Janelle Monáe Wears Robert Wun at the 2026 Academy Museum Gala

Janelle Monáe turned up to the 6th Annual Academy Museum Gala in Los Angeles dressed as a butterfly. A big, glittery, electric-blue one. The gown was Robert Wun Fall 2026 couture, and nobody else on the carpet looked like her.

Start with the top half. Two huge wings, covered in blue sequins, burst out from the bodice and spread across her shoulders, with long pointed tips that reached down toward her hips. They were stiff and sculpted, almost like she was wearing a piece of art. Below that the gown hugged her body tight in a mermaid shape, with the sequins fading from bright cobalt to nearly black as it went down, and then the skirt flared at the knee into a trumpet hem with a short train.

She finished it with sheer black sleeves that ran into bright blue gloves, and her nails were painted blue and pointed into sharp tips. Her hair was a short black pixie with a long, side-swept fringe, and a small blue butterfly clip sat at the top of it. Eye makeup was blue and violet to match the dress, with a glossy nude lip. She didn’t wear any other jewelry, which was the right call.

Janelle Monáe is a singer, songwriter and actress. She is known for albums like The ArchAndroid and Dirty Computer, and for acting in Hidden Figures, Moonlight and Glass Onion. She wore a sheer beaded Antonio Grimaldi gown to the Lucas Museum opening recently, and it’s a very different mood.

The gala was held on Saturday, October 17, 2026, at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in LA. Charlize Theron picked up the Icon Award, John Carpenter the Luminary Award and Colman Domingo the Vantage Award, and Taylor Swift performed. The night raises money for the museum’s exhibitions, screenings and education programs.

Short hair has been a signature for her for years. If you want more cuts like it, check out these curly pixie cut celebrity looks.