Minnie Driver's 1998 Awards Show Season Looks Prove She's An Underrated Fashion Icon

Having had her breakout in the mid-90s thanks to the film "Circle of Friends," Minnie Driver was an up-and-coming Hollywood star in the second half of the decade. In 1997, her fame skyrocketed thanks to her role in the critically acclaimed "Good Will Hunting," making 1998 a highly eventful year for the then-28-year-old. And while Minnie Driver's best red carpet moments in her 50s showcase that the actor's impeccable fashion taste is still strong, 1998 was a particularly glamorous year for her.

From fancy fashion at the Academy Awards to a quirkier look for the MTV Movie Awards, back in 1998, Driver beautifully showcased the art of dressing for awards shows. Always ensuring her beauty and grace were accentuated, Driver easily switched between different styles of dresses. And even though the looks she rocked are now from a different era, the fact that they would still look stunning on today's red carpets is only proof of her timeless taste and potential as a fashion icon.

Minnie Driver attended her first Academy Awards in March 1998, and for the occasion, the "About a Boy" star opted to go for a red cowl-neck, floor-length dress, which she accessorized with a fur shawl. While Driver looked absolutely stunning, in 2024 she revealed during an appearance on the "The Jennifer Hudson Show" that not everything went according to plan. "I'd lost too much weight before I went to the Oscars. The dress fell off, and in that moment I had this wrap, and I just pulled the wrap around me and kind of carried on smiling," Driver shared.

While '90s fashion loved simplicity and minimalism, the end of the decade certainly foreshadowed the fun and quirky looks the early aughts would bring. A great example of just that is the purple minidress that Minnie Driver rocked at the MTV Movie Awards held in May 1998. The spaghetti-strap garment may look simple at first glance, but the metallic, flame-like ombré effect certainly added the necessary drama. Paired with matching purple and silver eyeshadow, Driver looked like the epitome of a '90s cool girl.

For the Golden Globes held in January 1998, Minnie Driver decided to go with a breathtaking metallic pale-green mermaid dress by Givenchy. The star of "The Phantom of the Opera" paired the dress with side-swept romantic curls and a classic '90s deep-brown lip. While other celebs have given us some of the worst Golden Globes looks of all time, Driver's 1998 choice remains an example of how timeless fashion lives on forever.

Throughout the decades, red carpet looks have drastically changed. A quick look at the 1996 and 2026 Oscars shows how fashion has evolved. And the same can easily be said for dresses worn to the Screen Actors Guild Awards, which were renamed the Actor Awards in 2026. Back in March 1998, Minnie Driver attended the awards show in a sparkly spaghetti-strap minidress, a fun look that the "Owning Mahowny" star certainly pulled off. However, minidresses are rather rare at glamorous awards shows today, as we mostly see stars wear them to more casual events.

Perhaps the most '90s-coded awards show season look that Minnie Driver gave in 1998 was the black knee-length dress she wore to the IFP/West Independent Spirit Awards. Held that March, Driver took a more minimalist approach to dressing for the event. The star of "The Riches" paired the simple black dress with strappy heels, a black Chanel bag, and matching black sunglasses, giving us a classic '90s monochromatic look. The only pop of color was the actor's red painted toenails.

For most of her 1998 awards show season, Minnie Driver wore her hair loose. However, when the actor showed up to the Producers Guild of America Awards in March 1998, her updo instantly stole the show. Driver looked elegant in a black asymmetrical gown with subtle cutout details, which made it semi-sheer. Driver paired the gown with a curly updo styled with a middle part, adding a fun and unexpected element to the look.