‘Furious’ Star Emmy Rossum (40) Plunges Into a Keyhole Louis Vuitton Gown With a Thigh-High Slit at the Academy Museum Gala, and Less Has Never Been More

Red carpets reward drama, but the loudest dress is not always the one that gets remembered. At big fashion nights, the looks that linger are often the ones that trust a single bold idea. The Academy Museum Gala has a way of proving that every year.

This year’s edition took place on Saturday, October 17, at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in Los Angeles. Charlize Theron, John Carpenter and Colman Domingo were honored, Taylor Swift performed, and Stars like Kim Kardashian and Sabrina Carpenter walked the carpet. Because the gala lands right after Fashion Month, many guests arrived in looks that were fresh off the runway.

Amid a carpet packed with dramatic silhouettes, Emmy Rossum took a pared-back route that became one of the night’s most elegant moments. The ‘Furious’ star’s Academy Museum Gala look was a black Louis Vuitton halter gown finished with a jewelry-chain neckline and a daring front cutout. Portraits of the dress have been circulating widely, and fashion writers have praised it as pure understated glamour.

Emmy Rossum looks stunning for the Academy Museum Gala. 📷 https://t.co/g81QOFwmQV

— Cinethology (@thecinethology) October 18, 2026

The gown opened from a chain-trimmed halter neckline into a striking keyhole cutout at the front. The full-length shot shows a floor-sweeping skirt with a thigh-high slit and a soft train pooling behind her. The restrained palette let the shape and the cutout do all the work.

Red Carpet Fashion Awards called the jewelry-chain neckline the detail that makes the look, and noted that the thigh-high slit and keyhole provide a little drama. Rossum swept her signature curls into a polished updo to show off the chain. She added understated drop earrings and a fresh, glowing complexion.

Emmy Rossum walked away from what she called "life-changing money" to leave Shameless in 2019 and build her own projects. Now she stars in and executive-produces Hulu’s Furious, which got a season 2 renewal before its first season even finished airing. https://t.co/kt8sfr04lz

— Thought Catalog (@ThoughtCatalog) October 18, 2026

Rossum was one of several stars dressed by the French house, with designer Nicolas Ghesquière outfitting 12 celebrities for the evening. The range went from sculptural, architectural pieces to more understated eveningwear. Chase Infiniti wore a strapless black-and-white gown built from crisp folded panels, while Wunmi Mosaku wore a column gown covered in gold fringe dotted with silver discs.

Against that backdrop, Rossum’s gown was the quiet one. That contrast is exactly why it landed. In a lineup full of statement silhouettes, a simple black dress with a perfectly placed cutout read as confident rather than safe.

Rossum, 40, has been in the public eye since childhood, with early credits including ‘The Phantom of the Opera,’ ‘Mystic River’ and ‘The Day After Tomorrow.’ She became a household name playing Fiona Gallagher for 9 seasons of ‘Shameless.’ More recently, critics have been especially warm toward her turn in the Hulu series ‘Furious,’ with some calling it her best role since ‘Shameless.’

She has also built a career behind the camera. Her production company, Composition 8, launched in 2019, and she executive produced and starred in ‘Angelyne’ on Peacock, and later appeared in ‘The Crowded Room’ on Apple TV+. That mix of acting and producing is part of why her fashion appearances feel as polished as they do.

Rossum has also been in the headlines this summer for clearing up an old rumor. Speaking with Alex Cooper on Call Her Daddy, she explained that she did not leave ‘Shameless’ to start a family, as many fans assumed. “I loved the job,” she said. “I wasn’t walking away from the job.”

She said she had already set up her first show, ‘Angelyne,’ and was getting ready to make it when she was offered 2 more seasons. She felt a lot of grief and sorrow about leaving her co-stars, but she was also excited about the next chapter. She and her husband, Sam Esmail, did eventually grow their family, welcoming a daughter, May, in 2021 and a son in 2023.

Put together, the gala look fits the story of someone who has learned to choose her moments. Rossum’s red carpet appearances tend to avoid excess, and this one leaned on proportion rather than flash. The upswept curls, chain neckline and slit gave the dress personality without a single extra accessory.

That kind of restraint is also a reminder of why the Academy Museum Gala has become a major style stop. Looks like this one preview the awards-season mood of clean lines, sharp cutouts and minimal jewelry. In a night of loud ideas, Rossum made quiet one of the strongest statements.

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