The 2026 Santa Barbara International Film Festival didn't require a specific dress code from its Virtuosos Award recipients. Sydney Sweeney and Teyana Taylor—two of the nine lucky winners—went opposite directions; the former with Marilyn Monroe's vintage dress circa 1952, and the latter in a liquified Ashi Studio gown that's only two weeks old.
Before taking center stage with Sweeney, Jacob Elordi, Chase Infiniti, Wunmi Mosaku, and more, Taylor flaunted Look 20 from the Spring 2026 Couture show. The shoulder-padded, long-sleeve style fit seamlessly into the Golden Globe winner's grunge-chic aesthetic. Delicately draped fabric turned liquid from the mock neck, beyond the corseted bodice, to the ruched skirt, and its distressed train.
The liquified top appeared sheer on the late January runway, but Taylor stacked an almost-invisible bra atop the under-bust corset. The rest of the Ashi Studio design remained the same, including elongated ripped sleeves and her skirt's torn hem. Taylor's only visible accessory? Her white gown's glistening, almost-wet garnish, which certainly counts.
Taylor styled her first Ashi Studio dress just a few weeks prior at Netflix's New York City premiere of The Rip. The knee-grazing little black dress made headlines not just for its face-covering turtleneck, but its sculptural, heart-shaped hips. This long-sleeve premiered in designer Mohammed Ashi's Spring 2025 Couture collection, alongside similar plays on pannier underlays. Similar to her latest Ashi Studio select, a nude slip lined the bodice's wrinkled, semi-sheer bodice.
If the name sounds familiar, that's because Ashi Studio is a red carpet mainstay. Last July, Jenna Ortega became an Ashi Studio girl at the Wednesday Season 2 premiere, when the label loaned stylist Enrique Melendez a latex Fall 2025 Couture design. Its skintight turtleneck, under-bust bustier, and torched train—all crafted from a latex python print—added gothic dimension to her character Wednesday's signature style.
By September 4, Hailey Bieber and stylist Dani Michelle sourced the same Fall 2025 Couture show as Ortega. This time, the opening look's strapless trumpet gown caught an A-lister's eye. The asymmetrical style's pony-hair finish was so glossy, it bordered on wet, beginning with a corset top to the skirt's high-low hem.
Most recently at the 2026 Golden Globes, stylists Mackenzie and Alexandra Grandquist tapped Ashi Studio to create a custom silver sequin gown for Kylie Jenner. Every element—from the balconette bust to the cinched waist—fit the A-lister like a glove, while strands of rhinestones hung effortlessly around her shoulders.
It marked quite the anti-grunge detour for the brand—not a single sequin was intentionally distressed or out of place. Still, it showed future celebrity customers how Ashi Studio's house codes can morph according to each client.
With Teyana Taylor's affinity for the avant-garde, it's no surprise Ashi Studio's catalog won her over. However, since the couturier only shows during Haute Couture Week, there's a chance she's not the only star eyeing up the Spring 2026 Couture line for awards season. With just 30 looks, Taylor will need to place her requests soon, should Ashi Studio to create her 2026 Oscars gown.
