MET Gala 2026: Fashion Is Art

The 2026 Met Gala has officially taken place, on Monday 4 May 2026, and this year’s one might be my favourite thus far. The theme for this year was “Costume Art”, with the dress code being “Fashion In Art”. This gave people the opportunity to explore the connection between clothes, art history and the human body. And I saw some IMMACULATE designs. The exhibition marks the opening of the new 12,000-square-foot Condé M. Nast Galleries. So let’s see some of my favourites from the night:

Starting off easy with Sabrina Carpenter. For some reason, I really like the film strips she used, something I haven’t seen before. Will say, though, that compared to a lot of other looks, not the most creative but definitely not the most boring look I’ve seen.

Up next, Grace Ling. Now, the way it looks like the chrome was dripping, got caught by the wind and got stuck definitely had me looking again an again. There’s just something about a clean chrome piece that my brain likes.

Then, fashion stylist Law Roach. Best known for most of Zendaya’s most iconic looks over the years, he makes sure he is always dressed to impress. A plain suit design but has some of the most beautiful detailing with the painting plastered all over the jacket. For me, a start to the most intricate designs on the carpet this year.

Chinese Actor-Singer Cai Xukun, better known as Kun, came in a half-and-half design for his suit, with a train and matching gloves. Honestly, I’ve seen many plain suits over the years at the MET Gala, but this year seems like adding art to a suit was they way away from plain. I am in love with the red sequins and line work stitching.

Madonna came through giving Pirates of the Caribbean vibes, with the shipwreck head piece and the flowy material. Not necessarily my favourite look of the night but she was creative with it so I approve.

Now while this may not be out the box with designs (I mean a skeleton look isn’t anything new), but taking a closer look, Gustav Magnar Witzoe has the entire design rhinestoned (or beaded, but I think it’s rhinestones) to the very tiniest it can go. The fading, even the black areas right around the white are rhinestones, and creatively, that is very impressive. It would taken weeks to get it done. So kudos.

Now, SZA never looks bad. She is absolutely gorgeous in this dress. The yellow against her skin just works. The embroidery and the flower crown really do it for me. Love it, but the most creative and this is where we are going to start getting into the good stuff.

Miss Emma Chamberlain may look like she’s in a plain colourful dress, but from the hips ups, the colour is actually painted on her dress. It started as a conversation about her dad being an oil and watercolour painter and wanting to incorporate that in some way. The result is a stunning gown, designed by Castro Freitas and hand-painted by artist Anna Deller-Yee, that literally turned her body into a canvas.

And then we get this masterpiece. Incorporating the fencing gear (I mean that is his job), this massive coat and the all-over painted look of this, is beyond words for me. Miles Chamley-Watson walked in and stunned. At a closer look, the artwork on him is known as Cubism, an abstract art movement popularised in the early 20th century by artists such as Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque. It depicts figures, objects and scenes through radical fragmentation. Creative and right on theme.

As the most expensive outfit on the carpet, Sudha Reddy is wearing custom Manish Malhotra couture and a necklace valued at more than $15 million from her personal collection. The Tree of Life drew from Kalamkari, the Indian textile tradition with a history that stretches back roughly 3,000 years, and honestly, you can see the care, history and tradition in the designs. Breathtaking!

Tying in at 1st place with the next person, Karan Johar is yet another draped in tradition attendee. Channeling the grandeur of an Indian maharaja via a custom ensemble by designer Manish Malhotra, this look, titled “Framed in Eternity,” drew deeply from the visual legacy of Raja Ravi Varma, an Indian painter from the late 1900s. Hand-painted and created over 85 days by a team of more than 80 artisans, it featured classical Indian figures, palace scenes, and rich cultural motifs.

AND THE GRAND FINALE, Heidi Klum as a statue. Not just any statue, she was inspired by Italian artist Raffaele Monti’s “Veiled Vestal” sculpture. Honestly, I expected no less from Heidi Klum at the MET Gala. She always comes up with the most creative ideas and designs, and this time, she really looked like a walking sculpture. Way to incorporate art and fashion as a whole. I just don’t know how she was able to move, sit or eat well in this (maybe she didn’t need to, who knows hahaha).

But that is all we need to see for this year. If you need to see the bad…. Google will be your friend