On May 9, the 2026 Gold Gala once again transformed Los Angeles into a celebration of Asian and Pacific excellence, bringing together actors, musicians, athletes, creators, and industry leaders for one of the year’s most anticipated cultural events. As always, the gold carpet delivered no shortage of standout fashion moments, with attendees embracing everything from sleek couture and sculptural tailoring to heritage-inspired details and dramatic silhouettes. Whether leaning into timeless glamour or bold fashion risks, this year’s guests showed up ready to make a statement.
Here are EnVi’s picks for the best dressed stars of the night.
Supriya Ganesh
Out of the ER scrubs and onto the Gold Gala carpet, actress Supriya Ganesh, known for her role as Dr. Mohan in the hit HBO Max show The Pitt, arrived on the gold carpet wearing Naeem Khan. Ganesh chose a strapless gold gown with layers of tulle and raffia, a nod to traditional Indian raffia craft. The dress design drew inspiration from the works of Andy Warhol, implementing poppy flower motifs twisting down the skirt. To compliment the airy and billowy form, Ganesh also wore delicate pieces of Shaneli jewelry and Alevi heels.
Anthony Keyvan
Actor Anthony Keyvan reunited with some of his fellow XO Kitty castmates on the gold carpet. Styled by the duo, Annie Easton and Nora Foley, Keyvan arrived wearing a textured wrap blazer and pants. Keyvan’s hair was gelled back and his makeup was kept clean and glassy to match the minimalist, but classic attire. His groomer, Colleen Dominique, credited Caldera Lab, Armani Beauty, and Leonor Greyl Paris as the skincare and hair product MVPs of the night.
Eileen Gu
Olympic Gold Medalist Eileen Gu arrived in a confectionery pink gown by Andrew Kwon. The soft color palette, along with the multiple layers of tulle, kept the skirt light and feminine, mimicking a princess a-line skirt. The shorter layers in the front not only add a unique element to the gown, but also serve to elongate her overall figure.
Anna Cathcart
XO Kitty star Anna Cathcart made a appearance at the gold carpet in a figure-hugging strapless black gown by Bach Mai. The dress featured ruffled blush pink fabric that flared at her hips like a peplum skirt. Her hair was in soft curls, done by Terra Rose Puncerelli, and the makeup, by Kendal Fedail, was kept soft and youthful with rosy cheeks, a glossy pink lip, and a soft cat eye to accentuate Anna’s round eyes and complimenting the gown.
manny Jacinto
Manny Jacinto walked the carpet in a cream colored NB44 suit jacket paired with black dress pants by Nicolas Bijan. Styled by Ilaria Urbinati, Megan Lackey, Jina Dusara, and Mia Faigus, a black bow tie and the watch from Jaeger-LeCoultre brought out his defined features and dark hair to complete the dapper look. While the Gold Gala is about celebrating Asian and Pacific Islander excellence, Jacinto mentioned in an interview that the gala for him is also an opportunity to reconnect with some of the people he has worked with in the past, “It’s very uplifting and inspiring and always really fun.”
Liza Soberano
Filipino actress Liza Soberano appeared at the Gold Gala wearing a unique and structural fan dress from Phan Huy‘s Fall Winter 2025/2026 Collection. With a beige organza base, the main focal points of the gown were the embroidered bamboo fans placed on the bust, waist, hips, and down the dress’s train. The ribbed structures running down the length of the skirt were inspired by bamboo fan ribs, but were executed using a combination of traditional boning techniques, combining fashion with heritage.
no na
The four member Indonesian girl group no na stood out wearing coordinated yet unique ensembles including utilized wastra nusantara, traditional Indonesian textiles, reflecting a theme of modern heritage. Vocalist and rapper Esther Geraldine wore a gold tube top paired with a sogan batik fabric tied at the waist and an antique golden arm cuff. Shazfa Adesya’s style leaned into modern fashion with a sheer corseted gown adorned with sequins and along with a woven tapis lampung draped over her right shoulder. Christy Gardena rocked an architectural top, reminiscent of a futuristic breastplate, along with a songket shawl and her hair pulled back in a modern bun. Baila Fauri wore a sparkling nude gown with a luxurious red Palembang songket.
EJAE
GRAMMY and Academy Award-winning singer-songwriter EJAE, made her Gold Gala debut in a custom design by LEJE. The pale blue dress featured a basque waist flowing into a floor-length structural and voluminous skirt. Up close, we can see the mosaic peony designs made up of 1,000 delicately cut mother-of-pearl pieces. Inspired by traditional Korean lacquer ware (나전칠기), the dress celebrated EJAE’s Korean background through couture. Matching the mother-of-pearl center piece on her gown, EJAE paired her look with pearl earrings and a sleek high ponytail ending with two long braids.
Maia Kealoha
Actress Maia Kealoha, known for her role as Lilo in the 2025 Lilo & Stitch live action movie, attends her first Gold Gala wearing a piece by Kini Zamora. Kealoha’s gown incorporated Lauhala, a traditional Polynesian weaving style, to create the top of the dress. As Lauhala often symbolizes unity and family heritage, in Kealoha’s words, the dress was “fitting for the Gold Gala, an event that brings together AANHPI leaders to create a stronger community.” Kealoha wore her hair in a high ponytail to showcase her face and halter neckline by hair dresser and makeup artist, Tanya Alian. Completing her Gold Gala look with a pair of dangling pink orchid earrings, Kealoha’s outfit perfectly celebrates her heritage as well as her achievements as the youngest native Hawaiian actress to star in a film grossing over $1 billion.
H.E.R.
Arriving in a gown from Phan Huy’s latest couture collection, singer-songwriter H.E.R. caught the gaze of many cameras in her petal-textured gown. The gown features a nude tulle base covered with thousands of gilded crimson chiffon leaf embellishments, positioned individually to create a blooming effect around the bust and hips. Thus, the illusion of movement and texture in her ensemble mirrored a sense of boldness in found in H.E.R.’s music.
Avan Jogia and Halsey
Actor Avan Jogia showed up to the gold carpet with singer-songwriter Halsey in Rahul Mishra. Avan rocked an embroidered ‘Himadri’ Sherwani jacket in black along with a few necklaces as statement pieces. Though his color palette was mainly black, leaning into sleek and formal aesthetics, the intricate beaded embroidery added a unique texture to his look.
Halsey, in contrast, wore the archival ‘Serpent’ gathered gown from Mishra’s 2024 Spring Couture collection. The plunging neckline with the flowing fabrics accentuated Halsey’s natural features while also drawing attention to her braided updo and the greens tones of her heavily beaded choker and the Indian-inspired earrings. Halsey’s makeup, while glowy with dark-lined lips, includes green eyeliner on her lower waterline, tying together the touches of green with her overall golden ensemble.
Eugene Lee Yang
Eugene Lee Yang, co-founder of the Try Guys, filmmaker, and known LGBTQIA+ activist, attended the 2026 Gold Gala in a black strapless corset by QUEERA and a wide-leg pant set complete with a long draping rose-covered coat by The Mayor Official. Eugene’s black on black look with flowy materials created a sense of androgyny, leaving the audience to second-guess whether we are looking at pants or a skirt. Continuing with the theme of the Gold Gala, Eugene also donned a lotus head dress, a golden lotus flower surrounded by several artistically shaped lotus leaves.
Esther Yu
When it comes to gold, Chinese star Esther Yu spared no expense. Yu wore a strapless gown from Laurence Xu’s Fall 2013 couture collection. The gown was embroidered with traditional Panjin, a 3-D embroidery technique originating from the Tang Dynasty where gold or silver wire are laid and couched to form traditional patterns or symbols. Trailing behind the dress was also a black tulle and feathered train bringing to mind the feathered tail of a phoenix. Yu also wore a golden hair accessory placed on her left balanced with a single triangular earring on her right during interviews. Yu shared excitedly about her upcoming C-drama, Yun Chu Ling (云初令), a historical drama riddled with betrayal, revenge, and destiny.
Want more API fashion? Read API Stars Rock The 2026 Met Gala Carpet.
