The Best and Worst of the Stars at the 2026 Met Gala Inspired by Art History

Le meilleur et le pire des stars au Met Gala 2026 inspiré par l’histoire de l’art

On May 4, 2026, the Met Gala brought together 450 guests at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York under the theme "Fashion is Art," tied to the exhibition "Costume Art." Attendees were asked to draw inspiration from specific artworks, resulting in standout looks: Madonna channeled Leonora Carrington's "The Temptation of Saint Anthony" (1945) in a Saint Laurent gown, Kim Kardashian wore a custom piece by Allen Jones extending his "Cover Story 4/4" (2021), Hunter Schafer embodied Gustav Klimt's portrait "Mäda Primavesi" (1912-1913) in Prada, and Tessa Thompson referenced Yves Klein's "Anthropométries" in Valentino. Gracie Abrams also paid homage to Klimt's "The Kiss."

Met Gala guests from Beyoncé to Nicole Kidman set to flaunt fashion as art

The article previews the 2025 Met Gala, where celebrities including Beyoncé, Nicole Kidman, and Venus Williams will ascend the Metropolitan Museum of Art's steps dressed according to the dress code "Fashion is art." The event, which raises funds for the museum's Costume Institute, encourages guests to treat fashion as an embodied art form, drawing on historical collaborations between designers and artists—such as Elsa Schiaparelli with Salvador Dalí, Yves Saint Laurent with Piet Mondrian, and Marc Jacobs with Takashi Murakami. The red carpet will be livestreamed by Vogue and the Associated Press.

Met Gala guests take artistic liberties with dress code

Guests at the 2025 Met Gala embraced the dress code 'Fashion is art' with bold, artistic ensembles. Beyoncé wore a custom Olivier Rousteing sculptural skeleton dress with a feathered train and diamond crown. Naomi Osaka stunned in a Robert Wun white sculptural dress that revealed a red beaded gown underneath. Emma Chamberlain arrived in a hand-painted Mugler dress by Miguel Castro Freitas. Co-chairs Anna Wintour, Nicole Kidman, and Venus Williams also made statements, with Williams wearing a sparkling gown in homage to her own portrait by Robert Pruitt. Many guests referenced famous artworks, such as Lena Dunham channeling Artemisia Gentileschi's 'Judith Slaying Holofernes' through a Valentino design by Alessandro Michele, and Lauren Sánchez Bezos wearing a Schiaparelli gown inspired by John Singer Sargent's 'Madame X.'

The Good, the Bad, and the Fugly From the 2026 Met Gala

Cultured magazine's 2026 Met Gala coverage features a roundtable of critics and writers offering candid, often humorous takes on celebrity looks from the red carpet. Emma Chamberlain's hand-painted Mugler gown is widely praised as the most on-theme, while Troye Sivan's Prada homage to Robert Mapplethorpe and Chase Infiniti's Thom Browne trompe-l'œil dress also earn acclaim. Gabrielle Richardson calls for more color, noting the theme is about art, and criticizes the monochromatic trend. Mackenzie Thomas pans Alysa Liu's look as "prom" and "quinceañera," while others celebrate Naomi Osaka's Robert Wun Couture and Connor Storrie's Saint Laurent ensemble. The article is structured as a series of short, punchy quotes from multiple contributors, each focusing on specific attendees' fashion choices.

Beyoncé, Bad Bunny and Heidi Klum take artistic liberties with Met Gala dress code

The 2026 Met Gala, celebrating the opening of the Costume Institute's "Costume Art" exhibition, saw celebrities including Beyoncé, Naomi Osaka, Emma Chamberlain, and Heidi Klum embrace the dress code "Fashion is art" with bold, sculptural, and art-inspired ensembles. Beyoncé wore a custom Olivier Rousteing skeleton dress with a feathered train and diamond crown, while Osaka stunned in a Robert Wun white sculptural dress with a red anatomy-themed reveal. Co-chairs Anna Wintour, Nicole Kidman, and Venus Williams also made notable appearances, with Williams referencing a Robert Pruitt portrait of herself. Many guests drew direct inspiration from art history, such as Lauren Sánchez Bezos channeling John Singer Sargent's "Madame X" and Lena Dunham collaborating with Valentino's Alessandro Michele to depict Artemisia Gentileschi's "Judith Slaying Holofernes."

Met Gala guests arrive on carpet in dramatic works of art

The 2026 Met Gala, held at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, featured celebrities arriving in dramatic, custom outfits adhering to the dress code 'Fashion is art.' Notable attendees included Naomi Osaka in a Robert Wun white sculptural dress with red feathers and dripping red paint, Emma Chamberlain in a hand-painted Mugler gown by Miguel Castro Freitas, and co-chair Anna Wintour in a mint ensemble by Matthieu Blazy for Chanel. The event celebrated the opening of the Costume Institute's exhibition 'Costume Art.'

PHOTOS: Artistic liberties on display at the Met Gala

The 2026 Met Gala, held on May 4 at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, featured celebrities including Beyoncé, Naomi Osaka, and Emma Chamberlain in elaborate, art-inspired ensembles under the dress code 'Fashion is art.' Beyoncé wore a custom Olivier Rousteing sculptural skeleton dress, Osaka stunned in a Robert Wun white sculptural dress with red feathers, and Chamberlain arrived in a hand-painted Mugler gown. Co-chairs Anna Wintour, Nicole Kidman, and Venus Williams also attended, with Williams wearing a gown referencing a Robert Pruitt portrait of herself. The event raised funds for the Costume Institute's exhibition 'Costume Art.'