2026 LACMA Art and Film Gala draws stars in high fashion looks

2026 LACMA Art and Film Gala draws stars in high fashion looks

The 15th annual LACMA Art+Film Gala drew a star-studded crowd to the Los Angeles County Museum of Art on Saturday night, raising essential funds for the museum's film initiatives while honoring visual artist Vija Celmins and Oscar-nominated director Denis Villeneuve. Presented in partnership with Gucci — continuing a partnership that dates back to the gala's inaugural year in 2011 — the high-profile fete was co-chaired by Leonardo DiCaprio and museum trustee Eva Chow, transforming the museum courtyard into an elite runway against the backdrop of Chris Burden's urban light installation.

Amid the sea of traditional evening wear, the evening's most talked-about look arrived courtesy of Nicole Kidman, who pulled a much-talked-about dress from Chanel’s Spring 2027 collection by Matthieu Blazy featuring a bodice designed to resemble burlap and a layered tulle skirt with darker panels added to create the appearance of age and wear, referencing Degas's 1881 sculpture Little Dancer of Fourteen Years. Rosé also took the stage as the evening’s musical guest, wearing custom Saint Laurent.

Who wore what on the museum steps?

Guests embraced playful departures from conventional gala attire, with Gucci being particularly well represented in custom designs. Among the standouts were model Alex Consani, who arrived in a dramatic, sculptural black gown; model and musician Soo Joo Park, who wore a playful, feathered dress; and writer and curator Antwaun Sargent, who donned an intricately detailed custom ensemble from the house.

Sofia Carson turned heads in an impeccably tailored, blush pink tuxedo featuring exaggerated, sculpted shoulders and curved satin lapels, pairing the plunging suit jacket with matching high-waisted, wide-in trousers and pointed-toe white heels, and a sparkling dual-row diamond collar necklace.

Ashley Park delivered an unforgettable monochrome moment in a bespoke Prabal Gurung strapless gown featuring a fitted black column skirt contrasted with folded white fabric across the neckline and an exaggerated sculptural white drape at the hip flowing into a striking train. Park accented her look with Chopard emerald-and-diamond jewelry and soft glam makeup with side-swept waves. Meanwhile, Anya Taylor-Joy was styled by Law Roach in an embroidered silvery-white slip from the Pierre Cardin archives, paired with a ruffled organza evening coat.

The LACMA Art+Film Gala is an annual autumn gathering in Los Angeles that bridges the entertainment and fine art worlds, raising vital funds to support the museum's film programs, exhibitions, acquisitions, educational initiatives, and screenings exploring the intersection of art and film.

How did fashion houses and celebrities push boundaries?

Textural experiments and structural feats dominated the red carpet under the glowing exterior of Chris Burden's urban light installation. Rosie Huntington-Whiteley embraced drama in a slinky, backless black gown with a slit not at the front, but up the back to reveal just a bit of bum cheek, walking alongside Alex Consani, Elsa Hosk in a gray wool gown with a thigh-high slit, and Candice Swanepoel in a dress with full-length silver fringe and slits up to her hips.

Kylie Jenner selected an Ashi Studio halter-neck gown featuring an allover deer-like animal print, specifically a brown-and-silver deer-print gown from Ashi Studio’s spring/summer 2026 couture collection, and an oversize tassel at the back. Julia Garner wore a sculptural black taffeta gown from Loewe paired with oversized earrings by Lisa Eisner. Kim Kardashian stunned in a red sequin Gucci maxi gown, and Paris Hilton wore a silver sequin dress designed by Jenny Packham alongside a dazzling choker, putting to rest rumors of tension following a biography interview request reported by The Hollywood Reporter.

What does this convergence of television and fine art mean?

The boundary between television aesthetics and high-fashion galas has grown increasingly porous as streaming phenomena shape global style trends. Ashley Park's statuesque appearance reflects her transition into a mature phase of her career, echoing comments by Emily in Paris creator Darren Star to Deadline regarding characters moving into a different, more mature place in their lives. Similarly, Sofia Carson's menswear-inspired power suit marks a mature, forward-thinking stylistic evolution away from conventional ballgowns amid her busy screen career starring in streaming projects such as Purple Hearts, Carry-On, The Life List, and the upcoming feature adaptation My Oxford Year.

That artistic breadth was mirrored in the evening's honorees. Denis Villeneuve's monumental sci-fi blockbusters like Dune received celebration alongside Vija Celmins's contemporary visual art, whose detailed works explore the natural world, grounding the red-carpet display in serious cinematic and artistic achievement. The deliberate pairing of fashion houses with historical art references, such as Kidman's homage to Degas, underscores how deeply the entertainment industry intertwines haute couture with museum curation.

Which questions remain open after the spotlight fades?

While the 15th annual gathering successfully marshaled star power for museum funding and celebrated luminaries like Villeneuve and Celmins, the broader question is how long this specific formula of luxury brand partnerships and cinematic tributes can sustain the ever-expanding scale of Hollywood's gala calendar. As studios lean further into streaming adaptations and prestige television stars cement their status as permanent fixtures of high fashion, whether future iterations of the event will lean even heavier into avant-garde archival pieces or commercial luxury remains undetermined as awards season approaches.