Behind the Scenes of Regina Hall’s Big Oscars Night Out
The host did the absolute most with eight outfit changes.
While there was no shortage of drama at the 2022 Oscars (TBH, we’re still recovering), far removed from the chaos that ensued onstage were the quiet heroes working scrupulously behind the scenes on the stars’ standout looks for the big night. As one-third of the hosts for the ceremony, Regina Hall served up no less than eight outfit changes, from a sandstone Vera Wang gown on the red carpet to a velvet catsuit with sequin detail by Canadian label Narces on the after-party circuit, both of which landed her among the best dressed of the evening.
The sartorial brigade was the brainwork of her stylist, Alison Edmond, who worked tirelessly—and quickly, sometimes in minutes—to bring Hall’s multiple looks to life after first meeting the actress on a shoot almost a year ago. “We were a natural fit immediately,” Edmond says. “She loves fashion and I love movies; I’ve been her stylist ever since.”
Here, Edmond gives ELLE.com an inside look at how she got Hall ready for the Oscars, and then some.
I’m not a red carpet stylist by training, having worked in magazines for over 20 years, so I tend to look at everything quite editorially and build a story around each look as if it were a magazine cover shoot: how the dress will move, how it will photograph, how it can best suit her body, and what statement she wants to say with it.
This photo was taken prior to entering the red carpet (hair by Shornell McNeal; makeup by Lewina David). Regina has amazing proportions, even though she is only 5’4”. I know her likes and dislikes and tried to incorporate those details into all the designs we worked on.
One of my first calls was to Vera. I have been a fan of hers for many years, and I knew she would understand what Regina and I wanted. She sent amazing sketches, and we ended up choosing two because they were just so great. She designed the coffee chiffon caped sleeved gown for the red carpet (pictured above), which was accessorized with Pomellato jewelry, a Tyler Ellis clutch, and Stuart Weitzman sandals; and she also created the beautiful structured white column gown for the opening of the actual show.
Vera Wang told me, “In complete contrast to her red carpet dress, Regina again chose to keep things minimal. However, this time, emphatically architectural and disciplined with a stark white palette. The sleeves make a strong design statement but create an edgier elongating silhouette.”
My next conversation was with Jason Wu, who has worked with Regina before. I was inspired by the design of a skirt from his spring/summer 2022 show, and we built the dress around this. It was in the most subtle lilac pink color, with ruffles on a corset base. As Regina is filming in New York at the moment, she did the fittings there while I Zoomed in from L.A. The whole process was very organic and collaborative, and the dress looked perfect the minute she put it on.
For the remaining show look—apart from her star turn as Tammy Faye—we commissioned an insanely cool black and white colorblock suit from L.A.-based designer Richfresh. He had three days to make this and he completely killed it.
Lastly, for the finale, the hosts wanted a quiet, cozy ending, so we went with classic silk pajamas by Olivia von Halle and shoes by Alexandre Birman.
But the evening isn’t over just because they announced who won Best Picture (yay team CODA!). Guests move from the auditorium over to the Governor’s Ball. As Regina obviously couldn’t stay in her PJs, we slipped her into a bright orange Celia Kritharioti couture gown with a pink flourish at the shoulder. Amazing jewelry by Vram, satin Jimmy Choo sandals, and a matching Tyler Ellis clutch accompanied the look.
Next, another wardrobe switch and onto the Vanity Fair party (and time to relax!). Both Regina and I are huge fans of Kirk [Pickersgill] and Stephen [Wong] at Greta Constantine, so she rocked a fun mini pouf dress of theirs in bright yellow organdy.
Eight outfits later, six weeks of literally non-stop work (including 19-hour days with barely time to eat or sleep!), everything is showcased in just one evening—including this selection of jewelry by Pomellato. A massive moment ticked off the bucket list for me.
Claire Stern is the Deputy Editor of ELLE.com. Previously, she served as Editor at Bergdorf Goodman. Her interests include fashion, food, travel, music, Peloton, and The Hills—not necessarily in that order. She used to have a Harriet the Spy notebook and isn’t ashamed to admit it.
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