‘Eden’ Star Ana de Armas Delivers a Dramatic Old Hollywood Moment at the Academy Museum Gala
Ana de Armas has quietly become one of the most watched women on any red carpet, and her fashion choices this year have kept everyone talking. At the 2026 Golden Globes, where she presented Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama alongside Chris Pine, she wore a custom black Louis Vuitton gown with a glittering finish and a thigh-high slit.
Not every look has been a universal hit, though. Her custom H&M dress at the 2026 Met Gala drew mixed reactions online, proving that even a style favorite can divide fans from time to time.
That made her next big red carpet appearance all the more anticipated. The sixth annual Academy Museum Gala took place on October 17 at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, raising funds for the museum’s exhibitions, educational initiatives and public programs.
This year’s edition honored Charlize Theron with the Icon Award, Colman Domingo with the Vantage Award and John Carpenter with the Luminary Award. Presented by Rolex and co-chaired by Robert Rodriguez, Steven Spielberg and Kate Capshaw, the evening also featured Taylor Swift as its performer. Among the night’s most striking arrivals was de Armas herself.
Ana de Armas at the #AcademyMuseumGala https://t.co/EfRlY6QjWh
— The Hollywood Reporter (@THR) October 18, 2026
She opted for a strapless black velvet gown with a sculpted, sweetheart-style bodice that plunged into a sheer panel at the center. The fitted silhouette flowed into a voluminous mermaid skirt that pooled dramatically around her feet.
De Armas kept her styling sleek to let the gown speak for itself. Her brunette hair fell straight past her shoulders, finished with a sparkling statement necklace that added a touch of shine against the dark velvet.
The all-black look echoed one of her most elegant past moments. At the 2025 Oscars, she wore a black column gown with a silver halter neckline, a sleek choice that showed her lasting fondness for dark, sculptural silhouettes.
The gala’s timing makes it a natural stage for statements like this one. Coming just weeks after the Spring 2027 collections hit the runways in New York, London, Milan and Paris, the event has become a major fixture on the fashion calendar.
Meu Deus! Ana de Armas no Academy Museum Gala hoje, 17, em Los Angeles. https://t.co/2jD7wfXVbn
— Ana de Armas Brasil (@anadearmasbr) October 18, 2026
WWD noted that the gala, launched in 2021 to celebrate the museum’s opening, has grown into a key meeting point for Hollywood, luxury fashion and celebrity dressing. De Armas walked alongside stars including Taylor Swift, Common and many more.
Her fashion moments arrive alongside a busy professional slate. De Armas earned an Oscar nomination for playing Marilyn Monroe in ‘Blonde’, and she later led the John Wick spinoff ‘Ballerina’ as Eve Macarro, a trained assassin with a ballet background.
Up next, she stars in ‘Sweat’, an English-language remake of a Polish film directed by J. Blakeson, playing a rising fitness influencer whose life spirals after an encounter with an obsessive fan. She is also set to star opposite Sebastian Stan in Felipe Gálvez’s espionage thriller ‘Impunity’.
She has been linked to Grant Singer’s secretive thriller ‘Reenactment’ alongside Benicio del Toro and Cameron Diaz as well. With so many projects lined up, red carpets like this one are likely to keep coming.
After a year of bold experiments, de Armas’ gala look felt like a confident return to timeless elegance. The sweeping velvet silhouette and minimal styling gave the evening a distinctly Old Hollywood feel, fitting for a night dedicated to celebrating cinema.
What do you think of Ana de Armas’ dramatic black velvet gown at the 2026 Academy Museum Gala?
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