The Met Gala carpet has always been a theatre of excess, but this year it felt a bit sharper and more intentional, less about dressing for the theme and more about interrogating what “Fashion Is Art” really means. The night unfolded as a series of visual arguments between body and garment, restraint and spectacle, preservation and reinvention.
The strongest looks did not just reference the theme, they ran with it. Across the carpet, trends sharpened the message. Hands, whether gloved or implied, became instruments of control. Sculptural silhouettes turned bodies into installations. Corsets and bustiers functioned as tools of construction, while lace up backs solidify the nautical pirate trend into 2026. Cut outs revealed the body in artful fragments. Veils and face masks obscured identity and upcycling threaded sustainability through spectacle.
At the top of our list, Dree Hemingway in Valentino couture Spring Summer 2026 delivering what was arguably one of the most on-theme moments of the night while Emma Chamberlain in custom Mugler served hard with a striking look that was like a living canvas, a clear nod to Thierry Mugler’s Haute Couture Fall Winter 1997 collection.
Valentino moved with confidence across the carpet. Dree Hemingway set the tone, while Coleman Domingo reinforced the house’s command of tailoring and presence. Tyla offered a younger, sexier interpretation of the same codes in a peacock inspired look.
A clear through line of control and elongation from guests wearing Saint Laurent by Anthony Vaccarello. Madonna arrived in a hooded sweeping organza cape over silk satin and lace, amplified by a now infamous procession of handmaids. Zoë Kravitz delivered precision in a guipure lace basque waist gown, while Hailey Bieber balanced fluid blue chiffon with a sculpted 24 carat gold bodice. Doja Cat pushed material experimentation with a skin tone draped chiffon silicone gown, and Connor Storrie slayed in a confident sleeveless suit with a breezy silk train.
Adut Akech, Chase Infiniti, and Marcello Hernández, all in Thom Browne, turned the body itself into the thesis. From pregnancy and birth to illusion and classic tailoring, the garments evolved with and against the body rather than simply dressing it. Devyn Garcia emphasized the body with a suntaned tromp l’oeil custom gown by Michael Kors Collection with crystal embroidery, while MET Gala host committee member Alex Consani wore a nude tulle gown with dramatic train by Demna.
Archival thinking threaded quietly through the night with eBay as a clear sponsor of some. Aurora James in elegant vintage Emanuel Ungaro and Paloma Elsesser in Bureau of Imagination by Francesco Risso reinforced fashion as preservation, with upcycling being a constant trend this season.
Some looks operated as singular arguments, like Rihanna in Maison Margiela Fall 2025 couture. Teyana Taylor in custom Tom Ford by Haider Ackermann leaned into sensual precision with a look that dripped with tinsel. Cardi B pushed distortion and surrealism in Marc Jacobs through references to Hans Bellmer. Devyn Garcia mapped the body through engineered knit and crystal, while Rachel Sennott translated John Baldessari into wearable geometry, both in Marc Jacobs.
Hudson Williams in Balenciaga blurred the lines with extreme makeup, while Ben Platt softened traditional tailoring with a crafty custom Tanner Fletcher suit. Sarah Pidgeon in a gorgeous striking Loewe gown by Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez offered a controlled, minimal counterpoint.
Discover more of our favourite looks below.
