The entertainment calendar that surrounds the Academy Awards is as much about social rituals as it is about trophies. This year, Vanity Fair opened its Oscar week with Vanities: A Night for Young Hollywood at Bar Marmont, a lively prelude that gathered emerging names and familiar faces. The event served as a loose barometer of awards‑season energy—equal parts networking, fashion testing ground, and celebration. For readers tracking both style and celebrity movement, the evening offered a glimpse of what might translate to the big after parties that follow the ceremony.
Vanities acts as a compact, stylish appetizer before the main Vanity Fair Oscar Party, and it leaned into a relaxed, on‑the‑scene dress code. Guests were invited to riff on a Hollywood‑chic aesthetic—an informal guideline that produced everything from lived‑in leather to runway‑fresh eveningwear. Hosts for the night included Odessa A’Zion, Role Model, Tyriq Withers, and Kaia Gerber, while buzzy attendees ranged from Chase Infiniti and Dallas Liu to Jake Shane, creating a roster that emphasized the next wave of screen talent.
Vanities: young Hollywood kickoff
The atmosphere at Bar Marmont felt deliberately casual yet curated, a place where wardrobe experiments meet celebrity chatter. The party’s co‑hosts set the tone with divergent takes on the evening’s dress code: one voice favored a broken‑in leather jacket and jeans, another mixed outerwear with sequins, and a leading model kept things minimal with a classic little black dress. These variations underscored the event’s role as a style laboratory—a space where attendees try out looks that may later appear on larger red carpets.
Standout looks and style trends
Fashion highlights at Vanities balanced dark, understated silhouettes with bursts of color and texture. Kaia Gerber drew attention in a Givenchy ensemble by Sarah Burton that had recently appeared on the Paris runway, a reminder of how quickly prêt‑à‑porter can travel from catwalk to celebrity. Supriya Ganesh echoed the season’s affinity for refined simplicity in a sparkly little black dress by Patou, while Chase Infiniti punctuated the mostly monochrome landscape with a lavender Carolina Herrera look featuring a playful lettuce hem and peplum. Rowan Blanchard offered a bright counterpoint in pink, and Lux Pascal blended shadow and shimmer in a black Bode piece embroidered with red and purple sequins.
Men’s tailoring and the best‑dressed gents
On the menswear front, sharp tailoring and nostalgic silhouettes competed for attention. Tyriq Withers represented a standout moment in a suit from Pharrell Williams for Louis Vuitton, earning acclaim among attendees and photographers alike. Close contenders included Cameron Monaghan in Saint Laurent and Terrence O’Connor, who channeled a distinctly ’90s vibe in a gray double‑breasted jacket paired with black trousers. These choices illustrated two concurrent trends: a return to classic suiting and a willingness to blend modern cuts with retro references.
From pre‑party to the main stage: Vanity Fair’s Oscar night plans
While Vanities gathers young talent in intimate settings, the flagship Vanity Fair Oscar Party remains Hollywood’s canonical post‑Oscars celebration. For 2026, the magazine relocated the affair to the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, marking the 31st annual edition at a new cultural address. The move to LACMA signals an emphasis on artful staging and expansive programming that complements the ceremony itself, while the party continues to function as an industry gathering where nominees and stars converge after the Dolby Theatre festivities.
How to watch and what to expect
The 98th Academy Awards air at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT on Sunday, March 15, with Conan O’Brien returning as host. After the ceremony, Vanity Fair’s coverage shifts to its own broadcast: the magazine will stream the Vanity Fair Oscar Party on YouTube, with its after‑party livestream scheduled for Sunday, March 15 at 10:30 p.m. ET / 7:30 p.m. PT, hosted by Quenlin Blackwell, Jake Shane, and Brittany Broski. Oscar week itself includes many other marquee events—Dior’s Club J’adore, the Jay‑Z and Beyoncé Gold Party, and long‑standing private galas—so viewers can expect a cascade of red‑carpet reveals and late‑night celebrations as the industry marks its biggest night.
