Anya Taylor-Joy's archival bridal look at the 2026 LACMA Art+Film Gala on 7 November drew a 'high end fashion jelly fish' comparison on Reddit, where its flowing layers prompted references to sea creatures and fantasy costumes. Styled by Law Roach, the actress wore a vintage Pierre Cardin Spring 1997 haute couture bridal gown.
Reddit user hamwaffles was among those praising the outfit, writing, 'I actually love it, there's a lot going on but she makes it work'. Originally designed as bridal wear, the piece paired a floral-embroidered column dress with a flowing organza drape, whose frilled outline prompted several of the discussion's imaginative descriptions.
anya taylor joy in vintage pierre cardin at the lacma art+film gala
— lunika (@fashionitgirl) November 8, 2026
the best look of the night, the more that I look at this, the more obsessed I become pic.twitter.com/bHFIUGBImr
LACMA Gala Honours Film and Art
The 15th annual gala took place on 7 November at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, honouring artist Vija Celmins and filmmaker Denis Villeneuve. Leonardo DiCaprio and LACMA trustee Eva Chow returned as co-chairs, while Gucci continued as presenting sponsor, a role it has held since the gala began in 2011.
Proceeds support LACMA's initiative to make film more central to its curatorial programming, alongside the museum's broader mission. That funding includes exhibitions, acquisitions, and educational programming, as well as screenings exploring the intersection of art and film.
Law Roach Styles Archival Pierre Cardin
Roach styled Taylor-Joy in the archival couture piece, which was first presented nearly three decades before its latest red-carpet appearance. Nicole Kidman and Andrew Garfield were also among the guests at the gala, joining figures from the film, fashion, and art worlds for the annual fundraiser.
The style first appeared in the Brooklyn Museum's 2019 Pierre Cardin: Future Fashion exhibition, WWD reported. The retrospective surveyed Cardin's career across fashion, furniture, and industrial design, drawing primarily from his archive and placing his clothing within the wider range of his creative work.
anya taylor-joy at the 2026 lacma art+film gala. pic.twitter.com/ywxu8YiZII
— 21 (@21metgala) November 8, 2026
The fitted column dress sat beneath a voluminous organza drape that surrounded Taylor-Joy's shoulders and extended towards the floor, with sheer sleeves incorporated into the outer layer. Its wavy edges gave the marine-life comparisons a visual reference, although the coverage does not identify sea creatures as the inspiration behind Cardin's original design.
Taylor-Joy paired the gown with Tiffany & Co. jewellery, including a Schlumberger Stars and Moons necklace and diamond stud earrings, alongside metallic silver Jimmy Choo platform sandals. Her white-blonde hair was slicked back into a bun, leaving the celestial necklace visible above the dress and the drape arranged around her shoulders.
Reddit Reactions Range From Jellyfish to Alien Queen
In the r/popculturechat discussion, user lalineaaa wrote, 'it's giving high end fashion jelly fish,' while Silly-Jicama-3382 suggested 'one of those beautiful, frilly sea slugs.' Neither comment explicitly rejected the outfit, and other participants embraced its unusual appearance rather than insulting the gown with the comparison.
Others were appreciative, with GiraffePolka saying the ensemble resembled something an alien queen would wear in classic Doctor Who. User username__0000 offered a different reference, writing, 'I love her. She's like high fashion Barbie,' adding to the thread's mixture of fashion, fantasy and pop-culture associations.
Not all responses were entirely positive, with pistachio-pie admiring the sculptural wrap while questioning the colour and the fit of the straps and neckline. The commenter wrote, 'How do I both love and hate this.' Several commenters were enthusiastic about the look, even when they found it difficult to describe. AcheyShakySpoon wrote, 'I don't understand it, but I love it. No notes,' while metdear offered a straightforward endorsement: 'I think it's fantastic.'
