Abs Were The Star Of The 2021 Oscars Red Carpet

After several virtual ceremonies this years, the 2021 Oscars wrapped what could be one of the most interesting awards season circuits to date. On the red carpet, celebrities and their stylists were excited to showcase glamour IRL once again, and a trend that happened to steal the show was an unexpected one: abs on full display, thanks to a slew of cutout dresses worn by Zendaya, Carey Mulligan, Vanessa Kirby, and Andra Day.

Zendaya, who joined the ceremony as a presenter, arrived on the red carpet in a bright canary yellow gown by Valentino (naturally, as she’s the newly named ambassador of the luxury fashion house). Her midriff-baring cutout came at a V-shaped point, while Mulligan’s own copper-sequined Valentino gown (haute couture, to be exact) was open across the middle of her stomach. Vanessa Kirby, dressed in a custom Gucci pale pink gown, showed a tiny sliver of her own abs and Andra Day’s Vera Wang Haute look, made entirely of liquid gold metal, boasted an angled cutout on her left side.

While the idea of cutouts, as well as with showing off one’s midriff, are nothing new in the fashion world, it’s still somewhat of a contemporary choice for an awards show. And after a full season of mostly virtual red carpets and at-home outfit debuts, it was refreshing to see one of spring’s up-and-coming trends make its way from the runway to the red carpet.

See all of the midriff-baring red carpet looks from the 2021 Oscars, below.