Fall fashion week may be over on the calendar, but on the red carpet the season is just hitting its stride. This week, stars on both coasts turned sidewalks and step-and-repeats into runways of their own, from a New York film premiere where hand-crafted couture stole the spotlight to a Los Angeles lingerie spectacular dripping in sparkle. The common thread? Nobody played it safe.
In New York City, Jenna Ortega and Amy Adams led the charge at the Klara and the Sun premiere, each choosing a look that could not have been more different — or more memorable. Ortega arrived in a silver, orange and yellow gown with a halter neckline and a fringed skirt by atelier-trained designer Elias Matso, a one-of-a-kind creation built with steel-rod fringe, crystals and multicolored beads. The dress, from Matso’s “Melt with Me” collection, was handmade from start to finish — a deliberate, human-crafted statement for a film about an artificial friend. Adams countered with pure sculptural elegance: a black off-the-shoulder gown with oversized white cuffs by Rosie Assoulin, proof that a single dramatic detail can carry an entire silhouette.
(the CwE / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 3.0))Across the country in Los Angeles, the 2026 Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show delivered its own brand of maximalism. Megan Thee Stallion attended in a pink sparkling gown with a matching feathered boa by Walter Mendez Atelier, a look that managed to be both Old Hollywood and entirely her own. The rapper has never been one to whisper on a red carpet, and the head-to-toe shimmer — gown plus boa — made her one of the most photographed guests of the night. Tate McRae, who also performed during the show, chose a Victoria’s Secret black beaded bra with a butterfly motif paired with a matching low-rise maxi skirt, leaning into the brand’s signature mix of lingerie-as-eveningwear.
Sheer Drama at AFI Fest
Angela Bassett brought grown-up glamour to the 2026 AFI Fest in Los Angeles, wearing a black partially sheer Christian Siriano gown with a winged collar and a corseted bodice. The look was classic Bassett: commanding, polished and utterly unbothered by trends. Siriano’s construction — sheer panels balanced against a structured corset — gave the gown its edge, and Bassett wore it the way only she can, like armor.
(Gabriel Hutchinson / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0))New York offered quieter but no less striking moments. At the Museum at FIT’s Annual Couture Council Luncheon, honoree Diane von Furstenberg proved that personal style only sharpens with time, appearing in a red leopard-print suit with a black top and a burgundy scarf. It was a masterclass in wearing the clothes rather than letting them wear you — and a reminder that the woman who invented the wrap dress still knows exactly how to make an entrance.
West Coast Elegance
In Beverly Hills, Janet Jackson attended the Dancers Against Cancer’s Gala of the Stars in a black long-sleeve gown detailed with crochet lace in a scallop pattern throughout. The texture did all the talking: from a distance the gown read as classic black-tie, but up close the hand-crafted lacework revealed itself, a statement piece built on craft rather than flash.
Olivia Colman took a different route at the Wicker premiere in Los Angeles, pairing a red long-sleeve button-down shirt with a burgundy high-waisted maxi skirt finished with a short train. The look was unfussy and confident — shirting dressed up just enough for a premiere, in a rich tonal palette that photographed beautifully.
(Raph_PH / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0))New York Street Style, Elevated
Quinta Brunson gave New York a jolt of pattern in a blue and brown plaid mini dress by Vivienne Westwood, finished with burgundy knee-high boots. The proportions were playful, the palette autumnal, and the boots gave the whole look its punch — a reminder that the best street style often comes down to one unexpected pairing.
Closing out the week in Newport Beach, McKenna Grace attended the 2026 Newport Beach Film Festival in a black strapless Nicole + Felicia gown covered in 3D butterflies. The embellishment caught the light with every step, turning a classic black gown into something almost kinetic. It was a fitting finale to a week where, from fringed couture to butterfly appliqué, fashion’s message was clear: more is more.
Ten looks, two coasts, one verdict — this was a week where the stars dressed like they meant it. Whether it was hand-sewn fringe, sculptural cuffs or a feathered boa, each outfit told its own story. And if the lookbooks of the coming months are anything to go by, the stories are only getting bolder.
The Details That Made the Difference
Great outfits are rarely about the gown alone, and this week’s shoes told their own story. Ortega paired her crystal-fringed Matso creation with nude Christian Louboutin Iriza stilettos — a quiet, leg-lengthening choice that kept the focus on the dress’s architecture. Adams went the opposite direction with sleek black satin pumps, matching her gown’s monochrome discipline. Brunson’s burgundy knee-high boots were arguably the hardest-working accessory of the week, grounding her plaid mini with autumn attitude. Even the jewelry mattered: Bassett’s look was finished with the kind of polished, grown-up accessories that signal a woman who has never needed a stylist to tell her who she is. The lesson for the rest of us? The dress gets the photograph, but the details get the remembered.
There’s also something to be said for dressing for the event you’re actually attending. A film premiere, a fashion show, a gala, a luncheon — each of this week’s stars calibrated precisely. Von Furstenberg’s luncheon suit was daytime polish; Jackson’s gala gown was evening reverence; McRae’s stage-ready beading was built to move under lights. None of them would have worked at the wrong event. That calibration — reading the room before choosing the outfit — is the most underrated skill in fashion, and this week, ten out of ten stars aced it.