Mariah Carey matched a sheer black Prada gown to a once-secret corner of her catalog as she was honored at the 2026 MusiCares Person of the Year gala on Friday night.
Cut from black tulle and lace, the lingerie-inspired dress featured a corseted bodice with visible boning and a structured sweetheart bra layered under a sheer floral overlay. Short sleeves and an asymmetric neckline were built from the same appliquéd lace, dotted with three-dimensional blossoms that sat across the bust and shoulders.
Mariah Carey in Prada at the 2026 MusiCares Person of the Year held at The Los Angeles Convention Center on Friday n Los Angeles, Calif.
Michael Buckner
From the waist down, the gown continued in sheer floral lace over a high-cut black undergarment, leaving Carey’s legs visible beneath trailing embroidered motifs. A floor-length train extended behind her on the red carpet, keeping the silhouette closer to a slip dress than a traditional evening gown and nodding to the lingerie-inspired dresses that became a 1990s grunge staple.
Stylist Wilfredo Rosado finished the look with layered Leviev Diamonds pieces, including a multi-row choker, matching bracelet stack and long drop earrings. Carey wore black Jimmy Choo platform sandals with a high heel and slim straps, just visible through the lace. Long, loose waves and neutral makeup rounded out the styling.
Prada has returned to lace repeatedly over the past two decades, with black floral lace dresses and slip-inspired silhouettes becoming a recurring part of the house’s vocabulary.
Mariah Carey in Prada at the 2026 MusiCares Person of the Year
Michael Buckner/Billboard
The dress also tied neatly to Carey’s own ’90s alt-rock experiment — and the current gothic grunge revival. While recording “Daydream” in 1995, she quietly co-produced and sang on the grunge-leaning album “Someone’s Ugly Daughter” under the band name Chick, with friend Clarissa Dane credited as lead vocalist. She publicly confirmed the project in her 2020 memoir. At MusiCares, Foo Fighters and Taylor Momsen performed songs from that record, bringing the material into a tribute that otherwise leaned on her best-known hits.
MusiCares’ Person of the Year gala is the Recording Academy charity’s largest annual fundraiser, supporting health and hardship services for music professionals. This year’s event centered on Carey, with performances from Jennifer Hudson, Billy Porter, Teddy Swims and others covering songs like “Vision of Love” and “Without You” while the honoree watched in her sheer Prada lace before joining in from her table.