Zoe Saldana Wears a Lingerie-Inspired Gown at the 2026 Oscars, Returning as Presenter
zoe saldana returned to the Oscars red carpet at the 2026 ceremony as one of the evening’s presenters, choosing a lingerie-inspired Saint Laurent gown by Anthony Vaccarello for the occasion. The appearance followed her first Academy Award win the previous year for Best Supporting Actress for her role in Emilia Pérez.
Zoe Saldana’s Red Carpet Look and Jewelry
For the 2026 telecast, the actress stepped out in a gown described as lingerie-inspired from Saint Laurent by Anthony Vaccarello. Complementing the ensemble, she wore high jewelry from Cartier, including platinum and diamond earrings, a double-row Broderie de Cartier wedding band in 18-karat white gold and diamonds, a Cartier Destinée wedding band in 18-karat white gold and diamonds, and an Art En Équilibre Chapter 3 High Jewelry necklace in platinum with rubies and diamonds. The combination of a sleek, underpinned silhouette and statement jewels reinforced her reputation for striking red carpet fashion.
Return to the Oscars After 2025 Win
Last year, zoe saldana won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her portrayal of a struggling attorney in Emilia Pérez, capturing the prize on her first nomination. She returned to the Dolby Theater at the 2026 ceremony as a presenter in the same category she won in 2025. At that earlier ceremony she also wore a custom house gown featuring a strapless neckline, a tiered bubble-hem skirt, transparent black opera gloves, and Cartier jewelry.
Reflecting on the role that earned her the Oscar, she told Netflix’s Tudum that the experience felt like “a rebirth, ” describing the opportunity as rejuvenating and a return to a truer version of herself. Her win marked a first for a Dominican American recipient of an Academy Award, and in her acceptance speech she invoked her immigrant roots and the pride of performing in Spanish.
Emilia Pérez was a major presence at the prior awards season, leading that year’s nominations with 13 nods and generating significant discussion around cultural portrayal and other controversies connected to the film’s lead. Despite those debates, the film’s awards-season momentum and Saldaña’s performance remained focal points heading into the next ceremony.
Career Milestones and Box Office Record
Saldaña’s career spans more than two decades, beginning with a screen debut in Center Stage where she played a ballet student. She has since appeared in major franchise films, including entries in Avatar, the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and three Star Trek films. In January, she was identified as the highest-grossing actor of all time, a milestone attributed in the context to the commercial performance of recent franchise entries.
Her films have amassed a combined total cited at $15. 47 billion. In a video message to followers after reaching the milestone, she thanked fans for their support and framed the achievement as belonging to them as much as to her.
Outside the awards circuit, the actress has continued to deliver fashion moments in public appearances, most recently stepping out in New York in a tailored grey shirt-and-skirt set with a long coat, hoop earrings, and patent leather pumps in December 2025.
As the 2026 telecast progressed, Saldaña’s return to the stage as a presenter and her choice of a lingerie-inspired Saint Laurent gown reinforced both her continuing role in awards-season storytelling and her standing as a figure whose career and public moments draw attention across film, fashion, and box office conversation.
