The red carpet at the 2026 Emmy Awards drew a wide field of designer looks, from custom couture to sharply tailored gowns in deep jewel tones. Nominees and presenters arrived in pieces from houses including Prada, Chanel, Saint Laurent, Carolina Herrera and Ralph Lauren. Several of the night’s most discussed looks leaned on crystal detailing, feathered accents and floor-length silhouettes, balancing a polished, classic register against a few sharper, more architectural shapes along the way.
Zendaya wore a custom Prada gown, a floor-length design with a plunging neckline covered in silver crystals. Michelle Pfeiffer chose Saint Laurent, a black dress with a plunging neckline and a cinched waist finished with an ornate clasp above a flowing floor-length skirt. Nicole Kidman appeared in a white Chanel dress with a feathered-look neckline, a piece the house built using 46 handmade flowers.
The Fanning sisters took different routes. Dakota Fanning wore a strapless black-and-white Carolina Herrera dress with a drop-waist pleated skirt, while Elle Fanning chose a shimmering sage gown by Ralph Lauren. Carey Mulligan wore a blue and white strapless gown by The Row with a floral design and a floor-length bow, and Calista Flockhart went bright in a fuchsia Zuhair Murad gown with an asymmetric neckline, ruching and soft draping.
Color ran through the rest of the carpet. Selena Gomez wore a golden gown constructed from rows of beading, and Mariska Hargitay arrived in a red sequined gown with a sweetheart neckline and a feathered train. Cynthia Nixon opted for a maroon dress with structural pleating and an asymmetrical hemline, while Kristen Bell wore a pale silky gown with an asymmetrical cut and a ruffled pink lace accent.
The wider guest list added to the range of looks, with Louisa Jacobson, Elaine Hendrix, Lisa Ann Walter, Grace Gummer, Constance Zimmer, Cailee Spaeny and Lisa Rinna among those photographed on arrival. Supriya Ganesh and Shabana Azeez were also among the stars who walked the carpet, rounding out a turnout that spanned both television and film. Taken together, the evening’s fashion moved between restrained tailoring and heavily embellished gowns, with crystals, sequins and hand-worked floral detail recurring across many of the best-received looks.
