Elle Fanning Ditches Old Hollywood Glamour for a Surprisingly Modern Ralph Lauren Gown at the 2026 Emmys

Fresh off her front-row appearance wearing leopard print at Coach's Spring 2027 New York Fashion Week show, Elle Fanning showed up on the 2026 Emmy Awards red carpet (that's actually blue) in a shimmery sage dress, custom-made by Ralph Lauren.

The actor, who is nominated for not one but two awards on Monday night, has a history of leaning into Old Hollywood-esque glamour on her big red carpet nights. Fanning often opts for princess dresses, column gowns, and the like, but Monday night at the Emmys was a bit different. The actor, styled by Samantha McMillen, hit the Emmys carpet in a brighter, bubblier silk chiffon frock by the American designer. Fanning topped off the lustrous look with Cartier drop earrings.

Fanning is nominated for her work on Margo’s Got Money Troubles. The Georgia-born actor is up for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series for playing the titular character on the AppleTV+ show, based on a book by Rufi Thorpe, as well as Outstanding Comedy Series as an executive producer. The show, which has a stacked cast with names like Michelle Pfeiffer and Nicole Kidman, scored eight nominations in total.

This is Fanning's second time attending the Emmys. She made her debut in 2022 as a first-time nominee for playing Catherine the Great in Hulu's The Great. Rather than turn to a traditional fashion house, Fanning had the show's Emmy-winning costume designer Sharon Long create her strapless black-and-pale-pink gown. The Old Hollywood-inspired look, with a floral bustier and cascading train, was handmade by The Great seamstress Catherine Shaw and styled by McMillen.

The Emmys go even further than Elle with her older sister, Dakota Fanning. She first attended in 2003 at the age of nine, when Steven Spielberg Presents Taken, in which she starred, won Outstanding Miniseries. She returned in 2018 to support The Alienist and, more recently, in 2024 as a first-time acting nominee for Ripley. Dakota is also nominated this year for Supporting Actress for All Her Fault and Outstanding Comedy Series for Margo's Got Money Troubles, on which she serves as an executive producer alongside her younger sister.

Expect to see more of Fanning as Margo onscreen... but maybe not until next year. The AppleTV+ series was renewed for a second season this spring, and it's not expected to hit streaming until 2027 at least. That's also when Fanning will next return to the silver screen for a feature film adaptation of Kristin Hannah's novel, The Nightingale, alongside Dakota.