Emmys 2026 Red Carpet Best Looks: Zendaya's Beaded Prada, the Lilac Takeover, and Every Arrival by Color
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Quick answer: The dresses that defined the 2026 Emmys carpet were lilac and heavily beaded — Zendaya in crystal-beaded custom Prada, Sarah Pidgeon and Florence Pugh in pale purple, Chase Infiniti in copper-beaded Louis Vuitton. Every arrival is in the table below, with the designer where two outlets agree.
Key takeaways
- The 78th Emmys carpet ran Monday, Sept. 14, 2026, outside the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, and this page now holds the arrivals instead of the preview.
- Lilac was the color of the night: Sarah Pidgeon, Florence Pugh, Emilia Clarke and Jessica Williams all wore pale purple, and Allison Janney added lavender feathers.
- Beading beat plain satin. Zendaya's custom Prada and Chase Infiniti's custom Louis Vuitton were covered in it.
- We called gold and white on Sunday. Both showed up, on Selena Gomez and Zendaya, but neither owned the night.
Quick answer — the best-dressed lists from E! News, The Globe and Mail and The Zoe Report kept landing on the same handful: Zendaya in crystal-beaded Prada with a new pixie cut, Chase Infiniti in copper-beaded Louis Vuitton, Ayo Edebiri in blue Chanel with a red bow, and Sarah Pidgeon and Florence Pugh in lilac. The lilac look we could actually buy on Tuesday costs $38.99, $99.99 or $795.
Our Sunday version of this page bet on gold, because of the Creative Arts carpet and the host's own teasers. That was half right. The looks people are still sending each other on Tuesday morning are pale purple and heavily beaded, and most of them were custom from three houses: Chanel, Louis Vuitton and Prada.
Which colors ran the 2026 Emmys carpet?
| Color | Who wore it | Read |
|---|---|---|
| Lilac / lavender | Sarah Pidgeon, Florence Pugh, Emilia Clarke, Jessica Williams; Allison Janney in lavender feathers | The color of the night, and the one that turned up most in next-day roundups |
| Beading over plain fabric | Zendaya (custom Prada), Chase Infiniti (custom Louis Vuitton) | Surface beat silhouette — the two most-shared looks were both covered in it |
| Gold | Selena Gomez in Louis Vuitton chainmail | We predicted gold would own the night on Sunday. It showed up and did not |
| Red | Mariska Hargitay, hosting, in custom Monse | One of twelve changes; the rest are on the host's page |
What were the best looks on the 2026 Emmys carpet?
Descriptions come from the outlets listed under Sources. A designer name appears only where at least two of them credit the same house.
| Who | What they wore | Designer |
|---|---|---|
| Zendaya | Sheer pale gown hung with clusters and droplets of clear and silver crystal beads; debuted a pixie cut | Custom Prada |
| Chase Infiniti | Strapless sweetheart mermaid gown in deep brown, covered in copper beading | Custom Louis Vuitton |
| Ayo Edebiri | Pale blue tiered gown with a V-neck, a soft bow in front and a bright red bow trailing to the floor behind | Chanel |
| Sarah Pidgeon | Lilac silk bias-cut slip, cowl neck, low back, strands of pearls and crystals hung from the straps | Custom Chanel |
| Florence Pugh | Corseted lilac gown under sheer sequined fabric, darker tulle sleeves off the shoulder | Custom Vivienne Westwood |
| Selena Gomez | Gold chainmail-style dress | Louis Vuitton |
| Elle Fanning | Jade slip in embroidered silk chiffon with an asymmetric fringed train | Ralph Lauren |
| Keri Russell | Black leather gown, turtleneck front, very low back | One outlet has credited it; we have not seen a second |
| Mariska Hargitay (host) | Red sequin gown with a plunging neckline and a train | Custom Monse |
| Colman Domingo | Tan jacket over white trousers | Custom Valentino |
Zendaya's look is the one that matters most for what you will see in stores by spring. The Zoe Report tied its dripping, chandelier-style beading to what it called spring 2027's top texture trend, so expect cheaper versions of that surface within a season.
What color won the Emmys carpet this year?
| Color | Who wore it | Count |
|---|---|---|
| Lilac, lavender | Sarah Pidgeon, Florence Pugh, Emilia Clarke (Prada), Jessica Williams (Honor); lavender feathers at Allison Janney's neckline (Pamella Roland) | 4 gowns + 1 trim |
| White, crystal | Zendaya, Nicole Kidman (feathered neckline), Sarah Snook | 3 |
| Gold | Selena Gomez, Shabana Azeez (strapless) | 2 |
| Red | Mariska Hargitay, Niecy Nash-Betts | 2 |
| Blue, green | Ayo Edebiri, Elle Fanning, Supriya Ganesh (baby blue) | 3 |
| Brown, copper | Chase Infiniti | 1 |
| Black | Keri Russell | 1 |
This is a count of the arrivals the major galleries described by color, not every guest. Even so, four separate lilac gowns from four different designers is not a coincidence you see often. The Zoe Report read it as stars skipping fall colors and going straight to spring.
Why did it work on a blue floor? Violet sits right next to blue on the color wheel, so a pale lilac hem blends into the carpet instead of fighting it, and the face and neckline become the brightest thing in the photo. Gold does the opposite and pops off the floor, which is why we expected more of it. The host kept her red for the arrivals line.
NBC's carpet account posted its own arrivals through the evening, including the Hacks actor Meg Stalter above. Late night's part of the ceremony, the variety series race, is broken down on Talk Show On Air.
Which fashion houses dressed the most stars?
| House | Stars credited by two or more outlets |
|---|---|
| Chanel | Ayo Edebiri, Sarah Pidgeon |
| Louis Vuitton | Chase Infiniti, Selena Gomez |
| Prada | Zendaya, Emilia Clarke |
| Vivienne Westwood | Florence Pugh |
| Ralph Lauren | Elle Fanning |
We also guessed on Sunday that New York Fashion Week, running the same week, would push stars toward archive gowns. For the biggest names that did not happen. Zendaya, Infiniti and Pidgeon were all in custom pieces, and Pidgeon's Chanel came from Matthieu Blazy's studio. Smaller names may still turn out to be in runway samples; credits for those tend to trickle in over the next few days. How those loans and fittings work in the first place is explained in how TV wardrobes actually work.
How do you get the lilac Emmys look at three prices?
None of these is a gown from the carpet. They are the closest things on sale to the two lilac looks people are copying: Pidgeon's bias-cut slip and Pugh's corseted, embellished gown. We checked each price on the brand's own site on Sept. 15, 2026, at 12:30 a.m. ET.
| Tier | Dress | Price | Closest to |
|---|---|---|---|
| Budget | Flolae One Shoulder Backless Satin Slip Maxi Dress, Purple | $38.99 | Pidgeon's slip: pale lilac satin, open back, side slit. One strap instead of two, S–XL |
| Mid | Beginning Boutique Maiah Lilac Maxi Dress | $99.99 | Bias-cut lilac satin with a cowl back; strapless with a foldover bust, US 0–18 |
| Splurge | STAUD Cassie Dress, Lilac | $795 | Pugh's structure: strapless, fully beaded, inner mesh corset, sizes 00–16 |
Lilac is less forgiving than gold under warm light. It can turn gray on very fair skin and chalky under flash, so pair it with warm metallic jewelry the way Pidgeon did with gold clasps. Bias satin clings at the hip; size up rather than down. More price-tier edits are in the Love Story slip dress breakdown, and if you want the pre-show version of this advice, what to wear while you watch is still up.
Where are the host's outfit changes and Sarah Pidgeon's full story?
Mariska Hargitay changed many times inside the theater, far more than the one arrival gown above. Every change is logged on our host looks page. Pidgeon's lavender Chanel now sits at the end of our file on her Love Story wardrobe as Carolyn Bessette, next to the slip dresses it echoed. The costume winners from the Creative Arts weekend are in our costume Emmys roundup.
The week does not slow down. Dancing with the Stars season 35 premiered over two nights on ABC, Tuesday, Sept. 15 and Wednesday, Sept. 16, at 8 p.m. ET; the show now airs Tuesdays, and times and streams are on Reality On Air, the rehearsal clothes are on Activewear On Air, and the rest of the calendar is in TV Fashion Next Week. Every carpet story we run sits in Red Carpet.
Emmys 2026 red carpet FAQ
What did Zendaya wear to the 2026 Emmys? A custom Prada gown covered in clear and silver crystal beading, with Mikimoto jewelry and a new pixie cut.
Who was best dressed at the 2026 Emmys? Zendaya, Chase Infiniti and Ayo Edebiri appeared on nearly every list we read. Sarah Pidgeon and Florence Pugh were the lilac picks.
What was the big color trend at the 2026 Emmys? Lilac. At least four stars wore pale purple gowns from four different designers.
What did Sarah Pidgeon wear to the Emmys? A custom lavender Chanel silk slip with a cowl neck, trimmed with pearls and crystals.
Who designed Mariska Hargitay's red Emmys dress? Monse, credited by both E! News and The Globe and Mail.
Sources
- E! News best dressed and live arrivals, Sept. 14, 2026 — looks and designer credits.
- The Globe and Mail — colors, silhouettes and designers.
- The Zoe Report — the lilac gowns; Zendaya's beading.
- Marie Claire — Sarah Pidgeon's Chanel. W Magazine — Ayo Edebiri's bows.
- TV Insider — arrival colors for Selena Gomez, Niecy Nash-Betts, Sarah Snook, Shabana Azeez, Supriya Ganesh.
- Prices: Flolae, Beginning Boutique, STAUD, checked Sept. 15, 2026, 12:30 a.m. ET.
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