It’s hard to believe because she has the perfect porcelain skin of someone about half her age, but Cate Blanchett celebrates her 50th birthday today.
The Australian shot to fame in 1999 when she was nominated for the best actress Oscar for her portrayal of Elizabeth I and she’s been wowing on the red carpet ever since.
Frequently working with the same designers for award ceremonies, the actor has a knack for treading the line between quirky and timeless style, managing to pull off fashion-forward ensembles that somehow don’t date.
So to mark the big 5-0, here we look back at her best red carpet fashion moments…
Blanchett’s style has always been a little bit bohemian and that’s been reflected in her red carpet choices.
At her first Oscars in 1999, the year she was nominated for the film Elizabeth, she wore a slinky black John Galliano gown with intricate floral embroidery on the back.
Blanchett had her first Academy Award success in 2005, winning the best supporting actress gong for her role in The Aviator.
For the momentous occasion she was dressed by Valentino in a lush lemon yellow silk taffeta gown, with a contrasting belt and brooch detail on the shoulder.
Some of Blanchett’s most stunning designer gowns have been seen at the Cannes Film Festival, such as this fabulous Chinese-inspired creation by Armani. She subsequently became the face of the brand’s Si fragrance and beauty collection.
At the 2008 Academy Awards, Blanchett was nominated in both the best actress and supporting actress categories, and she was pregnant at the time.
Sadly she didn’t win either award but she did impress on the red carpet in a navy blue Dries Van Noten gown teamed with a chunky statement necklace.
In another triumphant Cannes appearance two years later Blanchett stunned in a magnificent Alexander McQueen gown with a net skirt.
The dress was particularly poignant because it was reportedly personally chosen for the actor by the designer before his death just a few months earlier.
Probably her best-loved Oscars look came in 2011 with a pale pink gown by Givenchy Couture.
Featuring a cut-out back and pink and yellow bead detailing, the dress landed Blanchett on all the ‘best dressed’ lists.
In 2016, Blanchett got her fourth best actress Academy Award nomination, this time for the film Carol.
She teamed up with Armani for her Oscars outfit, choosing a pale blue gown with a plunging neckline and delicate floral applique detailing.
Blanchett continues to impress with her edgy red carpet choices. At this year’s Baftas she chose a black dress with bold jewel detailing from British designer Christopher Kane’s spring catwalk collection.
And with Cannes starting today, perhaps we’ll be treated to another amazing Blanchett style moment in the next couple of weeks.
