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Actor Awards 2026: Gwyneth Paltrow to Sarah Pidgeon make a case for some drop-waist drama
The whole rebrand aside, the Actor Awards (previously SAG Awards) red carpet was still teeming with couture trend spotting
The Actor Awards - previously known as the Screen Actor Guild Awards - was held last night at Los Angeles' Shrine Auditorium. You could feel the essence of the rebrand in the air. Things felt...different - but good thing we always have the red carpet to simultaneously pull us back into nostalgia, whilst forecasting couture trends that should dominate your wardrobe. And last night, the drop-waist silhouette made quite some headway in attempting to mint a Spring spot for itself. We pulled out the best of the lot for you.
Sarah Pidgeon
Ryan Murphy's Love Story may have released to the western audience, but the Carolyn Bessette Kennedy era hasn't left lead actor Sarah Pidgeon just yet. In what was a pastel update on the mostly monochrome CBK aesthetic, Sarah made her SAG-debut in a blush pink Balenciaga gown from the ready-to-wear Spring-Summer 2026 collection. The double balloon hem creates the illusion of a drop waist while the almond toe heels - a perfect shade match for the gown - keeps the whimsy alive. Blush, dewy glam and a lose low-knot on her crimpled blonde hair completed the look.
Gwyneth Paltrow
It was homecoming for Gwyneth Paltrow as she graced the SAG red carpet after a winding 26 years. And a custom black lace Givenchy gown it was for the moment, courtesy of Marty Supreme's awards circuit lap. The floral-stamped sheer lace bodice carried a plunging neckline giving way to a cased-in torso. The material took on some shimmer and stiff pleats, mimicking a ballgown silhouette starting from the hips. Belperron turquoise earrings (96-years-old apparently!) and a slick, side-parted updo completed Gwyneth's red carpet moment.
Dove Cameron
With Dove Cameron, the drop waist detail was the hero of her look. The Monique Lhuillier FW26 ready-to-wear collection piece carried a svelte black bodice travelling slightly past the waist to poof up into the satin ballgown skirt. Centre-parted soft waves, a maroon pout and a frosted neck completed the effortless appearance.
Sofia Carson
The moodiness and drama that an Elie Saab stitch comes with is unmissable, and Sofia Carson made sure she made it a moment. A nude and black lace bodice ends sharply at the hip bones to blow up into a dramatic black ballgown skirt. Smoky eyes and a perfectly bronzed face paired with that side-parted sleek bun completed the look.
Special mention: Teyana Taylor
It was surrealism on steroids as Teyana Taylor stepped out with daughter Rue Rose Shumpert (5) in hand, in her breathtaking Thom Browne look. The bodice mimicked a naked woman's torso, the dimensions defined with abstract impressions of white and gray paint. The bodice's hem dropped in a whimsical wave past the hips, to give way to a length of glitter, embellished with a few stray ribbons at the hem. Tiffany & Co. jewellery and her trademark messy pixie cut, made for the final details in Teyana's ensemble.
Is drop waist the next hot-girl moment in fashion?
