One year after delivering one of the most memorable acceptance speeches of the evening and making history as the first American of Dominican origin to win the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress, Zoe Saldaña was back on the Dolby Theatre red carpet on Sunday night. This time she arrived as a presenter rather than a nominee, and she dressed every bit as powerfully as the occasion deserved.

The Avatar actress stepped onto the red carpet at the 2026 Oscars in a sheer black lace slip dress by Saint Laurent, a gown that balanced romantic delicacy with genuine daring. The look featured a transparent floral lace bodice that gave way to a softly draped matte skirt falling gracefully to the floor. The combination of textures created a silhouette that felt both intimate and ceremonial, the kind of dress that reads as quietly bold from across a room. The choice of Saint Laurent carries continuity for Saldaña, who also wore the house at last year’s ceremony when she stepped onstage to accept her award.

19 carats of Cartier diamonds completed the look

For jewelry, Saldaña turned once again to Cartier, arriving at the ceremony with a piece featuring 19 carats of diamonds. The jewels paired naturally with the sheer, pared back quality of the gown, adding a level of luminosity without overwhelming the delicate construction of the dress. She completed the look with diamond stud earrings and coordinating rings, keeping the overall effect cohesive and polished throughout.

Her dark hair was pulled back into a romantic updo that kept the focus on the neckline and the jewelry, and her makeup leaned into a glowing, neutral palette that let the dress and the diamonds do the talking. It was a masterclass in restraint that still managed to feel fully considered at every level.

The woman who made history last year came dressed like it

Last year’s ceremony was one of the most personally significant nights of Saldaña’s career. She won Best Supporting Actress for her portrayal of Rita Mora Castro in the musical crime film Emilia Pérez, a performance that also earned her a Screen Actors Guild Award earlier in the season. Her acceptance speech was emotional and wide ranging, moving through heartfelt gratitude to her family, a tender tribute to her husband and their three sons, and landing on a declaration of historical significance that the room received with a standing ovation.

She acknowledged her grandmother’s arrival in the United States in 1961, named herself a proud child of immigrant parents and told the audience that she was the first American of Dominican origin to accept an Academy Award in that category, before adding that she knew she would not be the last. It was the kind of speech that people memorize and replay, and it has stayed with audiences in the months since.

For that night she had chosen a strapless ruby red Saint Laurent bubble dress covered in crystals, paired with sheer black opera gloves and a diamond and emerald Cartier choker. The contrast between that bold, triumphant red and this year’s romantic, understated black lace illustrates the kind of range and intentionality that has made Saldaña one of the most consistently compelling presences on the red carpet over the past decade.

Back on the Dolby Theatre stage with notable company

Because she was an Academy Award winner in 2025, Saldaña was invited back to this year’s ceremony as a presenter, continuing the tradition of placing the previous year’s acting honorees onstage to help confer this year’s awards. She joins a group of presenters that also includes Nicole Kidman, Pedro Pascal and Channing Tatum among those expected to take the stage throughout the evening.

Her husband Marco Perego Saldaña did not walk the red carpet with her on Sunday night, though his presence in last year’s speech, in which she described the biggest honor of her life as being his partner and spoke of their sons filling their skies with stars, remains one of the most warmly remembered moments of the entire 2025 ceremony.

Saldaña arrived at the 2026 Oscars without a nomination, without the weight of a competitive night and without anything left to prove in that room. She dressed accordingly, with the quiet confidence of a woman who already knows exactly what it feels like to stand at the center of that stage and hear her name called. The black lace, the diamonds and the updo told that story without her needing to say a word.