Kate Hudson's Valentino Cape Inspires Capes for Brides, Guests 2026

Who What Wear’s March 2, 2026 column distilled a single red-carpet moment into a wedding forecast: “Capes will be a huge trend for both brides and wedding guests in 2026, so prepare to see this silhouette a lot in the coming months.” The catalyst was Kate Hudson’s ethereal custom Valentino at the Actor Awards in Los Angeles, a white caped dress with cape sleeves accessorized with bespoke Desert diamond jewelry by L.A.-based fine jeweler Emily P. Wheeler. The Actor Awards’ own site, as noted in the piece, underscores the ceremony’s heft: “Voted on by SAG-AFTRA’s robust and diverse membership of 160,000+ performers, The Actor Awards has the largest voting body on the awards circuit.”

That Valentino cape is not an isolated flourish. Hello! pinpointed another high-fashion Valentino moment when Hudson wore a purple-hued silk gown plucked from Valentino’s spring/summer 2026 "Fireflies" collection by Alessandro Michele to the 28th Costume Designers Guild Awards on February 12. The dress delivered halter straps, a plunging neckline with ruched tie detailing and a softly draped skirt that skimmed the floor; Hudson arrived styled by Sophie Lopez, hair left down and sleek, makeup described as “soft glam,” and finished with a diamond-encrusted choker and dainty drop earrings. Hello! also notes Hudson’s age as 46, situating the look within a season of highly polished red-carpet dressing.

Across Europe, Yahoo captured a contrasting street-style cue that shows why Hudson’s season matters beyond red carpets. “Fresh off her Academy Award nomination for Song Sung Blue (congratulations, Kate!), Hudson was spotted navigating the Marais in a look so decidedly French, we almost did a double-take,” Yahoo wrote, describing a sleek, minimalist black maxi dress paired with a structured black bag and classic gold jewelry. FashionTimes amplified the point: the black maxi’s pared-back lines exemplify a return to “refined simplicity,” prized for season-to-season versatility and easy replication at multiple price points.

The breadth of Hudson’s appearances this season, chronicled by AOL, makes clear that designers and stylists are sourcing trend cues from a wide palette. AOL documents a custom silver Armani Prive at the Golden Globes in Beverly Hills; a polka-dot Erdem off-the-shoulder at the Annual DGA; a Chloe dress in the IMDb Portrait Studio at the Independent Spirit Awards at the Hollywood Palladium; a curve-hugging Jenny Packham gown at an event honoring Matthew McConaughey; and a plunging Stella McCartney gown at the Baby2Baby Gala in Culver City, paired with Tiffany & Co. diamonds and a plum Jimmy Choo “Mini Charm” clutch. AOL also records Hudson’s GLAAD appearance in a ruffled gown with an embroidered bodice where she performed “Talk About Love,” and a Joico-branded hair moment using her Joico Kate kit.

Editorially, the Valentino caped moment does what runway samples rarely can for consumers: it translates. Bridal designers and occasion-wear retailers looking for a single, broadcastable silhouette will point to Hudson’s Valentino capesleeves as an accessible couture cue; stylists and street editors will keep the minimalist black maxi on rotation for guests and rehearsal dinners. With Who What Wear’s explicit forecast and a string of high-profile Valentino and non-Valentino appearances across Los Angeles and Paris, capes and pared-back maxis have been set in motion as the opposing duets of 2026 wedding dressing. Expect both to appear in bridal and guest wardrobes throughout the season as designers and retailers answer the Valentino moment.