What will Oscar nominees Margot Robbie, Meryl Streep and Mary J. Blige wear on the red carpet?

The 2018 Oscar nominees have been announced, and with the Paris couture shows in full swing, stylists and nominees are likely to be holding fittings, calling in samples and commissioning bespoke gowns in anticipation of the spate of best dressed lists which follow the evening.

This awards season, red carpet dressing is a hot topic with the Golden Globes turned black in support of the #TimesUp campaign. So far nothing similar has been announced for the Oscars, so actresses have their pick of the collections. Here’s what we'd like to see on the night...

Margot Robbie

The Australian actress’ first Oscar nomination is for the title role in I, Tonya. The star is one of a clutch of talented Hollywood women, including Natalie Portman, Michelle Williams and Dakota Johnson, whose sartorial decisions are guided by super-stylist Kate Young. Since working with Young, there has been a notable shift in Robbie’s style, with more directional pieces appearing in her line-up.

For the previous two academy awards, Robbie has turned heads in plunging, floor-sweeping gowns, but recent looks suggest she may opt for something edgier this year. Chanel is a favourite - we can see her in the beaded jumpsuit from its recent couture show. Or, if she wanted to make reference to the film she is nominated for, Gucci would be an inspired choice, as creative director Alessandro Michele referenced ice-skating costumes in his show notes.

Saoirse Ronan

The 23-year old Irish actress’ third nomination sees her recognised for her leading role in Lady Bird, directed by Greta Gerwig (the first female nominee for best director in eight years). Recently, Ronan has been working with Elizabeth Saltzman, the stylist behind Julia Roberts, among others. The pair have honed Ronan’s red carpet DNA with dynamic embellishment and feminine pieces by a mix of labels from Gucci to Rejina Pyo.

For the Golden Globes she worked with an all-female team (including hair and make-up) for her look which centred around a Versace commissioned gown. If she opts for the same formula for the Academy Awards, Givenchy would be a strong choice. The label debuted its first couture collection under new creative director, Clare Waight Keller, this week in Paris. Saltzman might even work with Ronan to recreate Gwyneth Paltrow’s Tom Ford cape moment which made fashion headlines after the 2012 awards.

Meryl Streep

Meryl Streep’s best actress nomination, for her role in The Post, extends her Oscar nods record to 21. The Hollywood icon has been walking the red carpet since the 1970s, and in 2015 hired Micaela Erlanger, Lupita Nyong’o and Diane Kruger’s stylist, to revamp her look while she was promoting Ricki and the Flash.

With Erlanger’s encouragement, she has dabbled with younger designers, including Erdem and Derek Lam, but her red carpet style favours the big houses - Givenchy, Lanvin, Valentino and Elie Saab. And she often opts for bespoke pieces, like the off the shoulder Vera Wang gown she wore for the Golden Globes. This year, Ralph and Russo may be a contender - the couture show revealed the strong, structured silhouettes and vivid colours that Meryl favours, and the duo excel at creating one-off pieces with serious impact.

Sally Hawkins

British actress Sally Hawkins won her second Oscar nomination this year for her lead role in The Shape of Water (the first was as best supporting actress in Blue Jasmine). Historically the actress’ red carpet style has favoured eclectic details, vintage pieces and British designers (Stella McCartney, Mulberry, Emilia Wickstead). She has recently been pictured in a series of styles by smaller, niche designers including Romona Keveza and Edeline Lee.

For this year’s SAG and Golden Globes, styled by LA-based sisters Wendi and Nicole Ferreira, she wore mega Dior couture creations. And we think she’ll make it a hat trick. The recent Paris show offered several Hawkins-worthy options, though the house may well already have something bespoke in production.

Mary J Blige

The R&B singer turned actress has made history with a double nomination - best original song and best supporting actress - for her first major film role in Mudbound. Styled by Law Roach, a fashion authority and judge on America’s Next Top Model, Blige is likely to aim for impact for her first appearance on the Oscars red carpet.

Her event style tends towards sculpting lines and daring thigh splits, each look carefully curated for maximum drama. Her recent looks have seen a line up of top names - Elie Saab for the Productions Guild Awards, Alberta Ferretti at the Golden Globes and Vivienne Westwood for the Critics Choice Awards. Will she turn to Balmain's brand new red carpet capsule collection, 44 Francois Premier? The label’s strong silhouettes surely make it a contender, and creative director Olivier Rousteing knows a thing or two about power dressing...

Octavia Spencer

With her third academy award nomination for her role in The Shape of Water, Octavia Spencer, who received the best supporting actress accolade for The Help in 2012, becomes the first black actress to receive nominations in two consecutive years. The second actress in the nominees line-up who is styled by the Ferreira sisters, Spencer rarely puts a red carpet foot wrong.

Last year she wore bespoke Marchesa, something she is unlikely to repeat given the cloud over the label in the wake of the Weinstein allegations. Our bets are on Tadashi Shoji; the Japanese evening wear designer has dressed the actress numerous times, and credits her as a label muse. Back in 2012, she wore a hand-beaded Tadashi Shoji creation to collect her first gong, so surely the label is a lucky charm?

While the Golden Globes might have offered a united vision of solidarity, it seems the Oscars will offer a return to the colour and sparkle so synonymous with the red carpet. Place your bets...