Ciara Miller stepped onto the 2026 Emmys red carpet on Sept. 14 wearing a dress that once belonged to Whitney Houston, the Dancing With the Stars season 35 contestant exclusively revealed during Live From E!: Countdown to the 2026 Emmys.
"This was Whitney Houston's dress," Miller said. "She wore this in 1993, 1994. This is a Mark Bouwer. It was a gift to me, and it's so special because in a couple days on Dancing With the Stars, my first dance is to Whitney Houston's 'Exhale,' and so I thought, 'what a better there's a better event to wear it than now.'"
The gown, designed by Mark Bouwer, was given to Miller as a gift, she said. She timed the moment to her upcoming ballroom debut, where her first routine on the ABC competition series is set to Houston's 1995 song "Exhale (Shoop Shoop)."
Whitney Houston's Legacy
Houston, who died in 2012, remains one of the best-selling music artists of all time and is remembered for hits including "I Will Always Love You," "I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)" and "Exhale (Shoop Shoop)." Wearing one of her early-1990s pieces on an awards-show carpet gave Miller's Emmys look a direct link back to the singer whose music she will perform to on Dancing With the Stars.
Miller also joked that the dress hadn't come with any hidden vocal talent. "When I put it on," she said, "I was like, hopefully my vocal cords will improve, and I'll be a better singer. but hasn't quite happened yet."
Ciara Miller's DWTS Journey
Miller, 30, is best known as a cast member of Bravo's Summer House before joining season 35 of Dancing With the Stars. Ahead of her ballroom debut, she shared how she has been preparing to waltz into the competition.
"Looks are not indicative of being in shape," Miller told E! News in June. "I do huff and puff going up the stairs, so I gotta get back into the gym and work on my stamina."
With season 35 of the ABC reality competition just days from its premiere, Miller admitted she still has "a long way to go" in her training.
"I'm just trying to get in shape because I don't want to be wheeled out on a stretcher," she joked. "That'll be the saddest thing that happens."
2026 Emmys Red Carpet
Miller's Whitney Houston moment came amid a night of high-profile fashion on the Emmys carpet. Zendaya wore custom Prada with Mikimoto jewelry, Selena Gomez wore Louis Vuitton with Tiffany & Co. jewelry, and Ayo Edebiri wore Chanel with Mikimoto jewelry.
Other looks included Nicole Kidman in Chanel with an OMEGA watch, Florence Pugh in Vivienne Westwood, and Colman Domingo in custom Valentino with an OMEGA watch, among many other stars who walked the carpet ahead of the ceremony.
The 2026 Emmy Awards aired live on NBC on Sept. 14 at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT and streamed on Peacock, with E!'s red carpet coverage beginning at 5 p.m. ET/2 p.m. PT.
