LACMA Gala Best Dressed: Kidman’s Degas-Inspired Chanel Leads 43 Standout Looks

Nicole Kidman’s tattered-tulle Chanel gown, a nod to a Degas sculpture, emerged as the most talked-about look at the LACMA gala, held on November 7 in Los Angeles. It was one of 43 red-carpet moments Vogue singled out, while Harper’s Bazaar narrowed its own list to ten.

The annual Art + Film event raises money for the Los Angeles County Museum of Art’s film initiatives, exhibitions, acquisitions and educational programs. This year it was co-chaired by Leonardo DiCaprio and museum trustee Eva Chow. Artist Vija Celmins and filmmaker Denis Villeneuve received special honours. Gucci, the event’s longtime supporter, was everywhere on the carpet.

Kidman’s Chanel Ties Fashion to the Museum

Harper’s called Kidman’s dress perhaps the most fitting look of the night. It comes from Matthieu Blazy’s Spring 2027 collection for Chanel. The bodice is designed to resemble burlap, and the layered tulle skirt has darker panels that make it look aged and worn. The design references Degas’s 1881 sculpture “Little Dancer of Fourteen Years.” Harper’s argued that it captured what the evening celebrates: a movie star, a historic French fashion house and a canonical Impressionist artist in one outfit.

Gucci Dominates the LACMA Gala Red Carpet

Gucci’s presence was hard to miss. Vogue’s gallery credits the label with dozens of looks, including Kim Kardashian, Viola Davis, Sarah Paulson, Sienna Miller, Salma Hayek-Pinault, Emily Ratajkowski, Andrew Garfield and Villeneuve himself.

Rosie Huntington-Whiteley wore a slinky black backless gown with a slit up the back rather than the front. She had walked in the brand’s Spring 2027 show. Harper’s noted that Demna, who designed the collection, said he was proudest of the structure of its jersey dresses, which are light but engineered to hang precisely.

Other models from that runway also attended. Alex Consani wore a dramatically twisted, full-skirted gown. Elsa Hosk chose gray wool with a thigh-high slit, and Candice Swanepoel wore full-length silver fringe with slits up to the hips.

Beyond Gucci: Vintage, Couture and Playful Experiments

Harper’s said guests leaned into play this year, and the non-Gucci standouts showed it. Anya Taylor-Joy, styled by Law Roach, drew on the Pierre Cardin archives. She wore a vintage 1997 piece, an embroidered silvery-white slip with a ruffled organza evening coat. Kylie Jenner wore Ashi Studio, a halter-neck gown with an allover deer-like animal print and an oversized tassel at the back. Julia Garner chose a sculptural black taffeta Loewe gown with oversized Lisa Eisner earrings.

Vogue’s longer list shows how wide the field ran. Rosé wore Saint Laurent, and Paris Hilton wore Jenny Packham. Brittany Snow chose vintage Ralph Lauren, and Olivia Munn wore vintage Mugler. Aurora James wore Rodarte, Ashley Park wore Prabal Gurung and Benito Skinner wore ERL.

What the Night Says About Red-Carpet Dressing

Brand sponsorship shaped the evening, but the most memorable looks often stepped outside it. Archive pieces from Cardin, Mugler and Ralph Lauren sat beside new collections from Chanel and Loewe. The LACMA gala has long mixed art, film and fashion, and the standout looks this year made the connection explicit, most clearly Kidman’s Degas reference.

Harper’s top ten also included Quenlin Blackwell, Sienna Miller and Devon Lee Carlson in Gucci, and Rosé in Saint Laurent. Vogue’s gallery, which runs well past those names, is the fuller record of the night.

Explore more on this topic with Vexel Search.