The 2026 Met Gala had the theme “Costume Art” for the Costume Institute’s spring exhibition, with the dress code “Fashion Is Art.” Attendees saw fashion as embodied art, often drawing from sculptures, paintings, film, nature and tech hybrids, and historical references. Here are some of the best looks from the evening.
These looks hit the theme in multiple ways, and pays respect to the Costume Institute. When you attend the 2026 Met Gala, if you’re not respecting the art of costumes, then you’re making a fool of yourself.
Emma Chamberlain – Custom Mugler by Miguel Castro Freitas
Hand-painted by artist Anna Deller-Yee, this piece took over 958 hours of total construction. It draws inspiration from Van Gogh, Munch, and Chamberlain’s father who’s also a painter. Chamberlain was styled by Jared Ellner, with hair done by Sam Knight and makeup by Lilly Keys.
Her look featured a bleach-blonde pixie with a flipped-end halo shape, grown out slightly for style. Her makeup featured surreal, gothic watercolor eyes in purples and yellows, and nails to complement.
Why it Works
Chamberlain transformed her body into a literal living canvas with hand-painted organza and georgette layers inspired by art. The dress itself is art – a massive, 9-meter ruffled train and 958 hours of craftsmanship for a breathtaking real piece of art. She delivered perfect thematic commitment with nostalgic and slightly eerie painter vibes, earning widespread praise as the theme-defining highlight of the evening.
Eileen Gu – Custom Iris van Herpen “Airo” dress
Gu’s dress, in collaboration with artist duo A.A. Murakami, features roughly 15,000 hand-formed glass bubbles over 2,550 hours of work to create the piece. It featured hidden microprocessors that blew real bubbles, incorporating futuristic elements in the fashion.
Gu’s look features dreamy, ethereal makeup to go with the bubble theme with a voluminous, wavy updo. The details capture a fairytale-like ensemble with sheer elements.
Why it Works
Gu really took on the futuristic aspect of this event, where some people will pair technology with fashion to create new types of art. With Gu, this features both dreamy vibes and tech innovation for a new kind of art and fashion. Most importantly, she created living, interactive art on the red carpet – quite literally the theme.
Sabrina Carpenter – Custom Christian Dior
Carpenter donned a dress created entirely from film strips of the 1954 movie “Sabrina.” The look features metallic accents and beading. She was also styled by Ellner, being the unofficial “stylist of the night” for styling two popular looks.
Sabrina’s hair, by Evan Frausto, was a sculpted retro faux bob wit big pin-up curls and ringlets, paying homage to old-Hollywood. The makeup (Carolina Gonzalez) was a golfer old-Hollywood glam with flattering colors for Carpenter. She rocked a jeweled headpiece and Chopard diamonds.
Why it Works
Her gown was constructed out of actual film strips, creating a tri-media hybrid kind of art. This comes perfectly after her old-Hollywood style Coachella performance. This look combines sheer cinematic texture, metallic accents and old-Hollywood glam for a conceptual effect. This look pushes creative boundaries, an A+ for the Met Gala.
Heidi Klum – Custom by Mike Marino
Klum, who’s just notoriously good at costuming, dons a look featuring special effects and prosthetics, marble-looking spandex and a full-body drape, inspired by Veiled Christ and Veiled Vestal.
She integrated a high-fashion updo featuring tight copper coils in a spiral tower with diamond-studded elements, part of the statue illusion. Also by Marino, her makeup is full facial/body prosthetics and stone-like coverage for a theatrical transformation.
Why it Works
Klum is no stranger to full commitment to a look, so her hyper-realistic marble statue, draped veiling look perfectly captured the theme. She delivered an unspoken amount of art through fashion: sculpture, theatric elements and prosthetics. She took a risk and it paid off.
Anok Yai – Custom Balenciaga by Pierpaolo Piccioli
Yai just does not disappoint at the Met Gala. She pitched the concept of the statue-style look herself. Yai wore a sculptural black silk taffeta with dramatic hood, draped bustier, sweeping skirt, architectural volume, and nods to “Black Madonna”/Sorrowful Mother.
She had a bronze/gilded statue-inspired updo with golden accents and gold body paint and shimmer to match. She had opera gloves and jewels to complement the look, but she truly captured art within her look.
Why it Works
The detail in the hair alone sells the look. She has a flawless execution of volume, negative space, gilded makeup with teardrops, and opera gloves turned her into a moving sculpture. Another look with dramatic, theatrical elements that paid off.
Janelle Monae – Custom Christian Siriano
Another killer look, Monae wore a maximalist solar punk gown with live moss/greenery, over 200 electrical wires/cables, animatronics by Cameron Hughes, succulents and butterfly details. She was styled by Alexandra Mandelkorn, with hair by Nikki Nelms and makeup by Jessica Smalls.
Monae kept it simple with a clean, polished hairstyle with a butterfly headpiece and makeup to complement the maximalist concept.
Why it Works
Monae took a risk with wearing a live installation of a future of nature and technology. She perfectly embodied the “Fashion is Art” immersive sculpture that was creative and whimsical.
Let me know your favorite 2026 Met Gala looks below.
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