When Zendaya stepped onto the blue carpet at the 2026 ESSENCE Black Women in Hollywood Awards on March 12 in Los Angeles, she delivered one of the most talked-about fashion moments of the entire awards season. The actress arrived wearing a white vintage Cache minidress — a fitted ruched piece with a slit and a sculptural gold and silver floral detail on one shoulder — that instantly sent the internet into overdrive and reminded everyone why she and her stylist Law Roach remain fashion’s most compelling duo.
If you have been following Zendaya’s style evolution, this one is not to be missed. Read on for a full breakdown of the look and everything that made this night one for the history books.
A Look With Legendary Roots
The vintage white one-shoulder Cache minidress Zendaya wore on March 12 carries a rich and layered history. The silhouette traces back to a Eugene Alexander custom gown from the 1980s that Whitney Houston wore in 1987 — a garment that later appeared on the cover of Life Magazine following the singer’s passing in 2012. Decades later, a version of the design became one of pop culture’s most recognizable fashion moments when Sarah Jessica Parker wore it as Carrie Bradshaw in the 2008 Sex and the City film.
Zendaya’s Cache version — sourced from Amacord Vintage — brought all of that history onto the carpet in one effortlessly cool moment. She accessorized with gold rings from Cartier, a brand she represents as an ambassador, and a single gold bracelet that echoed the exact styling from the film that first made the silhouette iconic. She completed the ensemble with white pointed-toe pumps, tying the look together with clean, intentional precision.
The all-white aesthetic was not accidental. Just two days prior, Zendaya had attended the Louis Vuitton Fall/Winter 2026 show in Paris wearing another white ensemble — a high-low shirtdress paired with sky-high black pumps. Many fashion observers noted that the repeated bridal-adjacent whites may carry a subtle nod to her upcoming A24 film The Drama, which centers on a couple navigating a major secret during the week leading up to their wedding. Law Roach has long built their styling approach around method dressing — choosing outfits that connect emotionally and narratively to whatever chapter Zendaya is currently living. Two white looks in three days, right before one of the year’s biggest ceremony weekends, felt anything but coincidental.
The Night’s Theme: Off Script
The 19th annual ESSENCE Black Women in Hollywood Awards ceremony took place at the Fairmont Century Plaza Hotel in Los Angeles and carried the theme “Off Script” — a phrase that captured exactly where Black women in the entertainment industry stand right now. The theme reflected a visible shift away from traditional roles and prescribed lanes, and toward creative control, ownership, and leadership at every level of production.
The night was hosted by actress and producer Marsai Martin, whose own career trajectory — from child star to executive producer — embodies the “Off Script” ethos perfectly. Grammy Award-winning artist Mýa closed the evening with a special live performance of her single “Unbreakable,” while Tyrese opened the show with a surprise performance of “Sweet Lady.” The combination of old-school star power and new-era energy gave the ceremony a texture that felt celebratory and purposeful in equal measure.
The Honorees Who Defined the Evening
Four women took center stage as the night’s honorees, each representing a different dimension of Black women’s authority in Hollywood.
Chase Infiniti was recognized for her breakthrough performance as Willa Ferguson in the film One Battle After Another, a role that earned her nominations at the Golden Globes, BAFTA Awards, Critics Choice Awards, and Actor Awards. Infiniti delivered a moving acceptance speech reflecting on mentorship, noting that her career has been shaped by the generosity of other Black women who opened doors before her. Teyana Taylor presented the award, making the moment a celebration between two women who each embody the multidimensional artist Hollywood is increasingly hungry for.
Kerry Washington received her honor from her former co-star Delroy Lindo and took the opportunity to speak candidly about her evolution from a nervous first-time honoree in 2012 to the grounded, purposeful force she is today. Washington has built one of the most diversified careers in Hollywood — Emmy-winning actress, Golden Globe and Tony nominee, Emmy-winning producer through her Simpson Street production company, and New York Times bestselling author. Her speech moved the room and circled back to the night’s central theme: the courage it takes to step into ownership rather than just participation.
LaTanya Richardson Jackson — Tony and NAACP Image Award nominee, actress, director, producer, and philanthropist — brought decades of stage and screen wisdom to the podium. Her message was direct and powerful, urging the next generation to work hard, learn the business, and be bold enough to make space for the unimaginable. Richardson Jackson also made history in 2022 as the first Black woman to direct an August Wilson play on Broadway, a milestone that echoed through every word of her remarks.
Zinzi Coogler, founder of Proximity Media and Oscar-nominated producer, rounded out the evening’s honorees. Ryan Coogler and Michael B. Jordan presented her award together — a moment that brought their long creative partnership into full view. Through Proximity Media, Zinzi Coogler has helped build projects that pair commercial scale with cultural depth, making her a defining figure in how Hollywood tells stories today and who profits from them.
The Sinners Luminary Spotlight
One of the most emotionally resonant segments of the night honored the women behind the film Sinners through the Luminary Spotlight. Cinematographer Autumn Durald Arkapaw, production designer Hannah Beachler, costume designer Ruth E. Carter, hair designer Shunika Terry-Jennings, and actresses Wunmi Mosaku and Jayme Lawson were all recognized for their contributions to a film that has made history as one of the most Oscar-nominated projects of all time.
Ruth E. Carter, in accepting the tribute on behalf of the group, echoed the night’s central message about community, collaboration, and the power of Black women lifting one another. The moment underscored something the ESSENCE Black Women in Hollywood ceremony has always understood: that the story of who makes great films is never just about who appears on screen.
A Blue Carpet Full of Standout Moments
Beyond Zendaya’s instantly iconic vintage look, the blue carpet at the Fairmont Century Plaza delivered a parade of memorable fashion choices. Kerry Washington arrived in a pale pink slip dress paired with a leather jacket and a sleek, edgy updo. Chase Infiniti made a bold style statement in a Schiaparelli gown, while Chloe Bailey wore a striking Harris Reed SS26 dress that drew significant attention. Halle Bailey chose a pleated olive green Cult Gaia gown, and host Marsai Martin arrived in a Phan Huy mini dress that perfectly matched the celebratory spirit of the evening.
A pregnant Wunmi Mosaku wore a slim beaded gown and arrived with her husband Tash Moseley, making their red carpet appearance one of the evening’s most tender moments.
Why This Night Matters
The ESSENCE Black Women in Hollywood ceremony has operated since 2008 as one of the entertainment industry’s most intentional gatherings. It does not simply celebrate individual talent — it documents a record of authority, contribution, and community-building that mainstream award shows routinely overlook. In its 19th year, the event added the inaugural Creators’ Award, presented by smartwater, which honored digital storytellers reshaping how narratives are built and audiences are grown in the social media era.
Holding the ceremony just three days before the Academy Awards was no accident. It serves as a powerful reminder that the work worth celebrating does not begin and end at the Dolby Theatre.
From Zendaya’s fashion-history-making vintage tribute to Kerry Washington’s emotional return as an honoree, to the collective recognition of the women behind Sinners, the 2026 ESSENCE Black Women in Hollywood Awards proved once again that this night belongs in a category entirely its own.
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