Nicole Kidman’s Armani Privé Oscars Gown Is an Ode to “Quiet Elegance”

“Quiet elegance” is the way Nicole Kidman’s stylist, Julia von Boehm, describes the actor’s 2022 Oscars gown. The ensemble honors both the magnitude of the occasion (Kidman is nominated for Best Actress for the fourth time for her star turn in Being The Ricardos), yet still feels appropriate for the tumultuous time the world is going through right now.

Who better to fulfill that brief than Giorgio Armani, who has become a go-to designer for Kidman over the years. Nicole wore a custom Armani Privé light blue silk faille strapless bustier gown accented by a peplum skirt with an exaggerated bow and embellished train. “It derives from a very classic silhouette—it’s timeless,” von Boehm tells Vogue. “I think that’s what the Academy calls for, but also what the time calls for.”

Celebrating the hundreds of hours that went into the look was also crucial for Kidman and her team. “It honors the designer’s craftsmanship; the couture [design],” von Boehm continues, adding that the escapism that fashion can offer was also front of mind. “You can’t just strip it all [back] because that’s not what the world is. We all need a little bit of show business and glamour to keep dreaming and having hope [during] all of this—I think it’s very important. That’s what’s supposed to happen on the red carpet in my opinion.”