Our weekly look at the stunningly beautiful and beautifully ugly celebrity ensembles that set the group chat alight - mostly from the really, really good red carpet at the Academy Museum Gala.

Best grey

Unfortunately it’s too late for me to become a popstar but if I was one I’d want to be like Caroline Polachek. Her voice is a finely tuned instrument she can warp and mould to deliver high voltage emotion while sounding like an angel incarnate. Her music’s weird and unique and reimagines what pop can be. Her dress sense is the same – she always looks cool in an interesting way.

This outfit's a case in point. There’s a lot going on – the on trend bubble skirt layered over pants, the pants tucked into boots giving classy pirate – but the full grey keeps it all cohesive. Top points to the cap and slouchy bag that keep things chill. It’s all great, but maybe the thing I like most about Caroline is that she’s 38, launched her solo project at 34, and, as she said an interview once, “I think women are taught in the music industry that once you’re 35, you’ve expired, and I’m here to prove that factually incorrect.” Hey, maybe there’s time for me yet. – Georgie Wright 

Best hair (also: best in brown)

One of my hair icons, Kirsten Dunst also has a fantastically chic and playful style – and her elegant Gucci ensemble for the Academy Museum Gala was my favourite amongst the many, many stand out looks. I haven’t been the biggest fan of Gucci’s collections or celebrity dressing recently, and I’m obviously not the only one; revenue at the luxury brand fell 25% in the most recent quarter. But Kirsten’s brown draped and caped gown has proven me wrong. What you can’t really see in this photo is the bamboo clasp at the shoulder, matched with the bamboo style bracelet sitting at the elbow. Also, friendly reminder: Kirsten Dunst has always been great! – ZWA

Best volume

I’m also not a fan of Louis Vuitton’s celebrity dressing but wow, they had a really good night at the Academy Museum Gala with some of the best looks on the red carpet, from Saoirse Ronan to Da’Vine Joy Randolph to 2/3 of the Haim sisters. There was a structured consistency through all of the outfits that the brand created, but I couldn’t look past Hannah Einbinder’s steel grey strapless bubble dress that’s giving 80s Sci-Fi prom. It’s weird and interesting; both super serious and fun. Her fuck ass bob completes the look. – Zoe Walker Ahwa

Best of my best

Okay I came here to say ‘I’m usually not a fan of Louis Vuitton’s celebrity dressing but…’ only to see Zoe has beaten me to that wholly original thought. LV designer Nicolas Ghesquière had an absolute slay of a night. And while I agree with Zoe on the above, for me it was Da’Vine Joy Randolph who was the stand out. Da’Vine, the reigning best supporting actress, is one of the most exciting fashion girlies on the red carpet imo. The press run she did leading into the Oscars was utterly exquisite. If you’ve been sleeping on her I suggest you peep her Instagram which is basically a greatest hits compilation.

Da’Vine works with stylists Wayman and Micah, who have a superstar roster of the best dressed elite including perennial faves Jodie Turner Smith and Colman Domingo. Anyway back to Da’Vine at the Academy Museum Gala, it’s giving volume yet structure, elegance yet drama, shape yet comfort. It’s utterly breathtaking. I bow down. – Rebecca Wadey

Best tiny things

Paul Mescal might be starring in one of the biggest movies of the year, but on the style front, he’s leaning small. His short shorts have notoriously launched thousands of reposted pap shots and millions of parasocial crushes. Now he’s accessorising with a tiny watch and a tiny pin and a ring on his tiniest finger. And while he does look great at the Academy Museum Gala in all his cute little accessories, we all know this inclusion on the best-dressed list is just an excuse to post a picture of him looking fit. I may or may not have shown this picture to my boyfriend and said he should get this haircut (he said no). – GW

Best star that Ensemble would love to hang out with

When our friend Amber D shared a Reel of the makeup she’d done for actor Rachel Sennott for the Academy Museum Gala, one of the many Instagram group chats I’m in went off. We love her! She is chaotic, creative and whip-smart, and seems like a fucking blast. Also, this entire look including the cartoon-ish puffy yellow Jean Paul Gaultier gown, was gorgeous.

Random offshoot rant: The dress is vintage Gaultier from 1995, and I love it. But I’m getting a little bored by the competitive ‘what obscure vintage can my stylist pull’ trend that’s happening on the red carpet right now (at the same gala, Kylie Jenner wore 1998 Mugler, Kaia Gerber wore 1997 Givenchy, Rooney Mara wore 1996 Givenchy, Kim Kardashian wore vintage Mugler). To be clear: I LOVE vintage and the way this encourages rewearing, but the love and messaging of vintage doesn’t seem genuine from some stars. It’s also a trickle down from the star power of Zendaya and stylist Law Roach, who are truly respectful in their celebration of archival fashion. Also: she buys the pieces. – ZWA

Best glasual

Until we covered the Arts Laureates party last week, ‘glasual’ was a term I’d never considered in the fashion lexicon. But here we are with a reminder that this is Julia’s world and we are (happily) living it. I’m also happy she has another film coming out, because a Julia Fox press tour is like no other. I’m not holding out a tremendous amount of hope for the movie, The Trainer, about a ‘down and out fitness expert’ which has the most random cast of all time including Paris Hilton, Bella Thorne, Gina Gershon, Lenny Kravitz, Stephen Dorff and John McEnroe (my fave podcast Who? Weekly when talking about it said you can have some great ingredients but still have an awful tasting soup). Anyway as per Julia form, this ‘adidas but make it red carpet worthy’ look is utterly brilliant (it’s from designer Willy Chavarria’s collab with the sports giant). It reminds me of the Kate Sylvester summer 2000 ‘fight’ collection which I worked on, own lots of and remains a fave. Does that make me aligned with Julia? Fingers crossed. – RW