The Best-Dressed Stars at the 2026 Creative Arts Emmys, Ahead of TV's Biggest Night

Before the main event on September 14, television's biggest names gathered for the 78th Creative Arts Emmy Awards across two nights at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, and the carpet made clear that this year's Emmys fashion story would have no single formula.

Brittany Allen chose a strapless black-and-silver gown with a dramatic asymmetric silver-embellished bodice, while Chelsea Green paired an intricate gold-and-black floral corseted gown with long opera gloves for maximum drama. R'Bonney Gabriel opted for a white cutout gown with elegant draping and sparkling jewellery.

On the second night, The White Lotus star Leslie Bibb shimmered in a metallic gold floor-length slip dress with a softly draped neckline, Big Little Lies actress Shailene Woodley kept things playful in a white mini dress with barely-there black strappy heels, and Kaitlin Olson brought bridal-adjacent elegance in a structured white gown. Sparkle, fringe, cutouts and sleek trains dominated across both nights — proof, as one outlet put it, that there is no single way to stand out on a television red carpet anymore. The Creative Arts nights typically receive far less coverage than the main ceremony, but in 2026 they served as a genuine style preview for what to expect once the Primetime Emmys carpet opens.