Bowen Yang is Duana's 2025 Oscars Best Dressed

It wasn’t even hard. Bowen Yang was my Best Dressed before the show was halfway done – I wanted to wait to see if anyone was going to surprise me, but I knew it wasn’t even going to be close – because his look, which is custom Etro, fulfills what I’ve decided are my three rules of Red Carpet Dressing, as follows:

Bowen Yang in custom Etro at the Oscars. More red carpet later on our site.
— Tom & Lorenzo (@tomandlorenzo.bsky.social) 2025-03-02T22:48:09.755Z

1. He’s wearing something that is specifically him. When you’re at the very top of the Hollywood game, and you have everything at your disposal, why would you ever go generic? Obviously there are occasions where a plain black dress or suit are the way to go, but you can still make it yours – a perfect example is Lainey’s colleague, ETALK anchor Tyrone Edwards, who wore an iconic chic black tuxedo jacket last night, completely him while still being formal and in line with his gig.

This is a skill that is essential for achieving and maintaining fashion icon status, and Bowen is (and has been) leaning in.

2. He’s dressed up for the singular special event that is the Oscars. That is, there’s no question of this look having been repurposed from SNL, some Las Culturistas appearance, or his sister’s wedding. It’s a singular special event! You can change it up to commemorate the rarity of this!

3. He is having fun! Taha’s First Rule of Red Carpet Requirement! He’s happy to be inside this uniquely Bowen look, and not wishing he could blend in somewhere else or figuring out how to pose to its best advantage – because clearly, Bowen Yang himself is this outfit’s best advantage! You know? Like obviously, this is one of many benefits of a custom design – it works with and for you. But it’s also an attitude we off-the-rack types need to get into adopting more. If it’s the right look, what it needs is me – or you, or him – to make it really come to life.

Bowen Yang at the 2025 #Oscars
— Film Updates (@thefilmupdates.bsky.social) 2025-03-02T21:16:49.000Z

This outfit has already done a lot for us, in terms of being iconic, as previously mentioned, and helping me define my Red Carpet Rules for 2025 (subject to change).

But I think another thing that gives Bowen this laurel? The Best Dressed look is actually just part of what I think his real award should be – Oscars 2025 MVP. You can doubt it if you want, but I’m about to prove it…

First of all, the man flew in from New York on the red eye, having appeared on SNL the night before as JD Vance, doing his part to remind the English-speaking world that American democracy is a ghost. If we can’t do anything (immediate) about the utter hijacking of the American government, we can at least be delighted with how pissed off this will make Vance…

Then, after swanning onto the Oscars carpet and gloriously owning it with his Las Culturistas cohost Matt Rogers – let me remind you that as far as the parameters of Best Dressed go, he had, at this point, already won:

As a Las Culch listener since it was in single digits Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang are the only celebrities I have a parasocial relationship with and seeing these divas front row at the Oscars last night? My literal sisters
— Michael Lee Richardson 🎄 (@hrfmichael.bsky.social) 2025-03-03T11:48:26.031Z

We then get another dose of Bowen during the presentation for Best Costume Design:

WHERE TO BEGIN. First of all, to get my bias out front early and often:

I love school uniforms. Never had one. Always wanted one.
I loooooved the Shiz University uniforms! Each one unique! Each one showing the struggle of a Shiz student trying to be an individual, just like everyone else!
Pfannee (Bowen)’s uniform was the best of everyone’s.

This is, of course, not just my opinion, it’s objectively true! Would it be the basis for this entire comedy sketch/category introduction otherwise?

This is where it becomes clear, again, that Bowen Yang is the M.V.P. As Sarah pointed out last night, it’s his comedy chops that make this whole segment work – they couldn’t do this segment with anyone else. Plus, wearing the glorious costume that will, in moments, win an historic Oscar for costume designer Paul Tazewell, is precisely the point.

the Oscar for costume design goes to Paul Tazewell for designing PFANEE'S SHIZ UNIVERSITY UNIFORM
— Vulture (@vulture.com) 2025-03-03T01:00:52.802Z

No matter how long it’s onscreen, there’s always something new to look at (personally, I have to re-contemplate the pince-nez on the glasses every time.) It’s glorious, he’s wearing the sh-t out of it, and – and!

“If I have to say the words sumptuous fabrics one more time in an interview, I’m going to defy gravity out of this stage.” Bowen Yang, on the joy of introducing Paul Tazewell for Best Costume Design #Oscar for #Wicked. #AcademyAwards #Film #Movies #WritingCommunity
— Alexandra Hidalgo (@the-alex-hidalgo.bsky.social) 2025-03-03T01:05:00.606Z

Because he commits so well to the bit (and to the Pfannee of it all before that), we’re all 100% invested in Paul Tazewell’s win, and realize, when he’s announced as the winner, that we were rooting for him all along! Because Bowen has made the clothing come alive, just like Paul Tazewell made the characters come alive through costume.

See the symbiotic relationship there?

Is there any part of the Oscars – red carpet, in-show segment, or Vanity Fair afterparty (see below) that did not benefit in some way from Bowen Yang’s confident, enthusiastic, singular participation? No! He made everything better and juicier and more fun. So he’s the MVP of the Oscars (okay, maybe tied with Conan). I will not be taking questions at this time, but I am available to give an extended version of this lecture to the organization of your choice, and ideally to Bowen Yang himself.

Obviously, the Tazewell win wasn’t even an hour old before people were calling for Bowen to host the Oscars someday soon. He could, if he wanted to – but at this point, he could do just about anything. What form will his MVP-ness take next is for him to know and us to find out.