The Best Looks at the 2026 Critics Choice Awards

This year’s Critics Choice Awards red carpet leaned into capes, color, and old‑Hollywood drama instead of pure shock dressing, with a Refinery29 roundup, “The Best Red Carpet Looks At The 2026 Critics Choice Awards,” framing the night as a showcase for big silhouettes and franchise‑coded colors like Glinda‑pink and Marty Supreme orange. Across major best‑dressed lists, the focus is on looks that feel theatrical but still polished.​

Ariana Grande is one of the most cited examples, appearing in a Glinda‑pink satin Alberta Ferretti gown with a bejeweled sheer cape, curled updo, and sparkling jewelry that echo her Wicked role. Elle Fanning took a different palette but similar impact in a liquid‑gold archival Ralph Lauren dress with a draped neckline and open back, which outlets like Business Insider and Harper’s Bazaar both rank near the top of the night.​

Newer faces leaned into statement shapes. Chase Infiniti’s butter‑yellow custom Louis Vuitton look—a high‑neck, midriff‑baring cape top with a matching skirt and soft train—shows up in multiple roundups as one of the most striking outfits on the carpet. Teyana Taylor, meanwhile, lands on best‑dressed lists in an all‑black Saint Laurent suit with trousers tucked into thigh‑high patent boots and a dramatic feathered wrap, offering a tailored alternative to gowns.​​

Menswear and beauty follow the same “elevated classic” pattern. Michael B. Jordan’s Louis Vuitton suit is highlighted as a clean, traditional counterpoint to more experimental looks, while Essence and other outlets single out pieces like Quinta Brunson’s pale peach power suit and Jessica Williams’ white folkloric dress for their structure and color. The night was not all capes and old‑Hollywood polish, either: Hacks star Meg Stalter arrived in a neon‑orange cutout gown, cosplaying Kylie Jenner’s Chrome Hearts look alongside Paul W. Downs in a matching orange suit—a joke‑cosplay moment that the New York Times, Vogue, and People all flag as one of the carpet’s most memorable “costume‑as‑fashion” swings.