Ciara Miller paid a touching tribute to the late Whitney Houston at the 2026 Emmy Awards, donning the music icon's custom Marc Bouwer gown for E!'s red carpet coverage. The "Summer House" star arrived in a sparkling white ensemble before changing into the historically significant velvet, double-breasted gown with a white satin collar.
"This was Whitney Houston’s dress; she wore this in 1993 [and] 1994," Miller shared on the red carpet. She lightheartedly added, "When I put it on, I was like, hopefully my vocal cords will improve, and I’ll be a better singer but [that] hasn’t quite happened yet."
The gown, which features sparkly buttons, was custom-made for Houston and was recently sold at Julien's Auctions for over $5,000. Miller's homage to Houston will continue as she makes her debut on "Dancing With the Stars" tomorrow night. She and her professional partner, Brandon Armstrong, plan to dance to Houston's song "Exhale."
Bouwer's designs were a favorite of Houston's; the designer also created her wedding dress and numerous outfits for her "I'm Your Baby Tonight" and "The Bodyguard" tours. Miller is the latest in a line of celebrities to honor Houston through fashion. In 2023, Kerry Washington wore Houston's red velvet Bouwer gown from the 1996 BET Walk of Fame Awards Gala. Earlier in 2026, Zendaya wore a Eugene Alexander design that Houston had previously sported on the cover of Life magazine for the Essence Black Women in Hollywood Awards. Sarah Jessica Parker also wore a shorter iteration of the same dress in the opening credits of the 2008 film "Sex and the City."
