Penélope Cruz Descends on Oscars Carpet 2025 in '90s-Inspired Gown — and It Took 254 Hours to Make

Penélope Cruz was elegant as always at the 2025 Oscars.

The Pirates of the Caribbean actress, 50, returned to the star-studded awards show in a romantic white silk chiffon Chanel gown inspired by a Spring/Summer 1992 design.

Cruz, who's been an ambassador for the French fashion house since 2018, left jaws on the floor in the look, which featured a ruched bodice decked out in sparkly jewel buttons and a sheer floor-hitting cape attached to the dress' straps. According to the brand, the flowy design took 254 hours to create.

Teamed with the gown was a selection of dazzling Chanel high jewelry, including diamond "Soleil" earrings paired with a coordinating ring featuring a round-cut diamond worth over 5 carats. She also wore a "Comète Aubazine" diamond ring and “Soleil 19 Aout” brooch boasting a 22.10-carat yellow diamond. 

Cruz is attending Hollywood's biggest night as one of the many presenters alongside Halle Berry, Bowen Yang and Scarlett Johansson. 

Cruz has been making waves at the Academy Awards since 2000, which marked the year she attended her first in a stunning cobalt blue Chanel couture design from Spring 1995. And while she's stayed loyal to the iconic house, she's also experimented in gowns by other houses, including Balmain, Oscar de la Renta and Ralph Lauren, per WWD. For her most recent attendance in 2022, she wore a fall 2020 Chanel halter number that took 680 to make, per the outlet.

The actress is a powerhouse for both her red carpet résumé and her Oscars reputation. She is a four-time nominee and took home the award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role for Vicky Cristina Barcelona in 2009.

Cruz has also been a masterclass in fashion during her latest public appearances.

In October, Cruz stepped out with her Bandidas costar Salma Hayek for WSJ. Magazine’s 14th Annual Innovator Awards at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City.

The actresses held hands while posing together on the carpet, with Cruz commanding attention in her form-fitting silver gown and Hayek in a red-hot dress with accentuated hips.

Cruz also attended the Met Gala in 2024, wearing a floral-inspired Chanel ensemble for the year’s theme “Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion.”  

The gown required around 500 hours of work, featuring eight variations of French floral lace in both black and silver. Cruz, a 2023 Met Gala co-chair, was counted among one of the best accessorized moments of the night too, thanks to her array of stunning Chanel jewels.

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The star told La La Anthony during Vogue's official red carpet live stream that the dress was an amalgamation of three different Chanel couture dresses from a 1940s, 1950s and 2020 collection. "It's like reawakening for us like Sleeping Beauty — the different versions of this dress," Cruz said in reference to the "Garden of Time" dress code.

See PEOPLE's full coverage of the 97th annual Academy Awards, hosted by Conan O’Brien and airing on ABC.