Teyana Taylor turned heads in a sultry dark dress by Ottolinger at the Essence Women in Music Luncheon in New Orleans on Sunday.
Teyana Taylor
Essence Getty Images
The Oscar-nominated “One Battle After Another” star wore a look courtesy of Swiss designers Christa Bosch and Cosima Gadient’s Spring 2026 ready-to-wear collection. The body-hugging dress is crafted with structure and sensuality in mind, featuring a plunging neckline with a curvy, short sleeves with slight ruching in the fabric, and a detailed pattern.
Dark tones such as olive green, black and dusted gold created the color palette of the look, while patterned motifs such as eyes and skulls gave the dress a hypnotic quality. As for accessories, Taylor added a statement gold ring courtesy of Schiaparelli.
Teyana Taylor
Essence Getty Images
Ottolinger’s Spring 2026 ready-to-wear collection made its runway debut as part of Paris Fashion Week in October 2025. Curated by Berlin-based co-creative directors Bösch and Gadient, this collection was about reinvention.
Rhonda Richford said in WWD’s review of the collection that the collection included “silky pants accented with strategic black graphic inserts that read like trompe l’oeil hourglass silhouettes, further accentuating the models’ slender thighs.”
Teyana Taylor
Essence Getty Images
Besh and Gadient “maintained a subversive sensuality and dedication to the female form, especially in a series of paneled and ruched gowns, while others corseted shoulder pads in the shape of American football uniforms, perhaps to further protect women in their daily battles.”
The collection, titled “Girlfriends,” also explored femininity by “reimagining vintage bridal dresses, salvaged and upcycled into meringue-like pouf skirts, topped with T-shirts and just glitter paste, shedding their traditional place in feminine folklore. Better to meet at an apocalypse afterparty than at the altar.”
Teyana Taylor
Essence Getty Images
The 2026 Essence Culture Festival opened on July 3 and concluded on Sunday. The conference featured concerts and performances by Cardi B and more, as well as special events and panel discussions during the day.