
Anna Sawai has hit red carpet after red carpet this awards season in striking red gowns: a tribute, she revealed at the 2025 SAG Awards, to her breakout Shogun character Lady Mariko. Now that the series' eligible nominations have all been presented (and won), the star is ready to grow in a new style direction.
Sawai's next red carpet era started at Vanity Fair and Instagram's Vanities: a Night for Young Hollywood Party on Feb. 26. Fresh off her SAG win for "Best Female Actor in a Drama Series," stylist Karla Welch steered Sawai toward an off-the-shoulder Carolina Herrera dress. Up top, a long-sleeve knit created the effect of a crop top, with a slash baring Sawai's stomach below the bandage bodice. Then, her tight-fitting silhouette bloomed into a sculptural satin skirt that resembled a gothic rose. (Symbolic, for an actor whose career is likely opening up after securing her Emmy, Golden Globe, and now SAG trophies.)

Sawai's dress hails from Carolina Herrera's Fall 2025 collection, debuted by creative director Wes Gordon at New York Fashion Week earlier this month. In show notes, Gordon described the floral-heavy pieces as "new seeds" in the garden of his shopper's wardrobe. 3-D florals like the one on Sawai's skirt appeared across sculpted tops and floor-length dresses, all in rich shades from burgundy to deep black. "This collection is about exploring the idea of ephemeral beauty—that single elusive moment where everything comes into focus, where everything is perfect in the garden," Gordon said.

If Sawai and Welch picked this dress from the bunch for its meaning, it wouldn't be the first time they made a symbolic choice on the red carpet. From her gilded Armani Privé SAG gown to her back-to-back red dresses at the Emmys, Sawai has consistently hewed to a blood-toned palette representing her Shogun character's journey on the show. (Elaborating further would be a spoiler for anyone who hasn't seen the winningest drama series of the past year.)

There was only one touch of red in Sawai's Feb. 26 outfit: the soles of her Christian Louboutin heels. The glittering pointed-toe pumps were crafted from mesh set with tiny crystals, like stardust had been sprinkled in her path to the red carpet. With the year she's had, it doesn't sound too far-fetched.
