Lily Gladstone's Oscar Gowns Featured in Washington, D.C. Museum

The Smithsonian's National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, D.C. is showcasing two gowns worn by Oscar-nominated actor Lily Gladstone. The special installation, titled "Making a Statement," opens on February 28, 2025, and will remain on display until March 2026. The museum has also planned four public programs in March 2025 to accompany the exhibit.

An Artistic Collaboration

Both gowns were the result of a unique collaboration between luxury fashion brand Gucci and Indigenous artist Joe Big Mountain of Ironhorse Quillwork. Gladstone wore the gowns on March 10, 2024, to the 96th Academy Awards ceremony and the subsequent Vanity Fair Oscars party. Her nomination for best actress for her role in the film Killers of the Flower Moon made her the first Native American to receive this honor.

Showcasing Native Artistry

According to museum curator Anya Montiel, Gladstone consistently uses major events to highlight Native designers. The gowns are particularly significant because they represent the first time an Indigenous artist and a luxury fashion brand like Gucci have worked together for the Oscars.

The gown worn to the Oscars ceremony is a midnight-blue velvet piece with a porcupine-quill neckline and a matching cape adorned with 216 hand-quilled and beaded petals. The second gown, a black corseted dress with a chevron-patterned beaded fringe and a porcupine-quill neckline, was worn to the Vanity Fair party. Its design features intricate details made from 24-carat gold-plated beads, glass beads, and brass sequins.

The porcupine quillwork, a centuries-old Indigenous art form unique to North America, was central to the collaboration. To preserve this traditional knowledge, the quillwork for both gowns was exclusively executed by Big Mountain and his team of Native artists.