This is a unique year in the Oscars red carpet competition—not because of the nightmarish strike that lasted into the fall, but rather because the majority of best actress nominees (the most photographed people in attendance) do not have long-term contracts with big luxury brands. These deals allow the largest fashion houses—the ones with the ability to design, construct, and fit a custom dress—an opportunity to sneak into the fray and dine out on that exposure for a whole year and, sometimes, for decades. We still remember Nicole Kidman’s chartreuse Dior column, worn at the 1997 Oscars, and Gwyneth Paltrow’s crinkly pink princess pouf, designed by Ralph Lauren and worn in 1999.