When Meryl Streep arrived at the 87th Academy Awards at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood on February 22, 2015, she skipped the traditional evening gown in favor of a custom tuxedo-inspired look by Lanvin by Alber Elbaz.
The tailored jacket, crisp white blouse, and floor-length column skirt remain one of her most memorable Oscar ensembles, proving that understated dressing can be just as striking on the red carpet.
Meryl Streep, posing with her husband Don Gummer, at the 2015 Academy Awards held at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood on February 22, 2015 (Credit: Adriana M. Barraza / WENN / FayesVision)
Equally considered was her footwear. Streep finished the look with black patent Jimmy Choo “Kuki” platform sandals, a style her longtime stylist Zoe Buck frequently chose for major events.
Their slim straps and open-toe silhouette softened the sharp tailoring of the tuxedo, while the hidden platform provided extra height and stability for an evening spent walking, posing, and standing through one of Hollywood’s longest ceremonies.
Meryl Streep pairs a custom Lanvin tuxedo jacket, soft white blouse, and floor-length column skirt with black Jimmy Choo Kuki platform sandals, revealing a glimpse of the crisscross patent leather heels through the skirt’s thigh-high slit at the 2015 Academy Awards
Rather than competing with the outfit, the sandals complemented it. The delicate crisscross straps revealed just enough of the foot through the skirt’s thigh-high slit, while the ankle strap kept the fit secure.
Streep echoed the monochrome palette with an art deco-inspired waist belt, a black Salvatore Ferragamo clutch, and Fred Leighton chandelier earrings, creating a polished look where every accessory worked together instead of demanding attention.
Black patent Jimmy Choo Kuki platform sandals feature glossy crisscross straps, a secure buckle-fastening ankle strap, a subtle front platform, and a slender covered stiletto heel that balances height with stability for formal occasions
The Jimmy Choo “Kuki” remains a good example of why platform evening sandals became a red-carpet staple during the 2010s.
Crafted in patent leather with crossed vamp straps, a covered stiletto heel, a secure buckle-fastening ankle strap, and a subtle front platform, the design delivered the elegance of a high heel while reducing the foot’s incline—an important advantage for celebrities spending hours on the Oscars red carpet and inside the ceremony.
The Jimmy Choo Kuki was also produced in shimmering silver metallic leather, pairing the same crisscross platform silhouette with a sparkling finish suited to evening wear and red-carpet dressing
Although the Jimmy Choo Kuki has long since left primary retail, it remains representative of the elegant platform evening sandals that defined many red-carpet looks of the early 2010s.
As of July 2026, Jimmy Choo continues the same dress-sandal tradition with styles such as the crystal-embellished Saeda, minimalist Azia, slender Lance and Lang, and platform Heloise, Misty, and Lula sandals, alongside newer designs including Alexia, Sacora, Skye, Jenn, Rafi, and Verity, available through luxury retailers including Farfetch.
Meryl Streep’s Jimmy Choo Kuki Sandals Balanced Elegance With Practical Height
Meryl Streep’s 2015 Oscars look showed how the right evening shoe can support an outfit without overpowering it. The black Jimmy Choo Kuki sandals softened the tailored lines of her Lanvin tuxedo, while their secure ankle straps and subtle platform provided the height and stability needed for a long awards ceremony.
Her choice reflected an approach that has defined many of her red-carpet appearances: polished footwear selected as much for proportion and function as for appearance.
👠 Explore Meryl Streep’s Shoes and Jimmy Choo’s Red-Carpet Highlights:
- 📏 Standing at 5’4¾” (164.5 cm) and wearing a US shoe size 9, Meryl Streep often relies on pointed pumps, restrained sandals, and clean footwear lines to bring height and definition to her red-carpet silhouettes.
- 🐆 Meryl’s Gianvito Rossi Sofia Sling pumps sharpened a cheetah-print Givenchy look, using tapered pointed toes, curved heels, and gold buckle details to channel Miranda Priestly-style authority.
- 🔴 Her contrasting Mercedes Castillo and red satin pump moments show how she uses footwear to either challenge a look with texture or quietly reinforce its color and movement.
- 💚 Scarlett Johansson’s metallic Jimmy Choo Maja sandals at the same 2015 Oscars took a more minimal approach, disappearing beneath an emerald Atelier Versace gown so its crystal-covered collar remained the focus.
- 💎 See how Scarlett Johansson and Gabrielle Union styled Jimmy Choo’s crystal-knotted Thyra sandals, a more decorative evolution of the slender evening heel worn with liquid lamé and sculptural couture.