Finally, Emerging Designers Are Having a Red Carpet Moment

When it comes to splashy Hollywood red carpets, it’s a given that mega stars will turn to the top luxury houses—Chanel, Gucci, Louis Vuitton, the works—for dresses, and for good reason, too. These historic labels have big budgets (sometimes even contracts) to create custom looks. But this year, celebrities and their stylists have also been making space to spotlight and support more emerging designers, and the presence of fashion’s new guard has been entirely refreshing.

Labels such as Colleen Allen, Hodakova, Fforme, Khaite, and Ashi Studio have all cropped up on the red carpet circuit this year, and their collective influence is quickly becoming a big part in shaping where fashion is heading. Perhaps it’s signaling a new era, one where it’s less about Old Hollywood glamour, and more about finding looks that feel more modern and slightly unconventional.

Ashi Studio, the label from the Saudi Arabaian couturier Mohammed Ashi, has been a new go-to for stars like Zendaya, Teyana Taylor, and FKA twigs. He specializes in sleek, sculptural gowns that put the emphasis on silhouette and the body. (An approach that’s a perfect tie-in to this year’s Met Gala theme, which explores clothing in relation to the centrality of the body.)

Another designer becoming a destination for strong, powerful garments is the New York-based designer Colleen Allen, who has cut her teeth at labels like The Row. Her quietly elegant looks have the timelessness and polish that a red carpet demands, while still feeling updated and fitting for a 2026 event. Everyone from Nicole Kidman to Michaela Coel and Britt Lower has gravitated towards her classic black dresses, sometimes finished with a shapely peplum or bias-cut skirt.

Some quirkier suiting options have also been shining on the red carpets, courtesy of labels like Kallmeyer and Hodakova. At the 2026 Grammys, Billie Eilish sported a cool black skirt suit by the Stockholm-based designer Ellen Hodakova Larsson, finished with a built-in white shoulder sweater. It was both preppy yet edgy, and not at all an outfit you’d expect to see walk a Grammys carpet (the event historically leans into maximalism). Actor Tessa Thompson has also sported New York designer Daniella Kallmeyer in a navy suit with white silk draping accents. The look feminine, yet possessed a chic menswear edge.

Another fellow New York-based label, Fforme, which is designed by Frances Howie, has also become a breakout Hollywood brand. She zeroes in on pieces that are built to last many fashion eras—something that can often feel at odds with red carpet dressing, which in recent years, has reflected a more trendy attitude. “What is interesting is the feeling of finding something in a beautiful color and fabric that’s going to last a long time and can be passed on,” Howie told Vogue last year. Her pared-back approach has been seen on stars like Chloe Zhao, Michelle Williams, and Cameron Diaz.

Does that mean that, for the rest of 2026, we will be seeing even more A-listers delve into fashion’s rising generation for their red carpet looks? We sure hope so. As these stars have showed, embracing and working with fresh fashion talent makes for even fresher end results. The 2026 Met Gala is coming up in a week, and hopefully the starry crowd ascending the Met steps can take a cue from this recent movement. Who do you hope to see on the Met steps? Perhaps a bowed and frilled Tanner Fletcher suit? Or a beautiful graphic-print Jamie Okuma gown? (Both former CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund participants). Only time will tell.