Met Gala 2026: The Met Gala returns this year with full spectacle in mind at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the theme pushes fashion into its most core conceptual territory yet. This year’s theme is “Costume Art,” asking attendees to adhere to the dress code “Fashion is Art,” asking celebrities to treat their bodies as canvases and blurring the lines between artistic expression and couture. Taking a page out of the Costume Institute’s latest exhibition, the theme is meant to bring forth the concept of how clothing shapes identity, storytelling and cultural memory. Thus, this year, we see the red carpet filled with unique and quirky ideas and designs of sculptural silhouettes, archival references and daring experimentation.
Met Gala 2026 Best Looks
Karan Johar
Wearing: Manish Malhotra
Styled by: Eka Lakhani
Karan Johar made heads turn this year in his Met Gala debut, which fused an opulent, heavily embroidered ensemble rooted in royal Indian aesthetics, keeping the evening’s theme “Fashion is Art” in mind. The richly detailed black and gold sherwani-style jacket, layered with intricate baroque embroidery and paired with a dramatic floor-length cape, screams elaborate. The cape itself is a stunner and its elaborate, tapestry-like artwork with figurative motifs almost resembles a moving mural. Completing Johar’s look are velvet trousers and statement rings that added to the grandeur of the look.
Rihanna & A$AP Rocky
A$AP Rocky is wearing Chanel
Rihanna is wearing Maison Margiela
Embodying fashion as dual artistry, Rihanna and A$AP Rocky turned the red carpet into their own fashion exhibit, delivering two distinct yet complementary looks. Rihanna turned heads in a heavily embellished, metallic-textured gown that hugged her frame before expanding into a dramatic sculptural wrap detail around her shoulders. What tied in the look are the ornate headpiece and layered jewellery. Meanwhile, A$AP Rocky balanced her maximalism with a pastel pink coat over a classic tuxedo. The bold black lapels differentiated the look, and the statement floral detailing was its highlight.
Isha Ambani
Wearing: Gaurav Gupta
Styled By: Anaita Shroff Adajania
While it’s difficult to top Ambani’s jewels at any given outing, this custom Gaurav Gupta ensemble comes close and is a sight to behold, seamlessly blending heritage craftsmanship with sculptural innovation. This is a handwoven gold tissue sari paired with a jewellery-integrated blouse with over 1,800 diamonds, emeralds, polki and kundan. The dramatic, sculptured cape was the highlight, creating a halo-like structure around her shoulders. The look was completed with layered heirloom necklaces that added depth and legacy to her outfit. And let’s not forget the mango purse!
Sabine Getty
Wearing: Ashi Studio
Opting for a textured, metallic-toned gown featuring intricate embellishments and sculptured draping, Getty looked like she was right out of a painting. The look combined couture craftsmanship with fluid movement, leaning into “material as medium” and turning the body into both subject and medium.
Colman Domingo
Wearing: Custom Velentino
This was one of the most visually rich representations of this year’s theme and embodied fashion as collage art. The outfit featured a colourful patchwork design and blends multiple textures and tones into a single, cohesive unit. The ensemble is completed with Valentino Garavani accessories and statement Boucheron high jewellery.
KUN
Wearing: Thom Browne
Dressing at the “Vital Body” from the 2026 Met exhibit “Costume Art,” KUN’s red carpet look featured a tailored, monochrome ensemble that blended classic suiting with avant-garde detailing. Minimal yet striking, his makeup picked up as much of the weight as his costume did, and, rather than going for heavy embellishments, his look emphasised clear lines, proportion and structure. The restrained palette allowed the craftsmanship to stand out, and thankfully so, as one half of the look required 40,000 beads and sequins!
Jisoo
Wearing: Dior
Bringing an ethereal touch to the Met Gala 2026 in a custom Dior haute couture gown, Jisoo’s look featured a soft, flowing silhouette in delicate tones, elevated with intricate embroidery, sheer layering and subtle floral appliqué work. The structured bodice balanced the fluidity of the skirt beautifully, and the minimal jewellery kept eyes solely on the craftsmanship.
Anne Hathaway
Wearing: Custom Michael Kors
Embracing the 2026 Met Gala theme in a custom Michael Kors Collection black silk-and-wool mikado strapless gown designed with a dramatic cascade skirt, Hathaway’s look stood out thanks to Peter McGough’s one-of-a-kind hand-painted motifs. The structured silhouette provided a classic couture base, adding a personal touch with a wish for peace, beauty and harmony.
Sabrina Carpenter
Wearing: custom Dior
Wearing a custom Dior dress designed by Jonathan Anderson, Carpenter brought the most literal interpretations of this year’s theme by wearing a dress crafted using embellished film strips from the 1954 film Sabrina. The dress featured a tulle silhouette with a high slit and a body-wrapping construction of film reels, and its striking visual texture shimmered under the lights. The look was completed with a jewelled headpiece, platform heels and Chopard diamond jewellery. Lastly, her Old Hollywood-inspired makeup and soft curls paid homage to Audrey Hepburn, Sabrina‘s star.
SZA
Wearing: custom BODE
Designed by Emily Adams Bode Aujla, SZA’s dress delivers one of the most imaginative interpretations of the night’s theme. The sun-yellow corset dress has a tiered, voluminous skirt. The most interesting part of the dress is that it is crafted from over 100 years of vintage fabrics sourced from eBay! The look was completed with a sheer, butterfly-like cape adorned with floral motifs and a dramatic headpiece. The dress’s design was inspired by the Wiener Werkstätte, the turn-of-the-century Viennese art collective whose work advanced both Art Deco and Art Nouveau.
Madonna
Wearing: Saint Laurent
Madonna’s look this year at the Met was sharper and more structured. Anthony Vaccarello’s ensemble is minimalistic but still carries the artistic weight, featuring a black tailored silhouette that is anchored by a structured blazer and sheer, form-fitting elements underneath. On top of this, the styling elevated the look, completing it with dark sunglasses, vintage sensuality and a bold attitude that made it memorable.
Kim Kardashian
Wearing: Whitaker Malem and Allen Jones
In a dream collaboration between Whitaker Malem and Allen Jones, Kardashian wore a sculpted, body-contouring breastplate with a leather skirt that emphasised form and structure. The monochrome palette and precise tailoring made the outfit into a study of the human form and brought a minimal but impactful design.
Beyoncé
Wearing: Olivier Rousteing
The metallic sculpting and powerful, armour-like silhouette of Beyonce’s ensemble was a stunner on the red carpet and turned every head. The look symbolised a merger of strength and glamour, transforming her into a mythical figure on the carpet.
Chase Infiniti
Wearing: Thom Browne
This trompe l’oeil Thom Browne dress, inspired by the ancient Greek “Venus de Milo” statue, was a sight to behold on the red carpet. The surreal ensemble was completed with draped elements and a conceptual silhouette.
Eileen Gu
Wearing: Iris van Herpen
This custom dress was made with approximately 15,000 glass bubbles that reflects 99.99% the atomic anatomy of the human body. The dress’s technology allowed it to create real bubbles and was paired with transparent heels. The look embodied fashion as kinetic art and merged couture with technology and movement.
Emma Chamberlain
Wearing: Mugler
This gown, in collaboration with Anna Deller-Yee, features a nude illusion covered in hand-painted, brushstroke-like detailing that turned her body into a colourful canvas. The dramatic train and painterly textures turned this look into a direct embodiment of wearable fine art.
Lauren Wasser
Wearing: Prabal Gurung
Wasser opted for a two-piece gold lame suit styled with layered diamond chains, rings and a bold and sparkling bandana combining identity and body art.
LISA
Wearing: Robert Wun
The gown, titled “The Veil,” featured a crystal-covered sheer silhouette with sculpted arms lifting a dramatic veil. The dress is adorned with 66,000 Swarovski crystals, and the ensemble turned her into a futuristic art installation.
Which of these looks were your favourite? Let us know in the comments below!
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