Tessa Thompson put Christian Louboutin’s Miss Z pump back on duty at the 2026 New York Theatre Workshop Benefit Gala at Gotham Hall in New York City on Monday night. The “Hedda” star arrived in black patent Miss Z 100 mm pumps, worn with silk suiting from Kallmeyer’s fall 2026 ready-to-wear collection.
Tessa Thompson wearing Louboutin Miss Z patent pumps.
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The Miss Z pump featured a sharply pointed toe and tapered silhouette in glossy black patent calf leather. A high 100mm stiletto heel extended straight down at the back, with Louboutin’s “everlasting” red sole wrapping up the heel and along the underside, a finish created with a thermoplastic polyurethane coating for added durability and grip. The style also included a padded insole and a slightly roomier toe box than earlier Louboutin icons, design updates introduced when the Miss Z debuted on the brand’s spring 2025 runway.
Tessa Thompson in Louboutin Miss Z pumps in a black patent leather finish.
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Thompson wore the pumps beneath Kallmeyer’s look 2 from fall 2026: a black tailored jacket layered over fluid ivory silk. The jacket came cropped with a single front button and narrow lapels, sitting over a high, draped silk neckline that continued into a wrapped waist panel and long sash trailing past the trouser hem. Matching black wide-leg trousers covered most of the shoe’s vamp, with just the pointed toe and red-backed heel peeking out from underneath. A glossy black clutch, stack of slim rings and a thick red bracelet at her wrist finished the look, alongside a half-up hairstyle with two straight front sections.
A closer look at Tessa Thompson’s Miss Z pumps.
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Thompson has already made the Miss Z part of her 2026 awards-season rotation. In January, she wore the same patent pump on the Golden Eve carpet in Beverly Hills with a slate strapless Monse gown from pre-fall 2026, styled by Karla Welch.
Since its launch, the Miss Z has expanded into mules, slingbacks and metallic and embellished versions, and has appeared in high-profile looks ranging from Paris runway presentations to Taylor Swift’s bejeweled Miss Z stilettos in a “Life of a Showgirl” teaser.
Christian Louboutin 100mm pumps – black patent calf leather. Retail price as of writing: $995.
Christian Louboutin
The New York Theatre Workshop Benefit Gala gathered guests to honor Colman Domingo, producer Mara Isaacs and actor Nicole Ari Parker, with J. Harrison Ghee hosting the evening at Gotham Hall.
