T
he day is May 6th. The ‘Fashion Olympics’ has been on your mind for two days. Your social media feed is a series of analysis, debating celebrities' ability to stay on theme, whilst contemplating where stylists and designers may have fallen short. Now, here you are. Ready. Willing. Excited (I hope), to hear yet more opinions from an observer.
The theme of this year's Met Gala was ‘Costume Art’, which gave a broader scope for creative interpretation compared to previous years. We saw many depictions of classical artwork, along with new concepts by artists and designers. While the final product of all pieces were unique, we can see patterns between concepts, with multiple works enhancing the human body and highlighting the elegance of the female form. Although the majority of designs were meticulously crafted, a select few outshone the rest. The use of different textures, colours and shapes worked somewhat more effectively in some designs over others, and, as usual, a few designs strayed from the theme. That being said, the ideas posed on the carpet have highlighted how anything can be considered artwork, and how beauty is present in everything.
Without any further ado, I present to you a guide to the ‘best’ dressed from the 2026 Met Gala.
Do with this what you will.
EMMA CHAMBERLAIN
Wearing custom Mugler by Miguel Castro Freitas, Emma Chamberlain, once again, did not fail to stay on theme. Her gown draws inspiration from archival Mugler pieces, such as the 1997 Butterfly dress, and successfully captures the process of creating art. We can see progression in the brush strokes on the dress, with them being clearer on the bodice, and becoming more faded as we move to the hem. This gives the effect that the paint was diluted and smudged during the process of painting. Moreover, the gown was hand painted by Anna Deller-Yee, taking her 40 hours, making it a literal piece of art.
KARAN JOHAR
In a creation of over 5000 hours of labour, Karan Johar set a new standard for men’s fashion at the Met Gala. The attention to detail in this piece, designed by Manish Malhotra, is nothing short of outstanding, with each element being handcrafted, and every image being hand painted, including on the lining. This garment captures the work of Raja Ravi Varma, and is finished with acrylic and oil in order to portray the texture of an actual painting.
HEIDI KLUM
The Queen of Costume, Heidi Klum, was, once again, triumphant. Collaborating with Oscar winning makeup artist, Mike Marino, Klum was transformed into marble, and became almost unrecognisable. The design successfully attempted to embody Raffaelle Monty’s 1847 sculpture entitled ‘La Vestale Velata’, with veil cascading perfectly across her face and down her body. The latex used to form the garment captures the stillness that is present in the sculpture, and the hand painted shadows have created dimension and form, true to that of a statue.
CHASE INFINITI
Donned in over a million sequins, Chase Infiniti undoubtedly captured the attention of her audience. This gown was envisioned by designer Thom Browne, drawing inspiration from the Venus de Milo statue, which depicts Aphrodite, the Goddess of Love. This gown brings modernity to history, using over 600 colours to transform Alexandros of Antioch’s sculpture, and the use of layered sequins and colourful fringe effectively portrays the textures created when painting.
WISDOM KAYE
Dressed in custom Public School, Wisdom Kaye acted as a connection between history and the future. In an attempt to combine classical tailoring and futuristic design, designers Dao-Yi Chao and Maxwell Osborne up-cycled resources from
Ebay to create a garment harnessing elements of multiple periods of fashion. The outcome was elegant, with the structured velvet suit contrasting beautifully to the metal corset, redefining historic gender boundaries surrounding fashion.
SABINE GETTY
In a tribute to 18th century artwork, Ashi Studio used Sabine Getty’s body as a canvas. Her handpainted corset skillfully captures the details of renaissance portraiture, with the finish appearing almost waxy in the same way as an antique painting. Additionally, the sheer, wispy train imitates dust, creating an enchanting, almost mysterious, atmosphere within the look.
SABRINA CARPENTER
In typical Sabrina fashion, Ms Carpenter’s look told a story. Designed by Jonathan Anderson for Dior, the garment was molded out of a film roll from the 1954 Audrey Hepburn movie, ‘Sabrina’. The way in which the classic film itself is considered art, combined with the innovative use of film roll draping elegantly across her figure, allows this piece to align completely with the theme of the Met Gala, whilst also remaining on brand for Sabrina.
SZA
SZA brought sustainability to the carpet, dressed in Bode. The materials for this look were completely curated from Ebay, using vintage fabrics and beads, highlighting the art of up-cycling. The dress itself draws inspiration from the Wiener Werkstätte (Vienna Workshop), which was an influential fashion movement in Vienna between 1910 and 1932. Designer Emily Adams Bode Aujla and her team hand painted silk wings, which when combined with the floral details on the headpiece and the gown, created a whimsical product, which remains true to SZA’s character.
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