The 2025 BAFTA looks were a tale of two halves

TheIndustry.fashion unravels the main trends from the 78th British Academy Film Awards.

Actors including Gwendoline Christie, Jeff Goldblum and Cynthia Erivo were among the throngs of Hollywood's great and good to grace London's Royal Festival Hall on Sunday night for the 2025 BAFTAs.

Edward Berger's Conclave was particularly successful, winning Best Film and Outstanding British Film, among others. The Brutalist, directed by Brady Corbet, also won big, taking home awards including Best Director and Best Original Score, with lead Adrien Brody bagging Best Actor.

This year, the BAFTAs red carpet saw a greater than usual disparity between minimalist and maximalist looks. Stars such as Saiorse Ronan, Pamela Anderson and Mikey Madison opted for pared back looks, whilst Demi Moore, David Tennant and Colman Domingo favoured the bold.

Within these two factions, however, there were noticeable sub-trends, such as the popularity of full black or white looks, as well as a penchant for extreme embellishments and pops of colour.

Black

All! Black! Everything! Just like at this year's Grammy Awards, many stars opted for entirely black looks.

Game of Thrones and Star Wars star Gwendoline Christie wore a dramatic black satin gown with exaggerated shoulder pads, deconstructed sleeves alongside long-flowing hair extensions adorned with black bows.

The 46-year-old actor stayed true to her gothic style in the custom high ruche-necked silk dress by her husband, Giles Deacon, transitioning from another all-black Chanel look from the pre-Bafta party.

The Blessed Madonna

Love Island's Molly-Mae Hague, whose Molly Mae: Behind It All documentary aired in January, wore a plunging black blazer and maxi skirt from Stockholm-based designer Arakii. The 25-year-old adorned the lapel with a silver broach and finished the look with her signature slicked-back bun.

American DJ The Blessed Madonna wore platform Dr Marten Oxford shoes with yellow laces, a black and gold hooded cape with a black fan painted with the words ‘This Machine Kills Fascists’.

Also opting for all black looks were Anna Kendrick, James McAvoy and Zoe Saldana.

White

Many guests plumped for white gowns, often completed with a complimenting shawl or wrap.

Wicked star Cynthia Erivo channelled old Hollywood glamour in a strapless ivory lace Louis Vuitton gown with a tall, structured bodice and 1940s-style white, cage effect leather pumps.

Cynthia Erivo in Louis Vuitton

A makeup-free Pamela Anderson leaned further into the minimalist aesthetic that has underpinned her style in recent years, wearing in a white off-the-shoulder Jacquemus gown with a flowing train.

Mikey Madison followed Erivo and Anderson's lead, steering clear of a big show in a strapless white Prada column dress with a satin white shawl.

The Anora star channelled old Hollywood glamour with her shiny loose waves and pared-back silver jewellery.

Mikey Madison in Prada

Heavy embellishments

All that glitters certainly was not gold on Saturday's red carpet. Demi Moore, nominated for Best Actress for her role in The Substance, wore a fully embellished, custom McQueen glimmering stain-glass gown with matching clutch.

Demi Moore in McQueen

A Complete Unknown’s Monica Barbaro wore a pale salmon-hued mermaid sequin-scalloped tight-fitting gown by Giorgio Armani Privé with white satin heels and diamond stud earrings.

The Brutalist actor Stacy Martin also opted for head-to-toe sequins, wearing a mint coloured peplum gown with pale blue and white floral embellishments.

Pops of colour

Enlivening their otherwise all-black ensembles, many celebrities opted for hints of colour.

Host David Tennant had his own host of outfits. The first being an entirely black gothic-inspired look by Joshua Kane that featured longline jacket with crystal embroidery on the lapels, hem, shirt and oversized bow tie.

David Tennant in Joshua Kane

Colman Domingo showcased a rugged leather look in Versace with matching black leather studded biked gloves. His satin shirt and the lining of his longline leather blazer were both made using Versace's iconic gold baroque pattern fabric.

Colman Domingo in Versace

Jeff Goldblum, who gave a special performance for the 'In Memoriam' section of the show, went for classic sartorial elegance with a twist, in a black morning suit and white tie by Loewe. The three-piece ensemble featured a waistcoat entirely adorned with petrol green feathers.