Australian actress Nicole Kidman burst onto the scene and quickly went from Australian girl to Hollywood royalty in a matter of years. Over the years, as Nicole Kidman has graced our screens and brought incredible characters to life, she’s also cemented herself as a style icon.
From her 1997 chartreuse Dior dress to her red Balenciaga gown, Nicole is always one to watch at any red carpet occasion.
Here’s every time the actress has proven to be red carpet royalty.
01
Though Nicole Kidman’s 2003 win for Best Actress for her portrayal of Virginia Woolf in The Hours was a monumental career moment, the actress admits that in her personal life, she was at a low point.
Whilst Nicole was grinning in a black Jean Paul Gaultier gown and clutching her coveted Academy Award, she had recently just filed for divorce from then-husband, Tom Cruise all 11 years of marriage.
“I was struggling with things in my personal life, yet my professional life was going so well,” Nicole recalls to author Dave Karger in his upcoming book, 50 Oscar Nights (on sale Jan. 23), as per People.
According to the excerpt from the upcoming book, Nicole said that after accepting the award, she felt the urge to go home despite friends encouraging her to parade her newly-won Academy Award at the Vanity Fair after party.
“I said, ‘That just feels like gloating, and it doesn’t feel humble.’”
Nicole then says that she left the after party and ate takeaway in her hotel room where she had the revelation that she wanted to find love again.
“I need a love in my life. Because this is supposed to be when you go, ‘This is ours’… I went to bed alone.”
02
Nicole first met Tom Cruise on the set of Days of Thunder in 1990. After a year of dating, the two tied the knot on Christmas Eve in 1990.
“He basically swept me off my feet,” Kidman recalled in a Vanity Fair interview in 2002. “I fell madly, passionately in love. And as happens when you fall in love, my whole plan in terms of what I wanted for my life — I was like, ‘Forget it. This is it.’ I was consumed by it, willingly.”
03
For a red carpet appearance, Nicole looked vivacious in a tailored red blazer and matching skirt.
04
The actress once again opted for a tailored suit moment for another red carpet appearance, this time in blue.
05
In 1995, Nicole Kidman proved to be a perpetual style icon in yet another suit moment. Starring in Batman Forever as Dr. Chase Meridian alongside Val Kilmer and Tommy Lee Jones, the actress stepped out for a premiere in this stunning white blazer and mini skirt.
06
For the premiere of Tom Cruise’s 1994 flick, Interview with the Vampire, Nicole aptly channelled ’90s vamp with a smoky eye, dark lip and a black power suit.
07
In yet another utterly ’90s moment, Nicole poses in a sweet blue sundress and a Blossom-inspired straw hat.
08
Nicole Kidman was nailing the clean girl aesthetic long before TikTok. Here she is at the premiere of Mission Impossible in a boat neck top and white trousers.
09
Long before armchair fashion critics filled social media comment sections, we had Joan Rivers. Joan was an outspoken fashion critic who made Nicole Kidman’s chartreuse dress so famous that it has its very own Wikipedia page dedicated to it.
At the 1997 Oscars, Nicole sported one of her most daring looks to date for the Oscars red carpet – a chartreuse John Galliano-era Dior gown.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the outspoken fashion critic called Nicole over on the red carpet and allegedly said: “Nicole! Come tell me why you wore such an ugly colour!”
Whilst Joan wasn’t a fan, conversely, fashion magazine WWD put the dress on their front page and hailed John Galliano as the red carpet king.
10
For the 2004 Golden Globes, Nicole stepped out in this daring flapper-inspired look.
11
At the Rome Film Festival in 2006, Nicole channelled old Hollywood glamour in a champagne-coloured sequin dress.
12
Nicole’s jaw-dropping red Balenciaga dress she wore to the 2007 Oscars red carpet is certainly one of her most memorable.
14
In 2013, Nicole attended the Cannes Film Festival wearing a white vintage-inspired gown with intricate embroidery.
15
For the 2016 Met Gala, Nicole showed up wearing a stunning Alexander McQueen design which featured celestial motifs and a chiffon cape.
15
The 2023 Met Gala theme, Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty, saw celebrities dipping into the golden era of the Chanel archives. Nicole Kidman yet again proved herself a style icon when she reached back into the archives for her look, choosing to re-wear a pink feathered gown Karl had designed for her 2004 Chanel No. 5 commercial directed by Baz Luhrmann.
“To be able to wear the same thing 20 years later and it still holds…There’s whimsy to it,” Nicole told La La Anthony on the red carpet. “It’s a feather and it’s unbelievably comfortable, but it’s all handmade, it’s couture and that’s what it should be.”
15
On April 27th in Hollywood, Nicole was honoured with the AFI Life Achievement Award for her service to cinema. Looking every part of the movie star, the Australian actress wore a beautiful gold sequinned gown.
