Red carpet rebels: when an Oscar gown means so much more

A new book examines the cultural history and significance of the red carpet choices at the Oscars. Suzanne Harrington meets the author

L-R: Gabourey Sidibe, Bjork and the creators of South Park all served up unforgettable Oscar style

It’s the day of the Oscar nominations, and Esther Zuckerman is buzzed. The New York writer has been flat out all day, but manages to find time for a call to talk about her new book, Beyond The Best Dressed: A Cultural History of the Most Glamorous, Radical and Scandalous Oscar Fashion.

The book, which uses drawings rather than photographs to illustrate each of the featured outfits, looks at 23 Oscar winners from Mary Pickford in 1930 to Jenny Beavan in 2016, and writes about what makes their choice interesting beyond the usual blank glamour of red carpet costume. “If you look at Oscar style in a bubble, you’re missing the bigger picture,” she explains. “Gowns are often so much more than gowns.”