Emmys 2026 Red Carpet: Who Wore What, From Zendaya's Prada to Nicole Kidman's Chanel

Crystals, sequins and beading set the tone at the 78th Primetime Emmy Awards. Here is every confirmed designer credit that mattered.

The 78th Primetime Emmy Awards took place on September 14, 2026 at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, and the red carpet had one clear theme. AFP's report from the arrivals put it plainly: sparkling gowns dominated. Almost every look that made the best-dressed lists was beaded, sequined or covered in crystals.

Zendaya, nominated for the third season of Euphoria, wore a custom silver Prada gown with a plunging neckline and crystals embroidered over a sheer tulle base. W Magazine reports the design was inspired by Prada's spring 2010 collection. She wore diamond-and-pearl Mikimoto earrings and a Rolex watch, and was styled, as always, by Law Roach. Her hair was cut into a tousled pixie by hairstylist Coree Moreno.

The night's host, Mariska Hargitay, was the first woman to host the ceremony in 15 years. She arrived in a fire-engine-red sequined Monse gown with an off-the-shoulder neckline and a fitted silhouette that ended in a fringed, feather-like train. She walked the carpet with her daughter Amaya, who wore a matching red sequined dress, and went on to change outfits repeatedly during the broadcast.

Elle Fanning chose custom Ralph Lauren: a sage-green gown in embroidered silk chiffon with hand-applied micro-cut glass beads, an open back and a tassel at the shoulder that trailed to the floor. She wore Cartier jewellery with it.

Selena Gomez wore a strapless gold column gown by Louis Vuitton, built from rows of reflective beading that flared into a train at the hem. Nicole Kidman went the other way in white Chanel, with a neckline made of 46 flowers in silk crepe, silk organza and raffia.

Florence Pugh wore a shimmering lilac Vivienne Westwood gown with the house's corseted draping and off-the-shoulder tulle sleeves. Carey Mulligan wore a blue-and-white strapless gown by The Row with a floor-length bow at the back, and Dakota Fanning wore strapless black-and-white Carolina Herrera with a drop-waist pleated skirt.

There was black, too. Michelle Pfeiffer wore a black Saint Laurent dress with a plunging neckline and an ornate clasp at the waist, and Grace Gummer wore a strapless black Dior gown from Jonathan Anderson's resort 2027 collection with Boucheron jewellery. Calista Flockhart stood out in fuchsia Zuhair Murad with an asymmetric neckline.

If there is one thing to take from the night for your own wardrobe, it is that embellishment is back at full strength for evening. The simplest way in is one sparkling piece in a single colour, kept clean everywhere else: no competing jewellery, plain shoes, simple hair. That is exactly how the best looks of the night were put together.

Original coverage: Emmys 2026 red carpet: who wore what