Oprah Winfrey is one of the most recognizable media figures in America. In the ‘90s, Oprah reinvented her daytime talk show to focus on topics from literature to self-improvement. After her years in daytime TV, she started her own network, the Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN), in 2008. Oprah is also an actress — she received an Oscar nomination for Best Actress in Supporting Role in 2005 for the original film adaptation of “The Color Purple” — and a film producer.
Here, WWD takes a closer look at Oprah Winfrey’s red carpet style through the years.
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Oprah, 1987
Image Credit: Ron Galella Collection via Getty Oprah Winfrey and Stedman Graham at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles in 1987.
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Oprah, 1987
Image Credit: Ron Galella Collection via Getty Oprah Winfrey and Stedman Graham at the 47th Annual Golden Apple Awards in 1987.
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Oprah, 1987
Image Credit: Ron Galella Collection via Getty Oprah Winfrey and Stedman Graham during “Good Morning, Vietnam” Los Angeles Premiere in 1987 in Los Angeles.
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Oprah, 1992
Image Credit: Ron Galella Collection via Getty Oprah Winfrey at the American Museum of the Moving Image Salute to Barbara Walters in 1992.
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Oprah, 1994
Image Credit: Ron Galella Collection via Getty Oprah Winfrey at the 21st Annual Daytime Emmy Awards in 1994.
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Oprah, 1995
Image Credit: WireImage Oprah Winfrey during The 67th Annual Academy Award in Los Angeles in 1995.
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Oprah, 1995
Image Credit: Ron Galella Collection via Getty Oprah Winfrey during the 1995 Vanity Fair Oscar Party in West Hollywood, California.
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Oprah, 1995
Image Credit: Ron Galella Collection via Getty Stedman Graham and Oprah Winfrey at Radio City Music Hall in New York City in 1995 for the 23rd Annual Daytime Emmy Awards.
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Oprah, 1996
Image Credit: WireImage Oprah Winfrey during The 68th Annual Academy Awards in Los Angeles, California in 1996.
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Oprah, 1998
Image Credit: Ron Galella Collection via Getty Stedman Graham and Oprah Winfrey at the 1998 People’s Choice Awards.
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Oprah 1998
Image Credit: FilmMagic, Inc Oprah Winfrey during the premiere of “Beloved” in 1998 in Los Angeles.
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Oprah, 2000
Image Credit: WireImage Talk Show host Oprah Winfrey during the launch of O: The Oprah Magazine in 2000.
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Oprah Winfrey, 2000
Image Credit: Ron Galella Collection via Getty Oprah Winfrey at the first anniversary celebration of O: The Oprah Magazine in 2000.
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Oprah, 2002
Image Credit: WireImage Oprah Winfrey during Hard Rock Cafe Presents “Little Steven’s Underground Garage” radio show at the Hard Rock Cafe in NYC in 2000.
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Oprah, 2002
Image Credit: WireImage Oprah Winfrey at the 54th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards in Los Angeles in 2002.
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Oprah, 2004
Image Credit: Fairchild Archive/Penske Media Oprah Winfrey attends the 76th Annual Academy Awards in Los Angeles in 2004.
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Oprah, 2004
Image Credit: FilmMagic Oprah Winfrey during The 30th Annual People’s Choice Awards in 2004 in Pasadena, California.
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Oprah, 2004
Image Credit: WireImage Oprah and Elmo during Diane Sawyer and Elmo Host Sesame Workshop’s 2nd Annual Benefit Gala at Cipriani in New York City in 2004.
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Oprah Winfrey, 2004
Image Credit: WireImage Oprah Winfrey attends DGA Announces Presenters and Guests for 5th Annual DGA Honors in 2004.
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Oprah, 2005
Image Credit: WireImage Oprah Winfrey at the 2005 Academy Awards in Hollywood, California.
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Oprah, 2005
Image Credit: FilmMagic Oprah Winfrey at the Los Angeles premiere of “Their Eyes Were Watching God” in 2005.
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Oprah, 2005
Image Credit: Getty Images Oprah Winfrey stands for photos before the U.S. Dream Academy’s 4th Annual Gala fund-raiser on April 24, 2005, in Washington, D.C.
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Oprah, 2005
Image Credit: Getty Images Television personality Oprah Winfrey attends the Broadway opening of “The Color Purple” on Dec. 1, 2005, in New York City.
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Oprah, 2005
Image Credit: FilmMagic Oprah Winfrey at the The 28th Annual Kennedy Center Honors in Washington, D.C. in 2005.
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Oprah, 2006
Image Credit: Getty Images Television personality Oprah Winfrey attends the 60th Annual Tony Awards on June 11, 2006, in New York City.
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Oprah, 2007
Image Credit: Fairchild Archive/Penske Media TV host Oprah Winfrey attends the Vanity Fair party after the 81st Annual Academy Awards at Morton’s in Los Angeles in 2007.
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Oprah Winfrey, 2007
Image Credit: Steve Eichner Oprah Winfrey attends the Alvin Ailey 50th Anniversary party at the New York City Center in 2007.
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Oprah, 2007
Image Credit: NYT Syndicate Oprah Winfrey arrives at the 2007 Council of Fashion Designers of America Awards at the New York Public Library.
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Oprah, 2008
Image Credit: Getty Images TV presenter Oprah Winfrey arrive at the dinner in honour of Nelson Mandela, celebrating his 90th birthday, at Hyde Park on June 25, 2008, in London.
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Oprah, 2008
Image Credit: Getty Images Oprah Winfrey arrives to the 17th Annual Women In Entertainment Power 100 Breakfast on Dec. 5, 2008, in Los Angeles.
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Oprah, 2009
Image Credit: Getty Images Executive producer Oprah Winfrey arrives at the “Precious: Based on the Novel “Push” by Sapphire” screening during the 2009 Toronto International Film on Sept. 13, 2009.
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Oprah, 2010
Image Credit: Fairchild Archive/Penske Media Oscar de la Renta and Oprah Winfrey at the 2010 Met Gala in New York City.
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Oprah, 2013
Image Credit: Fairchild Archive/Penske Media Oprah Winfrey at “Beyoncé: Life is But a Dream” screening in 2013.
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Oprah, 2014
Image Credit: Fairchild Archive/Penske Media Oprah Winfrey attends the 20th annual Screen Actors Guild Awards in 2014.
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Oprah, 2015
Image Credit: Krista Kennell/Variety Oprah Winfrey at the “Belief” premiere in New York City on Oct. 14, 2015.
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Oprah, 2016
Image Credit: Michael Buckner/Variety Oprah Winfrey at the “Queen Sugar” TV series premiere after-party in Los Angeles on Aug. 29, 2016.
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Oprah Winfrey, 2017
Image Credit: Rob Latour / Variety Oprah Winfrey and the cast of “Queen Sugar” arrivals in Los Angeles in Nov 2017.
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Oprah, 2018
Image Credit: Michael Buckner/Variety Oprah Winfrey at “Love Is” TV show premiere in Los Angeles on June 11, 2018.
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Oprah, 2019
Image Credit: Rob Latour/Variety Oprah Winfrey at “David Makes Man” TV Show Premiere in August 2019.
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2023 Academy Museum Gala – Arrivals
Image Credit: Michael Buckner for Variety Oprah Winfrey at the Academy Museum Gala in Dec. 2023.
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Oprah, 2023
Image Credit: Christopher Polk for Variety Oprah Winfrey at the premiere of “The Color Purple” in Dec. 2023.
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81st Golden Globe Awards – Arrivals
Image Credit: Golden Globes Oprah Winfrey at the Golden Globe Awards on Jan. 7 in Beverly Hills.