The first Monday in May once again delivered fashion’s most anticipated evening, as the 2026 Met Gala unfolded amid notable controversy. With Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez serving as honorary co-chairs following their financial sponsorship, the event drew protests outside the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Inside, Vogue’s Anna Wintour commended Sánchez for her commitment to fashion.
This year’s theme, “Costume Art” and “Fashion Is Art,” encouraged bold, interpretive dressing that blurred the line between garment and gallery piece. The red carpet reflected that directive, pairing 400 ensembles with works from the Met’s collection to explore the “dressed body” as artistic expression.
Beauty trends followed suit — fantastical wigs, graphic makeup, bleached brows, extra-long extensions, vampy lips, and luminous skin dominated the steps.
While every attendee arrived impeccably styled, the Met Gala demands more than elegance. It calls for creative risk. Looks that could pass on any other red carpet often fall short here. With that standard in mind, these were the night’s most memorable triumphs and missteps.
Best-Dressed Standouts
Nicole Kidman
Kidman embraced the theme in a figure-hugging, bright sequined gown with feathery cuffs and a dramatic below-the-hip peplum. “I wanted something red… red has been embraced by art,” she explained. Fresh from her 2025 divorce from Keith Urban, she called red a “strong symbol of passionate love, vitality, and power.” She attended with daughter Sunday Rose, who wore a lavender gown with floral appliqués.
Doja Cat
In a custom silicone YSL gown, Doja Cat delivered “elegant but interesting.” Her goal was an “all monochromatic skin tone” — hair, dress, and shoes matched seamlessly — punctuated by a daring hip-high slit that balanced coverage with edge.
Connor Storrie
The *Heated Rivalry* star embodied understated elegance in Saint Laurent. A delicate dotted silk muslin Lavallière top featured a signature necktie bow trailing down the back. He arrived in a long black coat, later revealing sculpted arms beneath.
Kylie Jenner
Jenner became a walking work of art in a one-of-a-kind Schiaparelli. The design featured a sculpted nude-illusion torso with a white gown that appeared to peel away, finished with a dramatic train for a deconstructed, undone effect.
Gigi Hadid
Calling the theme “our version of high school art class,” Hadid collaborated with Miu Miu on a sheer gray look inspired by Miuccia Prada’s Spring/Summer 1998 collection. “Silky with patches, letting the body and the skin really speak through,” she said. She layered in flame motifs from the brand’s 2011 collection and placed each patch herself: “Body as canvas.” Paired with satin MiuMiu underpinnings, she concluded, “I feel very myself.”
Worst-Dressed Misses
Lauren Sánchez
Despite an opportunity to pivot from her signature cleavage-baring style, Sánchez chose a predictable Schiaparelli: a deep-blue, figure-hugging gown with a plunging neckline and single-shoulder crystal embellishment. For an evening celebrating artistic risk, the look felt safe and overly familiar.
Lena Dunham
Dunham’s off-the-shoulder Valentino missed the mark. Feathers sat so high they obscured the lower half of her face, while the gown’s construction appeared ill-fitting. Inspired by “blood spatter,” per the actress, the attention-seeking design clashed with her stated aversion to being “famesick.”
Patrick Schwarzenegger
The new Gus Everett showed up to the Met Gala in a look that feels creative but doesn’t feel very flattering…
Heidi Klum
The dedication to the theme was undeniable, but the execution veered from daring to unsettling. With stronger styling choices, this could have been a standout — instead, it unsettled rather than impressed.
Karlie Kloss
The silhouette and shoes had potential, but the overall look felt far too restrained for the Met Gala. A bold injection of color, pattern, or an unexpected neckline would have elevated it from basic to memorable.
Sarah Pidgeon
Pidgeon is typically a red carpet standout, yet this Loewe pairing of color and silhouette fell flat. The combination lacked impact and didn’t flatter in the way her previous looks have.
Kendall Jenner
A form-fitting dress delivers on most nights, but the Met Gala demands drama. Without color, texture, or conceptual edge, this read as elegant but ultimately underwhelming for fashion’s most theatrical evening.
Margot Robbie
Undeniably gorgeous, but safe. After a billion-dollar *Barbie* run, a quiet Met Monday is understandable — though for an event built on spectacle, this Chanel felt like a missed opportunity.
Hudson Williams
The Black Swan-inspired makeup was a strong concept, and Williams committed fully. However, in a year when many attendees played it safe, this look could have benefited from more restraint to balance its intensity.
Carey Mulligan
A 1998 archival Prada dress is a nod to fashion history, but on its own it read as too safe. Without bold accessories, jewelry, or a headpiece to push it into “Costume Art” territory, the look faded into the background.
Suki Waterhouse
This gown would be perfect for the Venice Film Festival — refined, romantic, and red-carpet ready. But for the Met Gala’s camp and conceptual demands, it lacked the necessary risk and theatricality.
The Met Gala Standard
The Met Gala rewards imagination over simplicity. If an outfit wouldn’t look out of place at another event, it likely didn’t push far enough. The best looks this year treated the body as a medium — raw, sculpted, and unapologetically artistic. The weakest played it too safe for fashion’s most daring night.
