Like a frame from a different film, the 5th Academy Museum Gala was a director’s dream sequence rendered in silk, tulleTulleA lightweight, sheer netting fabric used to create volume, veils, and airy overlays in gowns, skirts, and bridal wear. Soft and romantic, tulle gives a dreamy, ballerina-like effect, and hasGo to Tulle Glossary, and attitude. Dubbed the “Met Gala of the West”, the annual affair celebrates the artistry of film while raising funds for the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures. This institution keeps Hollywood’s stories alive and projected forward. Some of the night’s most compelling looks came straight off the Spring/Summer 2026 runways, proving that fashion, much like film, is best experienced in motion. And, of course, each arrival played its stylish part.
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Jenna Ortega
Jenna Ortega showed up in sculptural geometry by Grace Ling. Liquid metal meets structured origami, hugging just enough of her silhouette in contrast to the lucious sheen of her column skirt.
Greta Lee
Greta Lee wore Dior with serene command — a gown with a deep plunge and lace overlay that teased elegance rather than drench it.
Rebecca Hall
Rebecca Hall opted for Thom Browne’s idiosyncratic tailoringTailoringThe craft of cutting, shaping, and fitting garments, especially suits, jackets, and trousers, precisely to the body. Good tailoring relies on structure, proportion, and careful hand and machine work, andGo to Tailoring Glossary — the bodice almost appears painted on, in a grayscale camouflage of femininity, paired with a streamlined black skirt.
Olivia Rodrigo
Olivia Rodrigo was tailored to the nines, but with a youthful sharpness. Armani Privé gave her vintageVintageClothing and accessories that are at least 20 years old and represent the style of a particular era, valued for their quality and uniqueness. Vintage shopping supports sustainable fashion, andGo to Vintage Glossary glamour with a pop-star attitude.
Charli XCX
Charli XCX brought rock-and-roll polish to the architecture of couture: a Saint Laurent piece with structural sensibility, dark satin sheen, and enough edge to echo her music-world roots.
Demi Moore
Demi Moore shone in a minimalist silhouette with maximum effect with Gucci: think clean lines, deep neckline, vibrant yet understated tone.
Elle Fanning
Elle Fanning drifted through the gala in Balenciaga, a confection of sculpted whimsy that floated like spun sugar, its outward feathered detail giving the sweetness structure.
Tessa Thompson
Tessa Thompson delivered tactile sophistication: a Balenciaga creation that traced her silhouette like armor softened by light, its embellishments catching motion more than shine.
Zoey Deutch
Zoey Deutch revived the starlet myth in scarlet in a Zac Posen gown so sweeping and cinematic, its train deserved its own IMDb page.
Zoë Kravitz
Zoë Kravitz melted the carpet in Saint Laurent — a chocolate-brown gown with Victorian undertones, all ruffles and volume rendered in molten satin.
The night shimmered between fantasy and flesh, where couture became character study and glamour found new expression. At the 2025 Academy Museum Gala, fashion moved with cinematic purpose — alive on bodies, through eras, and into stories still yet to be told.
Photos: GETTY IMAGES
