Elle Gala 2026 named Swedish artist Lykke Li and actor Edvin Ryding as the best dressed woman and man of the year, placing two internationally recognised Swedish cultural figures at the centre of one of Scandinavia’s most visible fashion events.
Edvin Ryding’s red carpet style became part of his public image
Ryding, known internationally for his role in the Netflix series Young Royals, received the award for best dressed man at the gala held on Friday. The prize was presented by his former co-star Omar Rudberg, who had previously received the same recognition.
Accepting the award, Ryding said he had once been jealous of Rudberg for winning it before him. “So this feels so good,” he said, according to Swedish media reports.
The jury described Ryding as a fearless creative figure and a widely loved star who “challenges norms with style as a tool”. The motivation underlined how his fashion choices have become part of a broader visual language, both on red carpets and in his acting career.
That framing is significant for a younger generation of Nordic performers whose public image is increasingly shaped across film, streaming platforms, fashion campaigns and social media. For Ryding, style is presented not only as appearance, but as another form of storytelling.
Lykke Li returned to the Elle Gala spotlight with a vintage-led aesthetic
The award for best dressed woman went to Lykke Li, one of Sweden’s most distinctive pop artists. Her win also carried a sense of continuity: while accepting the prize, she noted that she had already received the same recognition 17 years earlier.
“I think you have forgotten that I won this award before,” she said.
The jury described Lykke Li as an expressive and unpredictable pop icon who creates her own worlds through both style and music. Her aesthetic was praised as unique, self-assured and attitude-driven, with a clear preference for vintage.
The decision reflects the close link between her music and her visual identity. Since her international breakthrough in the late 2000s, Lykke Li has often used fashion as an extension of mood, performance and artistic direction. At the Elle Gala 2026, that long-term consistency appeared to be as important as any single red carpet look.
The Elle Gala remains a cultural stage for Swedish fashion
The Swedish Elle Gala is one of the country’s most high-profile fashion events, bringing together designers, artists, actors, musicians and media figures. The 2026 edition was held on 24 April at the Grand Hôtel in Stockholm, with a “fashion ball” theme and 13 awards presented across different categories. While its awards are centred on fashion, the gala also functions as a cultural barometer for how style is understood in Sweden.
The 2026 best dressed awards point to two different but connected expressions of Swedish fashion. Ryding represents a younger, screen-driven form of celebrity style, where gender norms and character-building are part of the conversation. Lykke Li represents a more established artistic identity, where vintage, music and personal mythology shape a recognisable signature.
Both awards also show how Nordic fashion increasingly values individuality over formal dress codes. The language used by the jury focused less on elegance in a traditional sense and more on expression, attitude, character and the ability to expand the meaning of fashion.
A Nordic fashion moment with international resonance
The recognition of Lykke Li and Edvin Ryding at the Elle Gala 2026 fits into a wider Nordic cultural context. Swedish artists and actors have become increasingly visible beyond national audiences, particularly through global streaming platforms, music exports and fashion collaborations.
For international readers, the awards offer a small but telling snapshot of contemporary Scandinavian style. It is not defined only by minimalism or functionality, two clichés often attached to Nordic design, but also by theatricality, vintage references, fluid identity and personal narrative.
The gala’s choices suggest that Swedish fashion culture is giving more space to public figures who use clothing as part of a broader creative language. In that sense, this year’s best dressed awards were less about a single evening and more about how Nordic cultural figures shape their identities across music, film and public life.
