‘X-Men’ Star Inde Navarrette and Odessa A’zion Cuddle Up at Armani’s Academy Gala After-Party
The best part of a big Hollywood gala is often what happens after the carpet closes. Once the speeches are over and the gowns have been photographed to death, the real fun moves to the after-party. That is where friends pile into the same frame and the guards come down.
This year’s Academy Museum Gala took place on Saturday, October 17, at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in Los Angeles. Charlize Theron received the Icon Award, John Carpenter took the Luminary Award and Colman Domingo accepted the Vantage Award. Taylor Swift performed during the evening, and the gala raised more than $14 million.
After the formal program, the night kept going. New photos of Inde Navarrette and Odessa A’zion at Giorgio Armani’s Academy Gala after-party have been spreading across social media. The image shows the 2 actors pressed close together in a stone-walled setting, a world away from the red carpet. It has become one of the weekend’s most shared moments.
Inde Navarrette and Odessa A’zion at Giorgio Armani’s Academy Gala After Party. https://t.co/xvO9BOHQ2E
— JumpTrailers (@JumpTrailers) October 18, 2026
In the photo, Navarrette wears her dark hair sleek and parted down the middle, with graphic black eyeliner and a lace-trimmed black top. A’zion stands beside her with voluminous dark curls, a red lip and a sheer black dress, with rings and a chunky bracelet on show. One hand rests casually near her collarbone while she leans in toward the camera.
The contrast works. Navarrette’s look is clean and graphic, while A’zion’s is loose and tousled. Together they read as a pair of friends who know exactly how to pose without trying too hard.
Both stars had made strong statements on the carpet. Navarrette wore a strapless Schiaparelli fall 2026 couture gown from Daniel Roseberry’s collection, with a nude base, hand-poured silicone polka dots, a low Basque waist and a tiered bubble skirt. Chopard jewelry finished the look, and Enrique Melendez styled it, with fashion writers calling it sculptural and surreal.
A’zion went a different way, arriving in archival Giorgio Armani. The brand clearly played a big role in the evening. Kate Hudson wore Armani Privé, and Lili Reinhart, Emily Bader, Joseph Zada and Vittoria Ceretti were also dressed by the house, which helps explain why Armani’s own after-party drew such a crowd.
The friendship did not begin at the after-party. On the eve of the gala, both actors attended a pre-gala dinner hosted by Colman Domingo and W Magazine with Boucheron at Bar Di Bello. Guests included Taraji P. Henson and John Waters, and Domingo started an impromptu dance party in the middle of the pasta course.
At the dinner, Navarrette reunited with her ‘Obsession’ co-star Michael Johnston over burrata, while A’zion had a lengthy catch-up with Cazzie David. The party moved fluidly from table to dance floor. It set the tone for a weekend of socializing that continued through the gala and the after-party.
Both women are riding major career momentum. Navarrette is the breakout star of the low-budget horror hit ‘Obsession,’ which launched her into a wave of attention. She is also set to play Rogue in the MCU’s upcoming ‘X-Men’ film and to host the ‘Saturday Night Live’ Halloween episode.
A’zion, 26, earned an Actor Award nomination and a BAFTA nomination for her supporting role as Rachel Mizler in ‘Marty Supreme,’ alongside Timothée Chalamet, Gwyneth Paltrow and Tyler, the Creator. She has also been seen at other industry events this year, posing with Jenna Ortega at ELLE’s Actor Awards gala. The pair’s careers are on similar upward paths, which adds to the appeal of seeing them together.
Part of the photo’s charm is how casual it feels. Awards season is a long marathon of formal events, and images of actors actually enjoying themselves are rare. Fans love seeing two stars who look like they are having a good time rather than working a carpet.
It also shows how fashion and friendship overlap in Hollywood. Brands like Armani build their guest lists around relationships, and the after-party turns those relationships into content. In this case, the result was a single photo that said more than a dozen red carpet shots.
Navarrette headed straight from the gala weekend to the Newport Beach Film Festival, where she was honored as one of Variety’s 10 Actors to Watch. If the energy at the after-party was any sign, she is enjoying every moment.
What would you most like to see from these two stars?
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