Emma Chamberlain’s Timeless Hollywood Ensemble Shines at 2026 Academy Museum Gala
Emma Chamberlain proved she can master any red‑carpet vibe when she arrived at the 2026 Academy Museum Gala in a striking custom red gown by Giorgio Armani. The event, a fundraiser for the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, honored Charlize Theron, Colman Domingo and John Carpenter, and featured a performance by Taylor Swift. For the evening, Chamberlain teamed up with stylist Jared Ellner and opted for makeup from Armani Beauty.
Speaking with Vogue before the gala, Chamberlain explained that the night called for a classic Hollywood feel, a departure from the more avant‑garde statements she’s known for at the Met Gala. “It’s a very classic Hollywood evening,” she said. “The after‑party is at the Chateau. It just feels like, ‘This is LA, baby! This is Hollywood.’ And we’re going to do it exactly like that.”
Having recently swapped her signature blonde for a dark brown, Chamberlain drew inspiration from old‑school icons such as Audrey Hepburn and, in particular, Winona Ryder. “When I was going from the blonde to the brunette, Winona Ryder was a huge inspo for me,” she told Vogue. “I was looking at photos of her constantly, to kind of help me gain the courage to dye it brown.”
The red Armani dress marked a return to the museum after her first appearance there last year, when she wore an archival Giorgio Armani piece from the spring 1999 collection—a sage‑green beaded dress with a metallic sheen. This year’s look felt especially fitting because Chamberlain made her acting debut in the film *Forbidden Fruits*.
For her makeup, Chamberlain wanted a blend of classic elegance and a hint of darkness. “I do tend to prefer a goth edge—I have the dark circles and I have the creepy eye shape, or whatever, and I just like to lean into it,” she said. “Something a little less beautiful and a little bit more haunting in the face.”
Makeup artist Lilly Keys described the final result as “a touch of gothic romance with softly smoked, shadowy eyes, luminous sculpted skin and a muted cinnamon lip—dark, delicate and effortlessly undone.” To create the look, Keys used Armani Beauty’s Luminous Silk Foundation, Eye Tint Liquid Eyeshadow, Lip Power Longwear Satin Lipstick, and Dolci Makeup Blush in “Cinnamon Blush.”
While Chamberlain has been on a break from her podcast *Anything Goes* since April, she used the gala to tease an upcoming project she is co‑producing. “I am working on a project right now. I’m not acting, but it’s in somewhat of the space,” she said, adding that the indie‑flavored venture has allowed her to handle her own hair and makeup daily. Her current favorite beauty staples are Armani’s foundation and concealer, prompting a quick “shoutout to Armani!” at the end of the interview.