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‘Blade Runner 2099’ Star Hunter Schafer Slips Into Black Velvet at the Academy Museum Gala, and That Cheeky White Slit Is Stealing the Show

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Hunter Schafer has built a red carpet reputation on never playing by the rules. From a metallic Prada alien-esque look at the 2021 Met Gala to a gold lamé Prada piece for ‘The Hunger Games’ premiere in London, her fashion history reads like a gallery of risks. This year, with ‘Euphoria’ back for its third season, she has been busier on the carpet than ever.

The sixth annual Academy Museum Gala took place on October 17 in Los Angeles, with Charlize Theron, Colman Domingo and John Carpenter honored and Taylor Swift set to perform. Compared with last year’s more daring fashion moments, the evening was described as comparatively low-key, with many guests choosing classic black-tie dressing and adding a twist through texture, softly draped silhouettes and modern proportions.

That made Hunter Schafer’s Academy Museum Gala look a perfect fit for the night. She wore a custom Prada black velvet column gown inspired by the brand’s Spring/Summer 2027 collection, with a bow detail and a slit finished with a white georgette panel.

In the carpet clip, Schafer poses in a strapless, softly structured bodice that hugs her figure down to the floor. A black bow sits at the hip, and where the skirt parts, a swath of white georgette peeks out, creating a graphic flash of contrast every time she moves.

She kept the rest of the styling romantic. Her long, wavy hair falls loose over one shoulder, and a pair of pink drop earrings adds a pop of color against the black. The look is clean and a little coy, with that white panel doing the teasing.

Prada has been central to her style for years, and this gown shows how far the relationship stretches. At the 2025 Met Gala, she wore an oversized black Prada suit for the “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style” theme, and at the 2026 Met Gala, she wore a custom Prada look inspired by Gustav Klimt’s painting ‘Mäda Primavesi.’

That Met Gala gown was an empire-waist design with a line of rosettes under the bust, finished with a bow in her hair, and it stood out on a carpet filled with sheer, barely-there dresses. Compared with that, the gala gown feels sleeker but keeps the same love of a bow.

Her 2026 has been packed with fashion moments tied to ‘Euphoria.’ At the season 3 premiere in Los Angeles on April 8, she wore a shiny gold dress with delicate string-like straps and side cutouts. Around Met Gala week, her character Jules recreated Georges Seurat’s ‘A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte’ in an episode.

Between the premiere gold and the Klimt-inspired Prada, she has shown a willingness to move from daring to demure. This velvet column falls somewhere between the two.

Her slate is just as varied as her wardrobe. Schafer is set to appear in Tom Ford’s period drama ‘Cry to Heaven,’ an adaptation of Anne Rice’s 18th-century opera novel, and in the sci-fi series ‘Blade Runner 2099’ for Prime Video alongside Michelle Yeoh. She is also listed for ‘Mother Mary’ opposite Anne Hathaway and for the film ‘Fish’ with Tim Roth.

Tom Ford himself was among the guests at the gala, which adds a fun connection between her upcoming film and the carpet. Her horror film ‘Cuckoo,’ in which she plays a lead role, is also available on Netflix.

Schafer shared the carpet with nearly 200 celebrities. Taylor Swift, Kate Hudson, Jamie Lee Curtis, Kerry Washington, Adria Arjona, Wunmi Mosaku and Chase Infiniti were among the attendees, along with Jessica Biel and Justin Timberlake, Karlie Kloss and Greta Lee.

She also made it onto the best-dressed roundups from the night, a testament to how well a classic black gown with one smart twist can land in a crowd of statement looks.

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The gown relies on a single, clever idea. Black velvet gives a rich, formal base, the bow adds a girlish touch, and the white georgette panel hides in the slit until she moves, which turns the whole piece into a small reveal.

That combination of polish and mischief fits her best red carpet work. It is the kind of look that feels classic from a distance but rewards a closer look.

What do you think of Hunter Schafer’s black velvet Prada gown at the 2026 Academy Museum Gala?

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