STYLE EVOLUTION

How Brie Larson Grew Into Her Oscar-Worthy Style on the Red Carpet

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PARIS, FRANCE - JULY 09: Actress Brie Larson attends Marvel Avengers Campus opening ceremony at Disn...
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Today, Brie Larson may have a slate of designers on her speed dial, ready to dress her in Chanel couture and custom Rodarte at the drop of a hat, but that hasn’t always been the case. When she first entered the public eye, Larson was a child star with a wardrobe to match (jean mini-skirts, sequined tank tops, you know the drill). Over the years, though, as the actress mastered her craft, attending more and more red carpets as a result, she was able to find her footing in the world of style as well. These days, Larson enjoys mixing things up between sleek simplicity and an over-abundance of glittering appliqués. Of course, that means, you never know what you’re going to get when she steps out for a premiere or an award show. So, as we wait to see what she delivers on the next red carpet, let’s take a look back at the Oscar winner’s style evolution, to see how drastically things have changed over the past 20 years.

2023: Cannes Film Festival, Closing Ceremony
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Larson brought many Chanel looks with her to wear throughout her time as a jury member at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival, but the floral white dress from the brand’s spring 2023 haute couture she wore to the festival’s closing ceremony was no doubt her best of the week.

2023: Fast X Premiere
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It might be surprising to hear that this sleek, simple dress is actually vintage Versace from the ’90s, sourced from Shrimpton Couture.

2023: Daily Front Row’s Fashion Los Angeles Awards
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Larson wore a Rodarte dress featuring a red sequin and lace bodice to present the Designers of the Year award to Kate and Laura Mulleavy at the 2023 Daily Front Row awards.

2022: Growing Up Premiere
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The actress wore a shimmering Valentino jumpsuit to celebrate the premiere of her docu-series Growing Up.

2022: Marvel Avengers Campus Opening Ceremony
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Larson really embraced the whole superhero thing when she paired a look from Oscar de la Renta’s fall 2022 collection with a sequin-covered cape hand embroidered by the brand’s creative director’s Laura Kim and Fernando Garcia specifically for the actress.

2020: Academy Awards
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You can take the girl out of a superhero movie, but you can never take the superhero out of the girl. Larson once again opted for a caped look at the 2020 Oscars, wearing a pale pink, shimmering dress from Celine to the awards.

2019: Toronto International Film Festival, Just Mercy Premiere
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Larson made a bold statement at the Toronto Film Festival premiere of her movie, Just Mercy, attending in a Giambattista Valli fall 2019 couture mini dress with an oversized bow and train trailing behind her.

2019: Avengers: Endgame Premiere
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The actress has the ability to switch between drama and effective simplicity with the drop of a hat, and at the premiere of the final Avengers movie, she opted to go with the latter, wearing a lavender Celine dress with a high slit.

2019: Captain Marvel Premiere
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Larson wore a gorgeous, custom Rodarte dress featuring a beaded star motif to the premiere of her film, Captain Marvel.

2019: Academy Awards
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The actress shined in a silver, high neck Celine dress at the 2019 Oscars.

2018: Avengers: Infinity War Premiere
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While Larson wasn’t walking down the aisle at the Avengers: Infinity War premiere, she still opted to wear a Carolina Herrera spring 2019 bridal dress to the event.

2018: Screen Actors Guild Awards
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Larson loves to mix up her looks with every red carpet, and for the 2018 SAG Awards, she returned to conspicuous sequins with the help of Gucci.

2017: The Glass Castle Premiere
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There’s an undeniably ethereal nature to Larson’s Monique Lhuillier resort 2018 tulle gown.

2017: “Rei Kawakubo/Comme des Garcons: Art Of The In-Between” Met Gala
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Long before she was an ambassador to the brand, Larson wore Chanel in the form of a metallic, embroidered pre-fall 2017 dress to the 2017 Met Gala.

2017: Kong: Skull Island Premiere
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This Oscar de la Renta fall 2017 dress mixes the best of both of Larson’s red carpet preferences. It has that shimmer she likes, while still maintaining a sleek simplicity.

2017: Academy Awards
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When Larson returned to the Oscars a year after winning the Best Actress award, she did so in a dramatic, black velvet Oscar de la Renta gown.

2016: “Manus x Machina: Fashion In An Age Of Technology” Met Gala
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Considering Larson’s love for metallics, she was likely delighted with the theme of the 2016 Met Gala, and she didn’t disappoint, attending the event in a silver sequined Proenza Schouler tea-length dress with a tiered skirt and side cut outs.

2016: Academy Awards
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Larson wore a blue Gucci dress with a ruffle-adorned skirt to accept her first-ever Oscar for her performance in Room.

2016: Screen Actors Guild Awards
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The actress wore a blue silk Atelier Versace spring/summer 2016 dress with a unique neckline and a whole lot of leg to the SAG Awards.

2016: Golden Globe Awards
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Considering Larson was a front runner for the Best Actress award (which she did end up taking home), it’s no surprise she dressed to match her trophy in a golden Calvin Klein dress with side cutouts.

2015: Governors Awards
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The red Calvin Klein Collection dress Larson wore to the 2015 Governors Awards is fairly reminiscent of the one Jennifer Lawrence wore to her first Oscar ceremony in 2011, albeit with a different neckline.

2015: Room Premiere
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Larson went fairly casual at the premiere for Room, attending the event in a sequined Rodarte spring 2016 dress.

2015: “China: Through The Looking Glass” Met Gala
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The actress embraced embellishment in a big way at the 2015 Met Gala, pairing her Dolce & Gabbana dress with a matching headband and earrings.

2015: Vanity Fair Oscar Party
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Larson doesn’t often opt for vampy glamour, but she decided to mix things up at the 2015 Vanity Fair party with the help of Dolce & Gabbana.

2014: The Gambler Premiere
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If this Rodarte fall 2014 dress was missing the Swarovski crystals on the skirt, it would be more of a style departure for Larson.

2014: CFDA Fashion Awards
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Years before she was cast as Captain Marvel, Larson was already manifesting the role by wearing a black and gold, star-covered Diane von Furstenberg fall 2014 dress to the CFDA Fashion Awards.

2014: “Charles James: Beyond Fashion” Met Gala
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Larson doesn’t normally wear pants on the red carpet, so this gold and blue embroidered paillette look was a fun mix-up for the actress.

2014: Vanity Fair Oscar Party
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While Larson loves a gown, she’s not afraid to play around with length, and at the 2014 Vanity Fair Oscar party, she thwarted a full-length dress for this embroidered Miu Miu spring 2014 design.

2012: MTV Movie Awards
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Larson was the epitome of twee at the 2012 MTV Movie Awards.

2012: 21 Jumpstreet Premiere
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Clearly, the actress was embracing the a-line mini skirt in a big way in 2012.

2011: Toronto International Film Festival, Rampart Premiere
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Larson paired an off-white, ruffled mini dress with a unique, top handle trunk-like purse.

2010: Scott Pilgrim vs The World Premiere
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The actress was all smiles at the premiere of the cult classic film, Scott Pilgrim vs The World, attending the event in a patterned t-shirt dress with a textured red skirt.

2010: Greenberg Premiere
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Clearly, Larson was still exploring her style in 2010, as it is hard to imagine the actress wearing this peasant-style dress today.

2009: United States of Tara Premiere
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Larson showed off a cropped hairstyle and red chiffon mini dress at the United States of Tara premiere in 2009.

2007: Los Angeles Film Festiva, The Beautiful Ordinary Premiere
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Stars, they’re just like us. They were not immune to the bandage dress in the mid-aughts either.

2004: Teen Choice Awards
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Like every great child star, Larson has a spate of hilariously-dated red carpet looks from the 2000s.

2004: Sleepover Premiere
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Larson showed off the open back of her admittedly modern top at the premiere of her film, Sleepover, in 2004.

2003: Sinbad: Legend Of The Seven Seas Premiere
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The actress opted for an adorable take on the Canadian tuxedo for the premiere of Sinbad: Legend Of The Seven Seas, pairing a patch-covered pleated mini skirt and blazer with pink accessories for the event.

2002: The Santa Clause 2 Premiere
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Larson dressed to the color scheme of the Christmas movie while attending its premiere in 2002.

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