The 2026 Met Gala red carpet delivered an extraordinary display of fashion as art, with celebrities interpreting the theme 'Fashion is Art' in stunning and controversial ways. Event chairs Nicole Kidman, Beyoncé, Venus Williams, and Anna Wintour led the evening, which was funded by honorary chairs Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez Bezos.
Standout Arrivals
Beyoncé made a grand entrance in a feathered train requiring five people to carry, paired with a crystal-encrusted skeleton gown by Olivier Rousteing. Rihanna and A$AP Rocky arrived fashionably late, with Rihanna in a custom metallic Maison Margiela gown by Glenn Martens and Rocky in a baby-pink smoking robe.
Artistic Interpretations
Emma Chamberlain wore a custom watercolor Mugler gown inspired by the maison's 1997 La Chimère ensemble. Cardi B showcased a sheer lace Marc Jacobs dress with exaggerated padding. Kylie Jenner stunned in a surreal Schiaparelli gown with a pearl-encrusted train and sculpted nipples. Heidi Klum appeared as a living statue in custom foam and latex by Mike Marino.
Controversial and Creative
Katy Perry's Stella McCartney look was described as 'giving fencing astronaut.' Hailey Bieber's 24-carat gold bodice nodded to Yves Saint Laurent's 1969 couture collection. Kim Kardashian collaborated with artist Allen Jones on a cyborg-style breastplate. Gigi Hadid turned her body into a canvas in Miu Miu.
Co-Chairs and Hosts
Nicole Kidman wore a sequinned blood-red Chanel gown with feathered peplum. Venus Williams kept her dress simple to highlight a Swarovski necklace recreating a portrait by Robert Pruitt. Anna Wintour donned an eau de nil feathered cape and butterfly wing-patterned Chanel gown.
Art References
Lauren Sánchez Bezos wore a Schiaparelli gown homage to Madame X by John Singer Sargent. Julianne Moore also referenced the painting with a slipping strap. Madonna arrived with a ship as a hat and six ladies-in-waiting in Saint Laurent. Charli xcx's Saint Laurent gown featured a resin flower stem referencing Yves Saint Laurent's van Gogh tribute.
Memorable Moments
Sabrina Carpenter wore a Dior dress made of film. Doja Cat combined goddess draping with shiny silicone. Naomi Osaka sported a Robert Wun ensemble with a palette-shaped hat. Luke Evans went full Tom of Finland in a studded leather cop costume. Sam Smith resembled a deco-era illustration in double feathered headdress and glittering opera cloak.
Lena Dunham described her explosive feathered Valentino gown as the blood splatter in Artemisia Gentileschi's painting. Gwendoline Christie's look was inspired by John Singer Sargent, Madame Yevonde, and Ira Cohen. Zoë Kravitz co-chaired the host committee in a part Velázquez, part highwaywoman black lace Saint Laurent gown.
Debutantes and Debuts
Blue Ivy Carter made her Met Gala debut in a white bubble dress. Sinéad Burke wore a black corseted Christian Siriano gown with a sheer train. Lauren Wasser, known as 'the girl with the golden legs,' wore a lamé shorts-suit by Prabal Gurung. Hudson Williams debuted in Balenciaga with dramatic eye makeup inspired by Black Swan.
Fashion as Statement
Janelle Monáe traded her cyborg look for a dress with moss growing between circuitry. Anne Hathaway was Michael Kors's date in a gown hand-painted with the goddess of peace. Angela Bassett wore a pink dress inspired by Laura Wheeler Waring's Girl in Pink Dress. Olivia Wilde's Thom Browne look nodded to abstract body shapes.
Kendall Jenner wore a grey Zac Posen gown made from deconstructed Gap T-shirts inspired by the Winged Victory of Samothrace. Blake Lively arrived as a fairy princess in pastel tulle from Versace archives. Cher wore a leather corseted Burberry dress based on her 1974 naked Bob Mackie dress.
International Flair
Isha Ambani wore a sari embellished with her mother's diamonds. Google founder Sergey Brin and partner Gerelyn Gilbert-Soto wore pins depicting Iran's lion and sun flag. Olympic skier Eileen Gu's Iris van Herpen gown blew real bubbles. Rachel Sennott also blew bubbles in a color-blocked Marc Jacobs ensemble.
The Met Gala 2026 red carpet once again proved to be a spectacular fusion of fashion and art, with celebrities pushing boundaries and making bold statements.
