Met Gala 2026: analysis of the best images of the stars of the evening
The annual Met Gala, the largest secular charity event in the fashion world, was held in New York on May 4. This year's theme, "Costume Art", obliged the guests to interpret the dress code as "Fashion Is Art" — fashion as embodied art. The guests walked up the steps against a backdrop of Monet-inspired decorations: romantic flowers, hedges, pots of lavender, and carpet imitating moss cobblestones. This year, the Met Gala raised a record $42 million, up from last year's record of $31 million. The evening was co-chaired by Beyonce, Nicole Kidman, Venus Williams and Anna Wintour. Beyonce returned to the Met Gala ten years later in a shimmering skeleton dress by Olivier Rustin, bringing with her daughter Blue Ivy, for whom the evening was her debut. All the details are in the Izvestia article.
Hudson Williams: Balenciaga Matador with Black Swan makeup
Actor Hudson Williams appeared on the carpet in a custom Balenciaga outfit — a blue and black outfit with a train, inspired by the archival works of Cristobal Balenciaga in 1947. The jacket and undershirt were ostentatiously unbuttoned—the silhouette of a matador.
The powder-blue double suit was decorated with geometric embroidery of black crystals and decorative tassels along its entire length. The wide pointed white collar and the special cut of the trousers referred to the traditional bullfighter's uniform. According to Art Threat, the image was created by the new creative director of the house, Pierpaolo Piccoli, the first to appoint Williams as the official ambassador of Balenciaga. In this capacity, he joined Harris Dickinson, Winona Ryder and Javana Rose Liu, embodying the brand's new vector.
Williams fully invested in the concept, painting gray and red chrome shadows and bold black arrows — makeup artist Aika Flores created an image inspired by the movie "Black Swan". According to The Hollywood Reporter, stylist Anastasia Walker was included in the list of "rising stars" of the publication among stylists in 2026 precisely because of their collaboration. It was the actor's debut at the Met Gala — his co-star Connor Storri also appeared at the party for the first time.
Connor Storri
Actor Connor Storri appeared on the steps of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in an outfit from the French house of Saint Laurent, of which he is an ambassador. His look consisted of an elongated silk muslin polka dot top and high-rise trousers.
The actor complemented his appearance with a leather belt, Roman-style boots, a gold Omega watch and jewelry from the Tiffany & Co brand.
Emma Chamberlain: Watercolor Mugler
Emma Chamberlain appeared on the carpet for the sixth time as a special correspondent for Vogue and chose a custom Mugler dress by Miguel Castro Freitas, hand-painted by artist Anna Deller-Yi. The image was based on a dialogue with the era of Impressionism: the dress flowed into deep watery blue tones, reminiscent of a living painting.
"There's something of a watercolor about this dress, and I adore watercolor painting. But at the same time, there is an eerie, sinister tone to the dress, such as the way it moves. And it really suits my taste in art," she said before the event.
Chamberlain's image is notable for the fact that it works on several levels simultaneously: the visual lightness of the watercolor from the outside and the disturbing plasticity of the fabric in motion. This is a rare case when an outfit exists in a fundamentally different way in terms of statics and dynamics.
Heidi Klum: Living marble sculpture
Heidi Klum fully embodied the theme of "Fashion Is Art", appearing on the carpet in the form of a marble statue. Her colleague Mike Marino, a master of prosthetics and special effects, who had worked with her on Halloween looks for many years, was responsible for creating the image. Klum was covered with gray leather paint on her body and complemented the image with a floral headdress.
"I was inspired by [Raffaele Monti's] painting The Veiled Vestal," Klum said live on air.
Klum's image is one of the few at the party where the boundary between fashion and performance has finally been erased.
Madonna: Gothic surrealism and a ship on her head
The singer turned the entrance to the carpet into a full-fledged theatrical procession. Madonna appeared in a custom Saint Laurent image by Anthony Vaccarello, inspired by Leonora Carrington's painting "The Temptation of St. Anthony. Fragment II". She dressed up in a black, mourning-like dress with a transparent purple cape, which was carried by seven attendants in pastel outfits resembling underwear, with translucent blindfolds. Together they formed a star-shaped figure around the singer.
The main accessory was a hat in the shape of a pirate ship and a brass round pipe. The look was complemented by platform boots, bleached eyebrows and dark braided hair. Latin Times described the singer's exit as "witchy, strange and very much in the spirit of Madonna — more a performance than an appearance on the red carpet."
The appeal to Carrington is not accidental: the British Surrealist was one of the few women whom the Surrealists accepted as equals rather than using as an object. The image of the Madonna is thus read both as a quotation and as a manifesto.
Karan Johar: Indian Art
Director and producer Karan Johar chose a custom ensemble from Manish Malhotra, a designer with whom he has been working for decades in cinema. The image was inspired by the painting of Raja Ravi Varma. According to Filmibeat, this was the debut of the first Indian film director at the Met Gala.
The design combined classic Indian drapery with structured couture, creating a silhouette that feels both fluid and sculptural. The key detail was hand—painted in gold, made by Indian craftsmen - each stroke was applied directly to the fabric, giving the outfit the feeling of a living canvas. Images from the paintings "Hamsa Damayanti" and "Arjuna and Subhadra" were included in the decor.
"Framed in eternity." Inspired by the art of Raja Ravi Varma. His work does what I've always aspired to in movies — he painted feelings. Bringing our Indian culture to the world stage with a vision of couture and gratitude is an art in itself," said Dzhokhar.
Sarah Paulson: a bill instead of a mask and $75 thousand for admission
The actress came out in a custom gray-red puffy tulle Matières Fécales ball gown, complementing the look with white elbow—length gloves, Boucheron jewelry and the main accessory of the evening - a blindfold in the form of a one-dollar bill.
The collection from which the dress is taken is called The ONE Percent and makes fun of the wealthiest people in modern society. Exaggerated volume, theatrical bow and intentionally excessive proportions — all this works for the idea of the collection. The dollar mask sharpens the message.: She's hinting at being blinded by money.
There is an obvious contradiction in this: she stands on the carpet of the Met Gala, in couture, at an evening where the entrance ticket costs $75 thousand. According to Yahoo, small slits were made in the holes of the bill so that the actress could see.
Anok Yai
The Sudanese-American model appeared on the red carpet in an image where a dramatic black hood was combined with soft makeup and a sculptural silhouette, making her presence both solemn and disturbing. The image is Balenciaga.
Yai covered the body with a golden shimmer and added voluminous tears, like a crying statue. The image refers to the tradition of mourning sculptures — the Madonna della Pieta, the "Weeping Madonna" — but translated into modern black and gold minimalism.
Bad Bunny: an old man with a walking stick from Zara
The Puerto Rican rapper appeared on the steps of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in the form of an elderly man. He came out with a cane in his hands, wearing a black Zara tuxedo, with apparently graying hair and beard — a reincarnation into his own future self after several decades.
Mike Marino, the master who created the image of Heidi Klum in the form of a statue, worked on artificial aging prostheses. The image included white curls, wrinkled skin, and age spots. When host La La Anthony asked how many hours it took to create the image, the rapper replied, "53 years old."
"I always try to do something different. The day of the Met Gala is the perfect day to explore, be creative and express yourself in a different way," he explained.
The year 2026 has already become significant for Bad Bunny: a performance at the Super Bowl in February and three Grammy wins. Collaboration with Zara is an atypical choice for a guest of the Met Gala, where most of the images are created by luxury homes, and, apparently, intentional.
Beyonce
American singer Beyonce attended the ball for the first time in 10 years. She appeared on the steps of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in a diamond-encrusted skeleton-shaped dress by Olivier Rustin. Her look was complemented by a fur cape and a diamond-studded headdress. The actress posed for photographers with her husband Jay-Z and daughter Blue Ivy.
"It feels surreal because my daughter is here. It's incredible to be able to share this with her," Beyonce said on the red carpet.
Janelle Monae
Singer and actress Janelle Monae presented an outfit by Christian Siriano, created from recycled materials. The floor-length dress was constructed from real electrical cables, wires, and motherboard fragments combined with live moss and succulents.
Her image was complemented by 3D butterfly shapes and Rainbow K rings. The stylist of the artist was Alexandra Mandelkorn.
Sabrina Carpenter
Singer Sabrina Carpenter, who joined the organizing committee of the ball this year, chose a Dior dress. The surface of the outfit was wrapped in film.
As the singer admitted during an interview, an authentic 1954 film starring actress Audrey Hepburn was used to create the image. The image in the style of old Hollywood was complemented by a headdress embroidered with stones and curls.
Kun
Chinese singer Kun (real name — Cai Xukun) appeared at the event in a costume by Thom Browne. His image included a red contact lens and motorcycle gloves.
"The inspiration came from my new album, the title track of which is called Deadman. It's like I'm bleeding right here," the actor said, pointing to the details of his jacket.
Blake Lively
Actress Blake Lively has returned to the Met Gala carpet after several years of hiatus. She chose an archived Versace dress from the 2006 collection with a long train and cascades of pastel shades of chiffon.
Her look was complemented by a small bag. In an interview on the red carpet, Lively revealed that it was decorated with drawings by her four children — James, Inez, Betty and Olin.
Stevie Nicks: First visit to the Met Gala
Singer and Fleetwood Mac band member Stevie Nicks attended the event for the first time in her life, despite her long-term career. For her debut, she chose an exclusive Zara look created by designer John Galliano.
The outfit in dark blue tones consisted of a silk taffeta dress with embroidery and a velvet jacket. The image was complemented by a hat with feathers, made in collaboration with fashion designer Stephen Jones.
Sombr
American singer Sombr (real name — Shane Michael Booz) made his first appearance at the Met Gala ball. For his debut appearance, he chose a custom outfit from the Valentino fashion house, created by designer Alessandro Michele.
"I wanted to become a canvas with my own point of view for the work of Alessandro Michele. Fashion is art, and art is the expression of emotions. The idea (and the result) were dictated by pure emotions," the artist said.
The singer's image consisted of a hand-embroidered cape made of tulle and chiffon, which took more than 500 hours of work to create. The product is made of various materials in gradient silver and gray tones. The cape was complemented by a lace top made of lamé. It is decorated with an asymmetrical crepe de chine and satin motif, creating the effect of a ribbon wrapped around the torso. The trousers were also decorated with braided trim at the waist and sides.
Doechii
Rap singer Doechii (real name - Jayla Jaimiya Hikmon) appeared on the red carpet in a burgundy Marc Jacobs dress with cutouts on the bodice and a high slit on the leg.
The main feature of her image was the complete absence of shoes — the singer walked barefoot along the red carpet and the steps of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Internet users called it the riskiest element of the image.
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