Our weekly look at the stunningly beautiful and beautifully ugly celebrity ensembles that set the group chat alight.

Best classic chic

Mikey Madison is emerging as fashion’s latest It girl; the fact she isn’t (publicly) on social media only adding to her mystique. We have to live vicariously through her stylist Jamie Mizrahi. Everyone’s anticipating she’ll be nominated for an Academy Award for her role in Anora, and I desperately want her to be as I imagine she’ll be so fun to watch dress through award season. Here she’s pictured subtly campaigning at the Governors Ball, dressed in classically perfect custom Prada. 

Anora is one of the buzziest titles of this year and while it’s not out in Aotearoa until December 26, Ensemble is ecstatic to be playing exclusive preview screenings in Auckland and Wellington on December 4 (you can win tickets here!). – Rebecca Wadey

Best party dress

One of my favourite fashion writers, Rachel Tashjian, shared this photo of Rosamund Pike wearing a sparkly Erdem dress with a comment along the lines of ‘Erdem is actually a cool brand’ – a sentiment I agree with! The London-based brand has maybe become a bit Kate Middleton coded (she wears it regularly), but I’ve always been a fan of its literary, dark femininity – and the brand’s London store interior is how I would want my dream house decorated. I’d also wear the hell out of this embellished full-skirted party dress, styled by another of my fashion favourites, Leith Clark. – Zoe Walker Ahwa

Best movie star

As a gal with Raynaud’s disease whose hands often resemble a dead person’s, I have a mild obsession with gloves. And while these sheer ones probably don’t provide much warming capacity, god are they glamourous. Danielle Deadwyler, who's been pulling together some looks capital L with her stylists Wayman + Micah, is bringing old Hollywood glamour into the new age. Zoe’s often talked about how the best celebrity style is when they wear the dress, not the other way round, and on the wrong person the silver detailing on this Schiaparelli FW24 Couture dress could be giving Christmas bauble. But on Danielle it just fits like a, well, glove.

Sidenote: this custom Prada dress is just as good (alas I only had room for one). The crystal chains that hang beyond the hem are a perfect detail. – GW

Best frothy cape

I woke up to a DM from my bestie who lives in LA about this. We only ever share very special outfits with each other so I knew I was in for a goodie. Stylist Samantha McMillen and Elle are always a reliable combo and this Valentino cape and gown from Alessandro Michele (who I adored at Gucci) feels both modern and timeless with its frothy trim, heavy adornments and vintage nightgown vibe. I’m also obsessed with the incredible Cartier necklace she’s wearing. I spent time at Partridge Jewellers earlier this week trying on jewels to celebrate their 160 years in business; I feel like I recognise the expression of bliss on her face with that hanging around her neck and dripping in her favourite designer. – RW

Best vintage (?)

Is something from 2013 vintage? Not really, but I am quite into the trend of celebrities, or their stylists, diving into recent late-2000s ‘archives’ rather than simply relying on the cool of the 90s – think of Addison Rae wearing 2013 Alberta Ferretti. This fantastic look on Saoirse Ronan is from the same year: Phoebe Philo’s Fall 2013 collection for Celine, one of the designer’s best featuring this iconic print based on those plastic check bags everyone has in their cupboards. Saoirse’s had some strong outfits lately with her stylist Danielle Goldberg, like this blue strapless dress with fringing by Louis Vuitton and this also strapless dress by The Row that kind of looks like a paper bag (that she totally pulls off). – ZWA

Best suit

I’ve waxed lyrical about Caroline Polachek and her style before, and this Alexander McQueen is another example of why. Like the last look I wrote about, she’s nailing the monochrome look with a fun skirt over pant combo. But where that one was giving comfy chic, this one’s giving more structure than high rise – from the blunt bangs to the angular platform heels (though it's perfectly balanced by the ruffles and draped skirt).

We also need to talk about how said heels are one step away from the fated Jeffrey Campbell Litas that every high school girlie in the noughties would’ve given an organ for (2025 comeback perhaps?). But the real star of the outfit is the bit that doesn’t exist – a slice across the chest bordered in the aforementioned ruffles. As the saying goes, absence makes the ‘fit grow stronger. – GW

Best symbolism

“We’re not shrinking. Ever,” declared stylist Karla Welch when she posted a photo of Eve Hewson stunning in Simone Rocha at the Bad Sisters premiere, followed by another slide of Chinese runner Li Meizhen who unexpectedly got her period in the middle of a marathon, finishing the race with blood dripping down her leg. (Karla founded The Period Company which makes affordable and top-rated period undies). 

This midriff bearing Simone Rocha gown looks sooooo good on the nepo-baby turned star (she’s utterly dazzling to watch, and I love the way she wears clothes; collabing with Karla was a smart early career move) but given the caption, the context and the floral tribute over her girly bits in this post-US election world, it takes on a whole new meaning for me. – RW

Best retired nun

I have the film poster for Pam Anderson in the seminal film Barbed Wire on my wall at home (don’t call me babe!!!), and obviously she looks great. But she also looks great in her new makeup free iteration. I saw this outfit and thought it was such a refreshing change from all the fancy gowns (love them though I do). All the comments on this post are along the lines of ‘she looks like she just rolled out of bed’ and ‘retired nun’, which were meant to be insults, but are actually very strong vibes. She looks cool and comfortable and, in the red carpet context, more unique than the most extra dress could ever. This is how I want to dress when I’m older. And now, tbh.  – GW

Best man

It was the GQ Men of the Year party, and while Polachek won best suit, let's include a man shall we, just for fun. I loved Harris Dickinson looking all cute and nerdy, but I also love Jeremy O. Harris looking all cute and nerdy. The wig, the pinstripe (from check obsessed Burberry, no less), the man. – GW