Janelle Monáe’s Butterfly Moment Is Everything I Love About Fashion
Janelle Monáe was always going to be the one to give us something different at the 2026 Academy Museum Gala in Los Angeles on Saturday, and she certainly didn’t disappoint. In fact, this is exactly the kind of red carpet moment I live for.
Wearing a Robert Wun Fall 2026 Couture gown, Janelle embraced the designer’s fantastical approach to fashion in a shimmering purple-and-black butterfly-inspired creation, complete with exaggerated hips and enormous sculptural wings.
I absolutely adore this. The colour, the shimmer, the extraordinary silhouette. Every element is a celebration of fashion at its most imaginative, and I can’t think of many people who could have worn this with quite the same conviction as Janelle.
What I particularly appreciate is that she didn’t wear that transparent spherical headpiece. As fascinating as that was, I think it would have upstaged the rest of the gown, and those magnificent butterfly wings deserve their moment.
This is precisely why I look forward to seeing Janelle on the red carpet. She understands the appeal of fashion as art, and more importantly, she has the personality to make something this extraordinary feel like a natural extension of herself.
And for anyone wondering how on earth she’s going to sit down in this creation, I’d say those padded hips should make the experience quite comfortable.
Stylist: Alexandra Mandelkorn.
FTC Disclaimer: Keep in mind that I may receive commissions when you click links and make purchases. However, this does not impact my reviews.
