How the little black dress took over the red carpet
“One Black Dress After Another” seemed to be the theme of the 2026 Golden Globes, going by what many celebrities wore to the red carpet.
The event, which is one of the highlights of Hollywood’s awards season, took place in Los Angeles on Sunday night, gathering figures from the American film and television industry. This year’s edition of the Golden Globes also saw some special stars in attendance—like Blackpink’s Lisa, who took to the stage as a presenter of the awards ceremony, making history as the first K-pop artist and Thai star to do so. But we’re more interested in her appearance on the red carpet: Lisa switched up her Rockstar image to offer, instead, a dose of gothic glamour, via the sheer black gown that she wore.
Lisa’s sultry dress is from Jacquemus, the French fashion label loved by It-girls around the world, including fellow Blackpink member Jennie. Lisa’s dress is unlike other naked dresses that have overwhelmed the red carpet in recent years: it bears a touch of Morticia Addams, with its trumpet silhouette and long, flowing sleeves adorned with tassels. But the dress could also have been worn by a vacationer on the hit HBO series White Lotus, in which Lisa made her acting debut last year (and which no doubt led to her landing the prestigious Golden Globes gig).
Lisa’s ensemble was just one of many reimaginings of the classic LBD—aka the “little black dress”—that appeared on the Golden Globes red carpet this year. For example, if you wondered what it would look like if Wicked star Ariana Grande took a turn as Elphaba, you’ll find your answer in her red carpet look: a custom black Vivienne Westwood off-shoulder ballgown cut from crinkled chiffon. No fairy princess fantasy here. The fabric of Ariana’s gown, along with its asymmetrical design, shook up what would otherwise have been a predictable red carpet number for the singer and film star.
Ayo Edebiri, meanwhile, made Old Hollywood glamour look anything but old at the Golden Globes. The Bear actress was transformed with a bouffant for the occasion, but that was the only finicky element of her look. Edebiri wore a black velvet dress from Matthieu Blazy’s Chanel Métiers D’Art 2026 collection, the one that was presented in a gritty New York subway station last December. For the collection, Blazy was inspired by 1920s fashion; you could clearly see that in the fluidity of Edebiri’s dress, and the way that its layered, high-low skirt allowed her to move across the red carpet with ease, elegance and her signature exuberance.
Black proved to be a powerful colour choice for other celebrities. Miley Cyrus made her triumphant return to the Golden Globes red carpet after 17 years in rockstar fashion: she donned big, black movie-star sunglasses and a sequin gown from Saint Laurent, with ruffles on the front that fanned out like wings.
EJAE, Audrey Nuna and Rei Ami, the South Korean singers who voice the fictional girl group Huntrix from K-pop Demon Hunters, made their Golden Globes debut in a trio of spectacular black gowns. Both EJAE and Rei Ami wore corseted dresses with lace details (the former, notably, was wearing a custom Dior gown by Jonathan Anderson). Meanwhile, Audrey Nuna was cocooned in a theatrical, bow-embellished Thom Browne coat. A black birdcage veil and black lipstick completed her transformation into a living gothic doll.
Of course, when it comes to gothic dressing on the red carpet, few stars can beat Jenna Ortega. The actress, not yet ready for us to forget her role as Wednesday Addams, stepped out in a column gown by Turkish designer Dilara Findikoglu. The high neckline was just about the only conservative part of Ortega’s dress, which came with daring cut-outs revealing the sides of her torso.
But the winner of sexiest dress goes, without question, to Teyana Taylor. The One Battle After Another actress was clad in a black satin gown by Schiaparelli that was beautifully draped around her body, and which featured a floor-skimming scarf that trailed behind her. But that wasn’t the only notable detail on the back of Taylor’s ensemble: her dress also flaunted her crystal-studded, bow-embellished thong, as shiny as the Golden Globes award that she picked up for Best Supporting Actress.
In recent years, celebrities have taken to the Golden Globes red carpet in dresses of punchy colour—think of Margot Robbie in Barbie pink, Zendaya in burnt orange, or Taylor Swift in Gucci green. Why is the LBD having a moment now, after years of flashy red carpet fashion?
It might be because wearing black has the power to make people take you seriously. That’s an effect that many of this year’s Golden Globes attendees—consisting of newcomers gracing the awards for the first time (such as Lisa and Teyana Taylor), or music stars who are now pivoting to acting (like Ariana Grande)—would hope to have. All-black ensembles can also elevate the esteem of young Hollywood stars like Jenna Ortega, Mia Goth, Ayo Edebiri and even Timothée Chalamet, who are not new to the acting world but are not yet “one of the greats”. (Chalamet notably traded his Marty Supreme orange outfits for a classic black suit at this year’s Golden Globes. Very mature.)
Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel understood the power of the colour black. In 1926, the French fashion designer proposed the LBD as a tasteful uniform for women, a versatile wardrobe piece that suited any occasion. Since then, the LBD has continued to evolve in the worlds of fashion and film, cementing the idea that a black dress can never go out of style. Coco Chanel was right, after all: at the 2026 Golden Globes, the LBD proved to be the most fashionable thing a star could wear.
This article was written by Pameyla Cambe and first published on Lifestyle Asia Singapore on January 13 2026.