The 78th Emmy Awards were held Monday, September 14, 2026, at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, and the ceremony was notably free of political talking points from the stage. Off the stage, the red carpet delivered its usual mix of triumphs and misfires.
Host Mariska Hargitay, styled by Erin Walsh, was widely regarded as the standout of the night in a series of custom looks. Among her strongest moments were a white satin three-piece suit with an oversized lapel and bell-bottom tuxedo pants, and a fully beaded white gown adorned with pearls, finished with a black velvet sash that created an off-the-shoulder neckline.
Nicole Kidman arrived in a white feathered Chanel gown, a look praised as elegant and regal. The Fanning sisters, Dakota and Elle, also drew attention walking the carpet together in complementary but distinct styles — Dakota in a Carolina Herrera cocktail dress with black strappy stilettos, and Elle in a fully beaded, fringed mint gown from Ralph Lauren.
Zendaya continued her long run of red-carpet acclaim in a custom Prada gown featuring a deep V-neckline, embroidered crystals and beads, and an archival crystal-and-teardrop pendant belt pulled from the label’s Spring/Summer 2010 collection, styled with pixie-length hair.
On the menswear side, Adam Brody was singled out for a navy Prada double-breasted suit paired with a soft baby blue shirt and a floral Prada scarf in place of a tie, a departure from standard black-tie convention.
Looks That Missed
Not every red-carpet gamble paid off. Shailene Woodley’s Balenciaga Haute Couture ensemble became one of the night’s most talked-about looks online, drawing sharp criticism on social media.
Claire Danes wore a gown in cheap-looking argent silver that had appeared in deep red wine velvet on the Fall 2026 Haute Couture runway in Milan — a translation from runway to red carpet that critics said fell flat, particularly when viewed from the side.
Cynthia Nixon’s fabric-heavy gown also drew unfavorable comparisons, while Florence Pugh’s Vivienne Westwood dress, paired with Bulgari jewels, was described as an outdated silhouette reminiscent of a mid-2000s prom look.
