The Worst-Dressed Stars At The 2026 Academy Museum Gala

The Academy Museum Gala is certainly in the running for the most adventurous fashion event of 2026. After a year of mostly bland fashion shows with attendees who seemed scared to go against the grain, we were pleasantly surprised to see effort, color, and, thankfully, fewer sheer dresses at this event, held on Saturday, October 17, at Los Angeles' Academy Museum of Motion Pictures. There was an uptick in avant-garde fashion, the silhouettes were fun and exciting, and some looks actually made us feel something. That said, a lot of what we felt was displeasure — and the overwhelming need to summon many a designer to answer for their fashion crimes. 

Some stylists seemed so carried away with the artistic aspect of it all that they forgot one tiny question: Does my client actually look good in this? There were overwhelming fabrics, drab colors, and fits that wouldn't have worked on anyone. There were also some repeat offenders. Some stars that made our list of worst-dressed stars at the 2024 Academy Museum Gala didn't look any better at the event's sixth outing. From overwhelmingly bad looks to those that simply left us underwhelmed, the worst-dressed stars at the 2026 Academy Museum Gala might need to consider hiring new stylists. 

We've always regarded Tracee Ellis Ross as one of the chicest celebrity kids who inherited her parent's famous style, but we highly doubt that she ran this look by Diana Ross. The worst thing about this outfit isn't that the fabric — if you can even call it that — looks like those cheap artificial marigold garlands from Temu; it's that they're arranged lazily. There's no excuse for the extra pom-pom tacked onto her shoulder, the pitiful train, or the choice to wear see-through heels with this outfit, either.

From the moment we saw Teyana Taylor at the 2026 Academy Museum Gala, we loved her look. However, something felt off, and it only took a few seconds to spot it. Right under the structured top, there is what is supposed to be a nude lining to add some modesty to the skirt. But for whatever reason, the designers of such a masterpiece didn't choose a lining that suited her skin. The lack of attention to detail at such a high-profile event is astounding, and we can honestly say that Taylor's fire makeup deserved better.

The good news is that we're quite certain that Inde Navarrette's fashion journey can only go up from here. Everything about her Academy Museum Gala look, besides her stunning makeup, is underwhelming, from the boba tea fabric to the pufferfish layers and the skirt that should be classed as a fashion crime. We really hope Navarrette switches stylists, or at least gets a second opinion, because we're sure that her gala dress had no oversight.

After earning a spot on the list of the worst dressed at the 2026 iHeartRadio Music Awards, we expected "Popstar" singer Tinashe to pick her looks better. Unfortunately, her outfit at the 2026 Academy Museum Gala was even worse. Combining multiple styles into one dress can work, but the pieces need to be thoughtfully picked out — and this just doesn't communicate forethought. The raciness of the bra top clashes with the tulle flared skirt, and the lace mid-section just seems thrown in there.

We love a good lace look — and the distressed fashion trend has its merits — but from a design standpoint, it's really hard to make both trends work. And, unfortunately, Peyton Elizabeth Lee's look certainly doesn't. Lace has a soft aura, and distressed outfits have the opposite, so paired together, it's giving "my outfit went through the shredder." What makes this look worse is that the lace fabric chosen actually looks like a grandma's tablecloth. Lee is stunning, but this look is not.

Elizabeth Debicki is a stunner, and her hair is divine, but her look at the 2026 Academy Museum Gala didn't work for a number of reasons. The nude color and the shimmery fabric gave the outfit a skin-like look that was uncanny. In addition, the back view of the dress was a pain to see. Someone else might have worn this dress perfectly, but it was a poor choice for Debicki.

With respect to the designer, no one could have made this dress work, and poor Iris Law clearly has grounds to sue. The dress tries too hard to make edgy work while being incredibly obnoxious by adding frilly tulle. The top half and bottom half seem to be connected by ribbons, which would have been cute if they didn't seem to be haphazardly placed and hanging on for dear life. This dress doesn't need a different wearer; it needs reconstruction.

The color choice, confusing mesh of fabrics, and feathery shawl make it clear that Odessa A'zion was going for a boho vibe at the 2026 Academy Museum Gala, but we're not fans. The look has too much going on, which is a wrong choice given the very busy pattern, and that curl of hair stuck to her eyebrows, if intentional, didn't make sense to us. A'zion is a stunner, and she deserves better 'fits.

We'd like to have a word with Rhea Seehorn's stylist because the world of fashion deserves some sort of explanation for her outfit at the 2026 Academy Museum Gala. Is it a suit, a dress, or a two-piece? No one knows! But we do know that it's rough around the edges. The black furry bottom half, the oddly puffy white train, and the ill-fitting blazer would have been terrible all on their own. Together, however, the outfit looks like sartorial sabotage.

Sarah Paulson is a worst-dressed-list regular, and this outfit, while unsurprising, had us sighing deeply. Alone, the elements are fashionable. Sequins might be '80s, but they're never going out of style, and two-pieces are 2026 favorites. But Paulson's stylist managed to combine these two elements in the worst way possible. Plus, we're still puzzled by the weird gape on her chest. With the actor making this list, as well as the list of the worst dressed celebs at the 2026 Tony Awards and the list of the worst dressed celebs at the 2026 Vanity Fair Oscars after party, we really hope she looks into getting a new stylist.

Charlize Theron is one of the celebs who rocks super short hair and looks glamorous, but her outfit at the 2026 Academy Museum Gala hogged all the spotlight — and not in a good way. The structure, cut, and fabric give the outfit good bones, but what ruins it is the lack of a lining. Sheer fabric can be a stunning trend, but like in this outfit, when they're overdone, they fall incredibly flat. This outfit would have slayed with a lining, and we hope Theron jumps off the overdone sheer fabric trend.