Is the Chanel curse real? Awards-season watchers have long joked that every actor who signs a major couture contract with Chanel eventually faces the internet’s most unforgiving runway critics. Even Margot Robbie found herself dissected online during past appearances in the house’s designs. Now the conversation has moved to Jessie Buckley.

Arriving at the Academy Awards 2026 red carpet as arguably the strongest Best Actress contender of the entire awards season, Buckley stepped out in a custom pink-and-red Chanel gown that instantly ignited the internet, and not in a good way. Online chatter turned against our outfit, prompting many to come to the actress’s defense. Nonetheless, for Jessie Buckley, red carpet fashion has never been about playing it safe.

Long before she became a fixture of awards season, Buckley developed a reputation for experimenting with her look as freely as she does with her performances. Her hair alone tells the story of that evolution, cycling through shades of fiery ginger, dark rouge, platinum blond, and even jet black before settling into her current look. In 2026, particularly since the acclaim surrounding Hamnet, Buckley’s style has matured into something more refined without losing its personality. 

The through line in all of it is a sense that Buckley dresses the same way she acts: instinctively. Yet the reaction online reveals something notable: even as the dress draws judgement, the support for Buckley herself remains unwavering.

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For many fans, the fashion may be debatable, but the talent, and the potential Oscar win, is not.

With expectations sky-high for what many pundits believe could be her winning night, the look was destined to be scrutinized. Within minutes of the carpet broadcast, social media timelines filled with vivid takes. Online reactions quickly split into two familiar camps: fashion critique and unwavering fandom. Some viewers dramatically called for Buckley’s stylist to be fired immediately, while others rushed to defend the actor. 

Interestingly, most of the criticism online has been directed squarely at the dress and its styling rather than at Jessie Buckley herself. Across social media, viewers are dissecting the pink-and-red Chanel gown and questioning the choices made by her stylist, yet the tone toward Buckley remains overwhelmingly supportive.

In the end, the reaction says as much about Buckley’s standing this awards season as it does about the dress. Fashion debates may flare up every Oscars night, but the larger narrative remains unchanged: many fans still see Buckley as the performer to beat.

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What do you think of Jessie Buckley’s Oscar night look and the online debate surrounding it? Share your thoughts in the comments.