I'm a Fashion Editor and Jessie Buckley just brought back my favourite colour combo for the Oscars 2026

There are certain colour combinations that never truly disappear, they just lie in wait, waiting for the right person to bring them roaring back into the spotlight. At the 2026 Oscars, that person was Jessie Buckley. 

The Irish actress, who first found fame on the Andrew Lloyd Webber reality show I'd Do Anything, had quite the night taking home the Best Actress gong for her emotional turn in Hamnet, alongside Normal People star Paul Mescal. 

© Kevin Mazur/Getty Images

And for her big moment, Jessie opted for one of the most striking dresses of the night - a custom Chanel off-the-shoulder dress in a pillar box red and blush pink colour combination, styled by Danielle Goldberg.

On paper, red and pink doesn't work. But fashion, of course, thrives on rebellion, and red and pink have been flirting, fighting and falling in love across style history for decades. 

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Think of Elsa Schiaparelli in the 1930s, gleefully scandalising polite society with her now-iconic 'shocking pink.' Her surrealist palette loved a conversation-starting combo, and few hues argue more beautifully than crimson and electric rose. The combination was bold and a bit mischievous - exactly the spirit Schiaparelli championed.

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Fast forward a few decades, and the duo appears again in the technicolour glamour of mid-century couture. By the 1980s, red and pink had become the power couple of maximalist dressing. Think lacquered lips, silk raspberry blouses and scarlet high heels. 

© Launchmetrics

© Launchmetrics

Then came the modern revival. The AW26 runways were awash with unusual colour combinations - sparking a return to joyful clashes, a welcome backlash against the sea of neutrals that have dominated recent seasons. 

Jessie's dress did much the same - standing out against the sea of black, gold and silver that the Oscars always attract. This unexpected moment of colour was a beacon of joy.

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And fashion fans will be thrilled to see the historical nod in the shape of Jessie's dress, drawing comparisons to Grace Kelly's Edith Head dress worn to the ceremony in 1956. 

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But best of all, this gorgeous combo is easy to replicate - simply find your boldest pink and your most in-your-face red pieces and pair them together with abandon.