Zendaya once again proved to be the red carpet’s most formidable force, topping the women’s rankings at the 2026 Emmy Awards and helping propel Prada to a near-first-place finish among fashion brands.

The actor generated $6.7 million in Media Impact Value, or MIV, after arriving in a custom belted Prada gown covered in crystal beading over pink tulle. Her look also featured a pixie cut, Mikimoto pearl earrings and a matching ring, plus a diamond-accented Rolex. Zendaya became the watchmaker’s latest ambassador in October 2025.

Although Zendaya did not share the Emmy ensemble on her own Instagram account, stylist Law Roach posted a brief video of himself adjusting her train on the carpet. It received more than 252,000 likes.

The results come from the third annual Red Carpet Power Rankings, a partnership between The Hollywood Reporter and data company Launchmetrics. Its proprietary algorithm assigns monetary values to social posts, interactions and editorial coverage, measuring earned engagement across fashion, watches and jewelry, accessories, and the top five women and men.

The fashion conversation remained resilient despite a decline in the television audience. The 78th Primetime Emmy Awards drew 6.8 million viewers from the Peacock Theater in downtown Los Angeles, down roughly 10 percent from the 7.59 million viewers recorded for the 2025 broadcast. While the Emmys’ engagement figures did not approach those of this year’s Oscars or Met Gala, fashion-category numbers changed little from last year and, in some cases, increased.

Zendaya and Selena Gomez Drive the Fashion Rankings

Louis Vuitton narrowly defeated Prada among fashion labels, finishing with $7.8 million in MIV against Prada’s $7.7 million. Selena Gomez, wearing a gold, sequin-embellished strapless gown, was a major contributor to Louis Vuitton’s victory. Katherine LaNasa appeared in light blue chiffon, while Emmy winner Rhea Seehorn chose a draped crimson gown from the label.

Louis Vuitton also dressed Shawn Hatosy, Paul Anthony Kelly and Charles Melton. Prada’s group included Adam Brody, Jon Hamm and Marcello Hernandez, though Zendaya accounted for much of the attention behind its second-place result.

Chanel placed third with $7.2 million after dressing four women: Nicole Kidman in a white mid-calf design with white silk flowers around the neckline; Sarah Pidgeon in a lilac, bias-cut silk gown; Ayo Edebiri in blue silk faille with a vermillion bow at the back; and Beef supporting actress nominee Youn Yuh-jung in a white silk gown decorated with alabaster flowers.

Balenciaga also gained attention through Sarah Snook’s butter-yellow gown, while Florence Pugh wore a lilac corseted design by Vivienne Westwood. Another Westwood look became one of the night’s unexpected talking points: Evie McGee Colbert, wife of Stephen Colbert, wore a blue plaid corset gown with asymmetrical skirt draping. The #eviecolbert hashtag gained momentum after her arrival, and novelist Pamela Terry told her 251,000 followers it was “hands down, my favorite dress from the Emmys last night.”

In the individual women’s standings, Gomez followed Zendaya with $5.6 million in MIV. Kidman ranked third at $3.9 million, Pidgeon took fourth with $2.7 million and Pugh completed the top five at $2.3 million.

Together, the five women generated $21.2 million, exactly $1 million more than the previous year’s total. The top five men, by comparison, produced $3.409 million.

Colman Domingo Leads the Men

Colman Domingo ranked first among male attendees with $1.3 million in MIV. Alessandro Michele created the Valentino suit as an homage to Domingo’s nominated role in Netflix’s The Four Seasons. Domingo had previously praised the designer’s artistry and whimsy during an event at New York Fashion Week.

Second place went to a Love Story actor wearing a custom, single-breasted Louis Vuitton tuxedo in deep chocolate brown, generating $562,000. Noah Wyle, who earned his second Emmy, ranked third in a custom Brunello Cucinelli tuxedo featuring a single-breasted beige jacket. Brody in Prada and Oscar Isaac in a white Celine suit rounded out the top five. Dan Levy, also dressed in Celine, narrowly missed the cutoff.

Jewelry and Handbags Make Their Mark

Tiffany & Co. led the watches and jewelry category with $2.2 million in MIV. Louisa Jacobson, Emma D’Arcy and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II wore the jeweler, but Gomez again drew the most attention. Her pieces included Bird on a Rock Feathers earrings and a bracelet made with platinum, 18-karat yellow gold and diamonds, as well as three rings. One was the Sixteen Stone by Tiffany & Co. design, set with 16 round brilliant diamonds.

Mikimoto finished second after its pearls appeared on Zendaya and Edebiri. Bulgari took third with $1.029 million through Pugh, its sole representative on the carpet. Pugh, who became a Bulgari ambassador in May, wore a high-jewelry necklace combining morganites, green tourmalines and diamonds in 18-karat pink gold.

Handbags displaced the footwear brands that often dominate the accessories standings. Tyler Ellis finished first with $428,000 after supplying evening clutches to roughly a dozen women, including Allison Janney, Jean Smart, Olivia Munn, Carrie Coon and Awkwafina.

Christian Louboutin placed second with just under $300,000, helped by evening shoes worn by Paul W. Downs, Alan Cumming and Chris Perfetti. Stuart Weitzman moved ahead of Jimmy Choo through shoes worn by Emmy host Mariska Hargitay. Jimmy Choo generated $167,000 from appearances on Pidgeon, Kaley Cuoco, Amanda Peet and others.

Gianvito Rossi finished fifth with $141,000, largely thanks to Dakota Fanning, whose Carolina Herrera dress made her Manhattan strappy sandals clearly visible. She completed the look with Swarovski jewelry.

What Happens Next?

The next major red carpet on the calendar is the 2026 MTV Video Music Awards. The ceremony will take place Sunday, Sept. 27, and air live from Los Angeles’ Peacock Theater.