You won’t believe what happened to Julia Roberts' Oscars dress

Yes, THAT Valentino one.

Julia Roberts Oscars dress
(Image credit: Getty Images)

The best Oscar dresses will be remembered as some of the most iconic red carpet looks of all time

And from Gwyneth Paltrow's powder pink Ralph Lauren gown from 1999 to Jennifer Lawrence's strapless voluminous dress by Raf Simons for Christian Dior Haute Couture - the most expensive Oscar dress of all time, there's plenty of looks to choose from. 

It was Julia Robert that got the world talking recently however, with an interview with the Academy Award winner resurfacing, where she opens up about her iconic vintage Valentino gown, and crucially where it is now.

You know the one. Sheer black tulle with elegant white piping down the middle and the sweeping train. The one she wore to pick up a golden statuette for playing Erin Brockovich. 

Julia Roberts Oscar dress

(Image credit: Getty Images)

More often than not, the celebrity looks we see and love on the red carpet are on loan from designers, arranged by their stylist. Which means it goes straight back to the designer the next morning. But not this time. 

Yes, it turns out that Roberts still owns the gown, and is saving it for someone very special - her daughter Hazel.

"It’s under my bed, in a box," Roberts explained in an interview with People. "I have this little space in my house that my husband refers to as the heritage collection. Things I go, ‘I can’t get rid of [this], what about Hazel?'"

Julia went on to say that husband Danny Moder thought their daughter wouldn’t want "mum’s old stuff", but luckily she’s keeping it just in case even if it is in a box under her bed.

To be fair, if our mums’ old stuff involved a vintage Valentino gown, we’d be more than happy to wear it. Just in case you’re reading this Julia.

Here at Marie Claire UK, we'll be reporting on the the 2024 Oscars so be sure to tune in for the live updates.

Penny Goldstone

Penny Goldstone is the Digital Fashion Editor at Marie Claire, covering everything from catwalk trends to royal fashion and the latest high street and Instagram must-haves.

Penny grew up in France and studied languages and law at the Sorbonne Nouvelle University in Paris before moving to the UK for her MA in multimedia journalism at Bournemouth University. She moved to the UK permanently and has never looked back (though she does go back regularly to stock up on cheese and wine).

Although she's always loved fashion - she used to create scrapbooks of her favourite trends and looks, including Sienna Miller and Kate Moss' boho phase - her first job was at MoneySavingExpert.com, sourcing the best deals for everything from restaurants to designer sales.

However she quit after two years to follow her true passion, fashion journalism, and after many years of internships and freelance stints at magazines including Red, Cosmopolitan, Stylist and Good Housekeeping, landed her dream job as the Digital Fashion Editor at Marie Claire UK.

Her favourite part of the job is discovering new brands and meeting designers, and travelling the world to attend events and fashion shows. Seeing her first Chanel runway IRL at Paris Fashion Week was a true pinch-me moment.