Keke Palmer returned to Aquazzura for the 2026 CFDA Fashion Awards on Monday, pairing the brand’s gold Divine 105 sandals with a 1975 couture Bob Mackie gown that came with a rather remarkable previous owner: Raquel Welch.
The metallic leather sandals featured two crisscrossing bands across the toes, a slim buckled ankle strap and a 105 mm stiletto heel. Their mirrored gold finish matched the beaded trim running down Palmer’s gown, which has something of a history.
Originally made for Welch, the one-of-a-kind Mackie design was worn by the actress while singing “I’m a Woman” alongside Cher on “The Cher Show” in 1975. Palmer’s stylist, Molly Dickson, sourced the archival piece from vintage dealer Timeless Vixen for the ceremony, which was held at New York’s American Museum of Natural History.
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The gown featured a halter-style neckline formed by narrow, embellished straps that crossed at Palmer’s throat before framing its shaped bust. More jeweled bands extended from the bodice to the waist, leaving much of her midriff exposed. Below, the pale gold skirt was covered in vertical rows of shimmering embellishment, with a split front lined in jeweled trim. The back was nearly bare, save for a web of delicate straps.
Palmer finished the look with a copper-red bob styled in voluminous curls. Her dark pedicure was visible through the crossed straps of her Aquazzura heels, which continued the gold all the way down to her feet.
This isn’t the first time Palmer wore a pair of metallic gold Aquazzura sandals this year, either. In June, she wore Aquazzura’s So Nude Sandal 105 in shiny gold to the Tribeca Festival presentation of KeyTV’s “The Rise and Fall of DivaGurl.” She matched them with a topstitched denim midi dress from Sergio Hudson’s spring 2026 collection, also styled by Dickson.
The 2026 CFDA Fashion Awards, presented by Amazon Fashion, were held Monday at the American Museum of Natural History in New York, with Palmer hosting. The ceremony celebrated American fashion across womenswear, menswear, accessories and emerging design, with nominees including Michael Kors, Tory Burch, Ralph Lauren, Willy Chavarria and Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen of The Row. Special honors included Anthony Vaccarello’s International Designer of the Year Award, Tory Burch’s Positive Change Award and Peter Marino’s Fashion Icon Award.
