‘Stranger Things’ Star Maya Hawke Shimmers Like a Waterfall in Prada at the Academy Museum Gala
Few young stars have built as close a relationship with a fashion house as Maya Hawke has with Prada. The ‘Stranger Things’ actress has turned to the label for some of her most memorable carpet looks, from a bridal-inspired white gown at the 2023 Met Gala to a structured pink dress with a caramel chiffon cape in 2025. W Magazine even nicknamed her a “Prada princess” in its retrospective of her best looks.
The sixth annual Academy Museum Gala took place on October 17 in Los Angeles, honoring Charlize Theron, Colman Domingo and John Carpenter, with Taylor Swift set to perform. Often called the “Met Gala of the West,” the event arrives right after Fashion Month, so guests tend to show up in runway-fresh fashion.
Maya Hawke’s Academy Museum Gala look continued the Prada partnership. She wore a black-and-silver sequined gown with a textured finish that made it look as if it were dripping with jewels.
#MayaHawke is here at the #AcademyMuseum Gala in LA ⭐️ https://t.co/GvagYOKdDI
— TheWrap (@TheWrap) October 18, 2026
In the carpet clip, Hawke stands in a column gown with a square neckline and short, beaded sleeves that fall into delicate, fringe-like strands. The sequins and beads are packed in a swirling pattern of black and silver, and the whole surface catches the light as she shifts. A member of her team crouches to adjust the hem while another person stands by, a behind-the-scenes moment that shows how much work goes into a floor-length gown.
Her hair is left long and loose in soft waves, and the styling is otherwise minimal, which lets the dress take center stage. The effect is delicate yet glittering, like a waterfall of beads.
Maya Hawke arrives at the #AcademyMuseumGala https://t.co/WWPixPRGFh
— Variety (@Variety) October 18, 2026
This isn’t the first time she has leaned into the label. At the 2023 Met Gala, she wore an all-white Prada look as a tribute to the late Karl Lagerfeld, and in 2025 she wore a pink Prada dress with a billowing sheer cape. She has also worn Prada in everyday settings, including a Milan Fashion Week appearance at the Prada fall/winter 2026 menswear show in a dark gray trench, navy shorts and loafers.
Her 2026 Met Gala look was a departure. She wore a black-and-white Dior ball gown with delicate floral decorations and a black headband, marking her fourth Met Gala appearance. Returning to Prada at the gala feels like coming home.
Maya Hawke is getting into the Halloween spirit tonight at the Academy Museum Gala https://t.co/xBHbeEMW51
— Academy Museum of Motion Pictures (@AcademyMuseum) October 18, 2026
Hawke’s fashion run comes at a pivotal moment in her career. She played Robin Buckley in ‘Stranger Things’ from 2019 to 2025, and the series ended with its finale on New Year’s Eve. She has also appeared in ‘Once Upon a Time in Hollywood,’ ‘Asteroid City’ and ‘Maestro,’ and voiced Anxiety in ‘Inside Out 2.’
Now she is moving into new territory. She is set to play Wiress in ‘The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping,’ which opens on November 20, and she leads ‘Wishful Thinking,’ a surrealist supernatural romantic comedy written and directed by Graham Parkes that premiered at SXSW.
Elle Fanning, Joseph Zada, Mckenna Grace and Maya Hawke at the 6th Annual Academy Museum Gala. https://t.co/8kvzD4Jmnc
— 21 (@21metgala) October 18, 2026
Hawke is also an accomplished musician. She has released the albums ‘Blush’ in 2020, ‘Moss’ in 2022 and ‘Chaos Angel’ in 2024, with ‘Maitreya Corso’ listed for 2026. During a January appearance on ‘The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon,’ she explained that she typically writes an album while filming each season of ‘Stranger Things.’
That blend of acting and songwriting gives her carpet appearances a distinctive, artistic edge. She tends to dress like someone who sees fashion as another creative outlet.
She has also had a big personal year. Hawke married musician Christian Lee Hutson in a surprise Valentine’s Day ceremony in New York, wearing a retro dress with a high, wide neck, simple straps and a drop waist, paired with a dramatic feather-trimmed coat and train. The guest list included her parents, Ethan Hawke and Uma Thurman.
The two first worked together on her album ‘Chaos Angel’ and have been together for almost four years.
Hawke shared the carpet with a long list of stars. Taylor Swift, Kate Hudson, Jamie Lee Curtis, Kerry Washington, Hunter Schafer and Amanda Seyfried attended, along with Jessica Lange, Kylie Minogue and Jennifer Hudson.
In a field of bold silhouettes, her dress stood out for its texture rather than its shape. It is the kind of piece that looks even better in motion, which is exactly what the gala’s draped-curtain backdrop rewards.
What do you think of Maya Hawke’s black-and-silver Prada gown at the 2026 Academy Museum Gala?
Have something to add? Let us know in the comments!
