Rachel Zegler made sure her Oscars debut was a memorable one. The West Side Story ingenue debuted on the Oscars red carpet in a semi-sheer Dior Haute Couture beaded gown . At only 20 years old, Rachel was one of the best-dressed stars of the night.
The gorgeous sheer dress featured intricate beading from top to bottom. Rachel accessorized her Oscars look with a gold chain choker. Her short bob was sleek straight for the red carpet and ceremony.
Just days leading into the Oscars, Rachel hadn’t even been invited to the coveted event. Despite being the lead in West Side Story, which earned several nominations like Best Picture, Rachel didn’t initially score an invite.
Rachel revealed the shocking news in an Instagram comment when someone asked her what she’d be wearing to the Oscars. “I’m not invited so sweatpants and my boyfriend’s flannel,” Rachel wrote. “I have tried it all but it doesn’t seem to be happening.”
The Academy received major backlash on social media over not inviting Rachel to the show. The young actress responded to those rallying for her to be invited on Twitter. She tweeted, “My goodness, folks!! appreciate all the support, i really really do. we live in such unprecedented times, and a lot of work behind the scenes goes into making movie magic happen. that goes for film productions (like the one I am so lucky to be currently shooting in London)…and awards shows alike. let’s all just respect the process and i’ll get off my phone x R.”
On March 23, Rachel was announced as an Oscars presenter. “Well folks, i can’t believe i’m saying this but… see you on sunday! the absolutely incredible team at @Disney and our snow white producers worked some real-life magic, and i am thrilled to be able to celebrate my @westsidemovie fam at the oscars,” Rachel tweeted. “It’s not lost on me that being able to shoot a film the scale of Snow White during COVID is not easy, and any adjustment to our schedule is no small sacrifice.”
After making her film debut in West Side Story, Rachel is gearing up to play another famous character. She will star as Snow White in a live-action adaptation of the Disney animated classic.