The Most Expensive Red Carpet Looks
Walking the red carpet has to be one of the best parts of being a celebrity. Beauty and hair experts spend the day making you beautiful. Fashion experts dress you in some of the most expensive clothing ever made, and then jewelry designers accent everything with precious stones.
Sometimes all the glitz and glamour comes with an enormous price tag. Scroll through our list to see 20 incredibly expensive looks Hollywood's elite have worn while strolling awards-show red carpets.
20. Anne Hathaway — 2011 Oscars
Estimated worth of her look: $80,000
American sweetheart Anne Hathaway stole the show at the 2011 Oscars ceremony and award show. She was a nominee and a host, and she’s on this list twice — once for her dress and once for her jewels.
Hathaway enlisted the help of celebrity stylist Rachel Zoe for the big night, and the expert did not disappoint. The actress ended up wearing eight different dresses throughout the night, but the most noted one was the gown she chose to wear on the red carpet.
19. Cate Blanchett — 2014 Oscars
Estimated worth of her look: $100,000
Cate Blanchett has won three Oscars and has been nominated for another four. She always dresses for the occasion when she attends the award show.
In 2014, she won the Best Actress Oscar for “Blue Jasmine.” That night she wore an Armani Privé gown that was reported to be worth $100,000. Scroll down to see the other time Blanchett made the list in a dress that was worth twice as much as the Armani Privé gown.
18. Charlize Theron — 2013 Oscars
Estimated worth of her look: $100,000
South African superstar Charlize Theron has undergone some severe makeunders for roles but is always glam for the red carpet.
At the 2013 Oscars, she joined Dustin Hoffman onstage to present. For the event (and the red carpet earlier that evening), Theron sported a white Dior gown that was noteworthy for its deep-V bodice, floor-sweeping train and embellished peplum.
17. Kate Winslet — 2007 Oscars
Estimated worth of her look: $100,000
Not everyone can pull off mint-green, but Kate Winslet looked stunning in the dress her daughter picked out.
"One day maybe she'll borrow this and play dress-up in it," the actress told reporters.
Winslet wore it to the 2007 Oscars when she was nominated for her role in “Little Children.” She's been nominated seven times, but only took the Oscar home once. That's nearly double the nominations her “Titanic” costar Leonardo DiCaprio has received.
16. Lupita Nyong'o — 2015 Oscars
Estimated worth of her look: $150,000
Lupita Nyong'o had just won an Oscar the year before for her role in “12 Years a Slave.” But she still came to the 2015 awards show dressed to impress.
The actress wore a Calvin Klein gown made of 6,000 pearls. She called the dress "a timeless and priceless piece of art."
The dress was priced at $150,000, which led some thieves to steal it the night after the ceremony. About a week later, they returned it upon realizing the pearls were fake.
15. Elizabeth Taylor — 1970 Oscars
Estimated worth of her look: $167,500
Elizabeth Taylor was known for her timeless beauty and wore countless gowns on the red carpet over the years. But one made the list for its expensive price tag.
At the 1970 Oscars ceremony, Taylor wore a low-cut periwinkle chiffon gown to present the award for Best Picture. The actress told reporters it was one of her favorites from her fashionable career.
The gown, by Edith Head, was auctioned off in 1999. The creators of Barbie, Mattel, paid $167,000 for it.
14. Cate Blanchett — 2007 Oscars
Estimated worth of her look: $200,000
In her career and on the red carpet, Cate Blanchett always tries new and exciting concepts.
At the 2007 Oscars ceremony, Blanchett was up for an award for her role in “Notes on a Scandal.” While she didn't take the trophy home that night, she certainly turned heads in her gunmetal Armani Privé gown. The one-shoulder dress was covered in Swarovski crystals.
13. Heidi Klum — 2014 Golden Globes
Estimated worth of her look: $1 million+
Heidi Klum surely looks good in anything, except for maybe her intense Halloween costumes.
But the supermodel gets the slot here for the jewels she wore on the red carpet for the 2014 Golden Globes. Klum wore a 200-carat necklace made of black diamonds that had a 10-carat center diamond that was worth $1 million on its own. She also wore black diamond earrings and a black diamond ring to round out the look.
Celebrity jewelry designer Lorraine Schwartz made all of the pieces.
12. Nicole Kidman — 1997 Oscars
Estimated worth of her look: $2 million
Sometimes the dresses are expensive, and other times actresses are paid an enormous amount to wear a beautiful gown. What a life they live.
For the 1997 Oscars, Nicole Kidman attended with her then-husband Tom Cruise, who was nominated for his role in “Jerry Maguire.” But actors rarely make the news for their outfits since they're almost exclusively black tuxedos.
The Australian actress was allegedly paid $2 million to wear the chartreuse Dior gown that had embroidery by John Galliano.
"John made it for me, and I love it," Kidman said.
11. Jennifer Lawrence — 2014 Golden Globes
Estimated worth of her look: $2.5 million
Jennifer Lawrence has picked up three Golden Globes, and the jewels she wore for 2014 for the awards show were incredibly noteworthy.
She was nominated (and won) that year for her role in “American Hustle.” On the red carpet, she sported some stunning pieces from celebrity jewelry designer Neil Lane.
Lane dressed Lawrence in black and white art deco pieces, including chandelier earrings that were made of diamonds, jades, coral and platinum. She also had four white and black diamond bracelets on.
Just her accessories came in at $2.5 million.
10. Giuliana Rancic — 2014 Golden Globes
Estimated worth of her look: $3 million
Giuliana Rancic is probably the most beloved interviewer on the red carpet, and that comes with some serious perks.
While hosting E!'s pre-show coverage during the 2014 Golden Globes, Rancic wore 10-carat diamond stud earrings and a 14.58-carat diamond ring.
The Forevermark accessory was worth $3 million on its own.
9. Reese Witherspoon — 2014 Golden Globes
Estimated worth of her look: $3.7 million
Reese Witherspoon has been in countless romantic comedies, but also snagged an Oscar for her role in “Walk the Line.” Not to mention, she runs a retail company and a production company, and she has her own book club. To say she can do it all would be an understatement.
To the 2014 Golden Globes, the star wore a T-strap, which landed her on various best-dressed lists. But perhaps more stunning were the Harry Winston jewels she donned that evening.
The 10-carat emerald-cut diamond ring, three stacked diamond line bracelets and 4-carat stud earrings came in at a cool $3.7 million.
8. Jennifer Lawrence — 2013 Oscars
Estimated worth of her look: $4 million
There are so many ways a gorgeous gown can rack up its worth, but this particular moment involving Jennifer Lawrence and her dress was highly relatable for us clumsy folks at home.
It was 2013, and the actress had just won the Best Actress Oscar for “Silver Linings Playbook.” She wore a stunning Dior gown that was expensive in its own right. But then the actress tripped while going up the stairs to collect her award and the increased airtime — and the viral sensation it created — increased its worth.
The average price of a 30-second ad spot during the 2013 Oscars was $1.65 million. Lawrence's fall turned into "more than 75 seconds of solo camera time," which turned into $4 million in ad time, Reuters reported.
7. Jennifer Lopez — 2011 Golden Globes
Estimated worth of her look: $5 million
In addition to never aging, Jennifer Lopez is an expert at looking fabulous on the red carpet. Take the 2011 Golden Globes, for example.
Lopez looked stunning in her Zuhair Murad gown, but her accessories stole the show. From Harry Winston, the music superstar wore a diamond paisley timepiece cuff that had more than 600 diamonds on it. She also had a diamond cluster brooch in her hair and a diamond suspension ring with a 7-carat emerald-cut stone. And on her ears, Lopez wore diamond cluster earrings.
The total estimate for the jewels: $5 million.
6. Jessica Alba — 2013 Golden Globes
Estimated worth of her look: $5.8 million
Who isn't a fan of Harry Winston? Jessica Alba certainly is. For the 2013 Golden Globes, the actress borrowed some accessories from the Mrs. Winston for Harry Winston collection.
She wore a $5.8 million diamond necklace, platinum and round diamond stud earrings, and a platinum and pear-shaped diamond cluster ring.
"I felt glamorous," Alba said. We'd hope so.
5. Nicole Kidman — 2008 Oscars
Estimated worth of her look: $7 million
Nicole Kidman has worn countless iconic dresses and gowns in her day. But sometimes a lady wants to sparkle, which was the case at the 2008 Academy Awards.
Kidman wore a little black dress and let the jewels take center stage. She wore a $7 million necklace that had more than 7,500 diamonds and was about 1,400 carats. It supposedly took 6,200 hours to create the unique piece.
L'Wren Scott created it just for Kidman.
4. Sofia Vergara — 2013 Emmys
Estimated worth of her look: $7 million
Sofia Vergara is beloved for her role in “Modern Family,” but she's also known for having a fantastic figure. Vera Wang highlighted it in a mermaid gown for the 2013 Emmys.
The actress made headlines for her accessories that night, too. Celebrity jeweler Lorraine Schwartz provided some serious shine with a 21-carat Asscher-cut diamond ring; ruby, sapphire and Colombian emerald earrings; and a 40-carat Colombian emerald and rose-cut diamond ring.
3. Amy Adams — 2014 Golden Globes
Estimated worth of her look: $8 million
Amy Adams was dripping in diamonds when she accepted the Best Actress award for role in “American Hustle.”
Lorraine Schwart provided the accessories for the actress at the 2014 Golden Globes ceremony. Adams wore a 30-carat Asscher-cut diamond pendant alongside a 12-carat rose-cut diamond ring. She also added 10-carat diamond earrings mounted in yellow gold to the look.
Adams' red chiffon Valentino Haute Couture gown perfectly highlighted the jewels.
2. Anne Hathaway — 2011 Oscars
Estimated worth of her look: $10 million
We told you Anne Hathaway would be back on the list. Her red Valentino ensemble for her 2011 Oscars co-hosting gig with James Franco was worth $80,000, but her accessories were in a league of their own.
Hathaway wore a Tiffany & Co. Lucida Star diamond necklace with an estimated weight of 94 carats.
The necklace was estimated to cost $10 million.
1. Carrie Underwood — 2013 Grammys
Estimated worth of her look: $31 million
Carrie Underwood might be the most beloved country superstar. She’s known for her powerful vocals and sincere kindness, and it's understandable that the fashion world would want to dress her for the red carpet.
For the 2013 Grammys, Underwood wore $31 million in jewels. Among the pieces she wore for the music awards show was a necklace from Johnathan Arndt that was made up of 381 carats of oval, pear, marquis and round brilliant white diamonds.
"It was worth more than me," the singer joked.
