plumes that were printed by hand—felt particularly relevant for the 2019 Met Gala "Camp: Notes on Fashion" theme. “They nailed it,” Jenner said of the look.
Charlize Theron
The Dior haute couture dress that Charlize Theron wore to the 2010 Academy Awards was controversial at the time (with critics noting that it emphasized certain parts of her body) but, in hindsight, the two-tone lavender gown was architectural and pretty.
Sally Field
Color wasn't always a common feature of Oscars red carpet dressing. This picture was from 1992; Sally Field injected some beautiful royal purple into her red carpet look. It was considered a forerunner for more daring looks, in that decade and beyond.
Michelle Obama
Leave it to First Lady Michelle Obama to bring out a stunning pant suit for a formal, but not too formal event (this was part of her press tour for her memoir Becoming). This was a silk suit from Sergio Hudson and a sequined bustier by Christy Rilling Studio, FYI.
Nicole Kidman
Nicole Kidman's '90s wardrobe had such fabulous pieces. This was from the 1993 My Life premiere, and this velvet mini with flowers at the top felt both youthful and mature at the same time. Kidman would have been in her 20s when this was taken, and this was fitting for a star on the rise.
Lindsay Lohan
Lindsay Lohan was a vision during the Freakier Friday press tour. A particular standout was this custom Ludovic de Saint Sernin dress, which was actually a reimagining of the purple dress her character wears at the end of the original Freaky Friday.
Hailey Bieber
Proof that the bandage dress wasn't just for the '00s! Attending the 2025 Fashion Trust U.S Awards, Hailey Bieber wore a mauve/aubergine Saint Laurent dress with criss-crossing layers, cutouts, and a dropped waist, bringing the classic dress into the modern day.
Oprah
Perhaps not surprisingly, many stars wore purple to the premiere of The Color Purple. Oprah apparently made it her mission to wear as much purple as possible because of its meaning for her life and the movie; this was a custom jersey gown by Dolce & Gabbana.
Salma Hayek
Attending the "Fire & Ice Ball" in 1998, Salma Hayek was '90s perfection. It was all there: the spaghetti strap dress, the off-the-shoulder matching throw, the strappy heel, the sparkles everywhere—and let's not forget the matching lavender eyeshadow.
Cynthia Erivo
Cynthia Erivo has more colorful style than most starlets, so she was bound to have a spot on this list. Here at the 2020 Vanity Fair Oscar Party, her two-toned Versace in complementary lavender and teal was a magnificent choice for the Oscar nominee.
Zoe Saldana
Attending the 2010 Academy Awards, Zoe Saldaña graced us with a gorgeous ombre Givenchy gown that started out a muted champagne color and ended in a purple so dark that it was almost black. It was not uncontroversial (as in, not everyone loved it), but the details were gorgeous.
Lady Gaga
Leave it to Lady Gaga to attend the London premiere of House of Gucci in a flowing purple outfit that made her resemble an exotic bird. This was, naturally, Gucci, and Gaga did the most in terms of posing, including dramatically throwing tendrils of fabric up in the air.
Natalie Portman
At the 2011 Academy Awards, a pregnant Natalie Portman wore a plum-colored Rodarte gown. She accepted the Best Actress award for Black Swan in the pretty dress (the designer also worked on the film's costumes), and Portman looked stylish as well as comfortable.
Taylor Swift
Who says a power suit has to be black? Swift was attending her own All Too Well premiere in a maroon suit from Etro with contrasting black lapels. With its sharp tailoring and shoulder pads, the whole look was very "businesswoman but also tremendously stylish."
Chloe Sevigny
Chloe Sevigny arrived at the 2010 Golden Globes wearing a silver lilac gown by Valentino—looking magnificent, by the way, and extra chic thanks to her personal umbrella-bearer. Also, it's a testament to the designer that the gown looked stunning even with water droplets on it.
Kerry Washington
There were a lot of florals happening at the 2024 Met Gala, thanks to the theme "Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion." But few people looked more chic than Kerry Washington, whose royal purple Oscar de la Renta gown was festooned with fake flowers.
Olivia Rodrigo
Attending the 2022 Met Gala ("In America: An Anthology of Fashion"), Olivia Rodrigo was a modernized icon of the Gilded Age in a sparkling lavender Versace gown: complete with sheer opera gloves and butterfly hair accessories to honor her other favorite decade (the '90s).
Rihanna
At the 2020 NAACP Image Awards, Rihanna was a vision in this architectural Givenchy gown from their Spring/Summer 2020 collection. No surprise, but the gown immediately drew comparisons to royalty, especially since she was being honored with the President's Award.
Iman
Iman looked like a glimmering, shimmering purple gemstone while attending the American Ballet Theatre 2009 Fall Gala. This wine-colored Donna Karan gown was an absolute standout, and the top model matched her lipstick to the dress in an amazing way.
Andra Day
Purple at The Color Purple! Andra Day went all in on the theming with this floral Rahul Mishra dress. This won't be the last time you'll see the designer on this list, but Day really upped the ante with matching purple tights and sparkly purple shoes.
Pamela Anderson
Pamela Anderson's modern-day red carpet appearances have been a thing of beauty. Here, at the London premiere of The Naked Gun, her orchid Rodarte looked timeless and classic, with a bit of crossover detailing at the bust. No need for any fancy accessories with a dress like this!
Uma Thurman
Considered to be one of Uma Thurman's best red carpet gowns of all time, this purple satin Versace gown was a perfect pick for the 2004 Golden Globes. This very nearly looks periwinkle, which (when combined with the delicate fabric) seemed intensely ethereal.
Eva Longoria
At the 2008 Met Gala ("Superheroes: Fashion and Fantasy"), Eva Longoria stunned in deep purple Marchesa. Celebrities didn't dress to the theme as often back in the '00s, but this was one a few dresses that looked like it was about to sprout wings...in an amazing way.
Zendaya
Looking like an actual sculpture, Zendaya attended the Dune photocall in Paris with a daring two-piece gown consisting of an ultra-cropped top and skirt from Alaïa’s spring 2022 collection. No surprise, but the look went viral. "She's a grown woman," Law Roach noted on Instagram.
Mila Kunis
One of Mila Kunis' most notable red carpet gowns of all time, she was attending the 2011 Oscars in this lacy lavender Elie Saab dress. It regularly makes the list of best Oscars gowns ever: it was so delicate and layered, yet so daring with the neckline and cutouts.
Niecy Nash
Attending the 2023 Golden Globes with wife Jessica Betts (looking divine in a black suit), Niecy Nash stepped out in a plum purple Dolce & Gabbana gown and cape. It was tailored to perfection, and she snarked delightfully, "I brought my own golden globes, just in case."
Selena Gomez
In 2023, Selena Gomez attended the Inaugural Rare Impact Fund Benefit Supporting Youth Mental Health in a gorgeous Rahul Mishra gown. While other starlets styled the dress with matching purple accessories, Gomez went simple with light purple strappy shoes.
Lucy Liu
At the 2007 Met Gala (theme: "Poiret: The King Of Fashion"), Lucy Liu wore a purple Zac Posen gown with some Art Deco detailing that was reminiscent of Poiret's designs. That golden tiara and matching gold bracelet were the perfect finishing touch.
Danielle Brooks
There were many purple looks at The Color Purple premiere, but Danielle Brooks stole the show. This was designed by Lebanese fashion designer Nicolas Jebran and Brooks said of the look, “The look is just really ‘regal goddess’—that is what I am going for."
Claudia Schiffer
At the 1995 Oscars, Claudia Schiffer was glorious in lavender Versace. As a sweet little detail, she carried a matching sweater in her right hand (just in case she got cold! And in some photos, she actually had it on, showing just how casual the red carpet used to be).
Jennifer Lopez
This was still relatively early in J Lo's career, but she started making fashion waves almost immediately. This color-blocked gown at the 1998 Golden Globes was peak '90s fashion—if you grew up in this era, this is probably one of the most recognizable lavender gowns of all time.
Princess Diana
The best to ever do it! Princess Diana wore a Versace gown and matching Jimmy Choo shoes at a 1996 gala dinner in Chicago. Lending new credence to the term "royal purple," she was channeling her expert sense of style and leaning in on self-expression post-divorce. Perfect.
