Zendaya, Colman Domingo and Michelle Pfeiffer Among the Best-Dressed Stars at the 2026 Emmys

Red ruled the carpet at the Emmy’s Carpet, on a night that turned into an unexpected tribute to Bob Mackie.

Red won the night at the 78th Primetime Emmy Awards, in its boldest, most look-at-me crimson, worn by women clearly happy to lean into its psychology. Cailee Spaeny in custom Miu Miu, Hassie Harrison in Monique Lhuillier, Rhea Seehorn in Louis Vuitton and host Mariska Hargitay in Monse all made the case. But that was only the start of a carpet that delivered across the spectrum, from architectural draping to some of the sharpest tailoring the Emmys have seen in years.

A Carpet That Became a Tribute

The night’s fashion conversation was shaped by news that arrived only hours before the ceremony began. Bob Mackie died Monday morning in Palm Springs at 87, of pneumonia, his longtime publicist Jenelle Hamilton confirmed.

For a designer whose entire career lived at the intersection of costume and couture, the timing turned the Emmys carpet into something closer to a wake with sequins. Mackie won nine Emmys from 32 nominations, plus a Tony for The Cher Show and three Oscar nominations. He dressed Cher, Carol Burnett, Diana Ross, Tina Turner, Barbra Streisand, Liza Minnelli, Dolly Parton and Elton John, and sketched the sheer beaded gown Marilyn Monroe wore to sing “Happy Birthday” to John F. Kennedy in 1962. On The Carol Burnett Show, where he spent 11 seasons, Burnett once estimated he designed 50 outfits a week.

“It is with a heavy heart that we share the news that Mr. Bob Mackie passed away today,” read the statement on his official Instagram. “He lived his 87 years to the fullest, fulfilling his dream of being a Fashion and Costume Designer, which is all he ever wanted to do.”

Burnett’s own tribute was blunt and devastating. “Sadness doesn’t come close to how I feel. I loved him very much,” she wrote. “There are fashion designers who don’t do costumes and there are costume designers who don’t do fashion. Bob did it all. There was no one like him.” Cher, whose career is inseparable from his work, wrote: “My dear, Bob has gone up to heaven. Knowing him, he’s bringing Sequins, Beads, and his sketch pad. Good nite sweet Prince.”

On the carpet, stylist Law Roach made a case for how the industry should honor him, telling The Hollywood Reporter he’d like to see Mackie immortalized with a Met Gala theme. “We lost an icon today,” Roach said. “He was one of the most incredible designers and Americans to ever live. In the last few years he’s actually been a mentor and a godfather to me.”

There’s a quiet symmetry in the fact that Roach’s most famous client was on that carpet. Zendaya wore a vintage Mackie gown to honor Cher at the 2024 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction. Despite the late hour, the Television Academy managed to fit Mackie into the night’s In Memoriam segment.

The Best Looks of the Night:

Zendaya in Prada

Among the most anticipated arrivals of the night, and worth the wait despite showing up not long before the broadcast. The Euphoria best actress nominee wore a custom nude-hued belted gown fully embellished in crystals and beads, with a deep-V neckline and train. Roach noted the gown inspired additional trim on her much-discussed pixie cut. Finished with Mikimoto pearl earrings, a Rolex and pale pink satin Prada pumps.

Colman Domingo in Valentino

Domingo has an obvious affinity for Alessandro Michele’s artful, slightly whimsical Valentino, and this colorful look doubled as an homage to his current series, Netflix’s The Four Seasons. The Boucheron jewels sealed it, particularly a brooch of green tourmalines, diamonds and green lacquer in 18-karat white gold. Omega Speedmaster 38 and Oliver Peoples sunglasses completed the look.

Michelle Pfeiffer in Saint Laurent by Anthony Vaccarello

A beautifully draped V-neck silk gown that read as pure chic elegance, finished with Saint Laurent jewels including a sunburst brooch at the gathered waist. Pfeiffer is one of a double-digit producer roster on Margo’s Got Money Troubles that also includes Elle Fanning, Nicole Kidman and showrunner David E. Kelley, her husband of 32 years.

Ayo Edebiri in Chanel

Chanel dressed four nominees Monday, including Nicole Kidman, Sarah Pidgeon and Youn Yuh-jung. Edebiri, a Chanel ambassador since October 2025, got the standout: a blue silk faille dress offset by a contrasting back bow in vivid vermillion, exactly the kind of surprise Matthieu Blazy has been injecting into the house’s codes. Mikimoto pearls and silver Aquazzura So Nude sandals.

Dan Levy in Celine

Among a sea of black tuxedos, Levy’s stood out on the details: a double-breasted Colonne jacket in mohair wool, wool trousers, classic cotton shirt, and a black rose brooch that carried real weight. It was a tribute to his late Schitt’s Creek co-star Catherine O’Hara, who died unexpectedly in January. Levy appeared onstage with Annie Murphy and Macaulay Culkin, the other two actors who played O’Hara’s onscreen children.

Niecy Nash-Betts in Khaled & Marwan Couture

Nobody in red was more gloriously va-va-voom. The All’s Fair star, styled by Wayman + Micah, wore a peaked-strapless gown from the Beirut couture house, finished with Leviev jewels: earrings carrying 10.84 carats of diamonds and two rings totaling just over 30.

Selena Gomez in Louis Vuitton

Few gowns made style watchers want to inspect the construction more closely. The Only Murders in the Building star and producer wore a strapless tulle bustier dress embellished all over in gold sequin embroidery that shaped the silhouette itself. Tiffany & Co. jewels included the Feathers bracelet, more than 10 carats of diamonds set in platinum and 18-karat yellow gold.

Cynthia Nixon in Issey Miyake

Four seasons of corsets on The Gilded Age, and offscreen she picks something with actual air in it. Nixon chose a voluminous, asymmetrically pleated dress from Miyake’s Fall 2026 collection, paired with Wempe Jewelers earrings and Manolo Blahniks, a detail Carrie Bradshaw would have approved.

Yahya Abdul-Mateen II in Dior

One of the night’s best jackets, full stop: smoke-hued velvet with a deep shawl collar, which existed largely to display a pair of Tiffany & Co. brooches, including the Zinnia, a Jean Schlumberger design with more than eight carats of diamonds and rubies in 18-karat gold.

Charlie Hunnam in Burberry

Tonal tuxedos were everywhere Monday, and the Monster best actor nominee did it best: a custom navy double-breasted jacket, matching trousers, navy silk shirt, and a Vacheron Constantin Traditionnelle Perpetual Calendar in 18-karat pink gold.

John Maloney in Brunello Cucinelli and Olivia Munn in Fforme

The night’s best-synced couple. Munn’s sleek strapless metallic velvet gown paired cleanly with Mulaney’s navy tuxedo, cut with a one-and-a-half-breasted jacket and silk lapels. Munn added Boucheron, including a high-jewelry statement necklace in diamonds and black lacquer set in 18-karat white gold.

Louisa Jacobson in Tom Ford

Like her Gilded Age co-star Nixon, Jacobson goes forward-thinking off set. Here that meant menswear: a black grain de poudre cropped evening jacket with high-waisted wide-leg trousers, white cotton-silk piqué waistcoat, and an off-white grosgrain scarf, finished with Tom Ford Selen pumps and Tiffany diamonds in platinum and yellow gold.

Joanthan P. Moustakas

Jonathan P. Moustakas founded The Cinema Group in 2020 during the challenges of the pandemic, after losing the vital ability to find community in theaters and escape through the captivating magic of cinema. Feeling profoundly cut off from the vibrant film community he cherished, he sought to create a welcoming home for dedicated cinema fans while providing engaging, daily curated content that resonates with their passions. Years later, The Cinema Group has blossomed from a small collective of loyal fans into a thriving brand that reaches millions of audiences every month across a diverse array of platforms and mediums.

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