There are always a few surprise cameos at the Oscars, and the 2026 ceremony was no different. When it came time to hand out the coveted Oscars for best costume design and best hair and makeup on Sunday night, no less an authority on fashion than Vogue Global Editorial Director Anna Wintour was joined onstage by Oscar-winning actress Anne Hathaway to present the award to Frankenstein costume designer Kate Hawley and hair and makeup artists Mike Hill, Cliona Furey, Jordan Samuel, and Megan Many.
“Anna, just curious, what do you think of my dress tonight?” asked Hathaway nervously, with Wintour responding, simply and brutally, “And the nominees for best costume design are…” in what—combined with the intro music played as the two took the stage—felt like a playful reference to Hathaway’s role as a beleaguered fashion assistant in the 2006 film The Devil Wears Prada (and its upcoming sequel, The Devil Wears Prada 2). In case you were wondering whether you imagined the ever-so-subtle TDWP reference, Wintour then said “Thank you, Emily” to Hathaway, so…yeah, you were right!
Wintour wore Dior to the 2026 Oscars, while Hathaway was dressed in a Valentino gown in a touching tribute to the recently deceased designer. Hathaway had a notably close relationship with Valentino, attending his funeral in Rome in January and writing on Instagram shortly after his passing: “…He was…my dear and cherished friend who educated me, raised me, sent me flowers every year on my birthday, made me laugh, was my dancing and karaoke partner on so many joyful nights, and who made my world so much brighter, grander and more delightful than I could have ever understood it to be.”