Selena Gomez didn’t attend the 2026 Met Gala, but that doesn’t mean she’s sitting out the red carpet trend game.

The pop star, actor, and Rare Beauty founder stepped out for Marty, Life is Short premiere at the Egyptian Theater in Hollywood yesterday, supporting her friend and Only Murders in the Building co-star Martin Short.

Gomez wore a black beaded puff-sleeved midi dress with a square neckline, the small shimmering appliqués scattered across its expanse. On her feet, a pair of sharp, pointed Christian Louboutin pumps with a delicate ankle strap. For accessories, she opted for Stephen Silver feather diamond earrings and an antique style diamond ring also from the jewelry brand.

Her glam followed that same vintage feel, with an elegant slicked back bun, dash of red lipstick, and matching scarlet nails.

The premiere look was very much in line with the ladylike styles of Selena Gomez, who gravitates toward more retro, feminine silhouettes and shapes on the red carpet. Be it a powder blue Prada gown with a flowing train or a feathered Chanel moment, Gomez loves the more nostalgic elements of style.

Glass beads and embroidery were first popular in the ’20s through to the ’40s, finishing touches that illustrated the glamorous flapper era and Jazz Age. Beading has quietly become a recurring feature on the contemporary red carpet, as a focus on craftsmanship and finer details takes precedent among designers. On the 2026 Met Gala red carpet, for instance, the “Fashion is Art” dress code saw beads, sequin, and ornate embroidery utilized in abundance, from Laufey’s caped Tory Burch gown to Chase Infiniti’s multi-colored Thom Browne dress, a glammed up Venus de Milo look made of 1.5 million stacked sequins to resemble a handpainted body. The tiny glass or resin beads can play into that more Art Deco era à la Gomez and Laufey, or amp up the avant-garde like Infiniti.

“Fashion is Art,” on and off the steps of the Met.