On May 4th, 2026, the 75th Met Gala took place at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, in NYC, and included some of the most spectacular red-carpet looks we’ve ever seen. The theme for this year was “Costume Art”, which left a lot of room up to the guests to interpret the message and curate creative designs for themselves. Most interpreted the theme as an extension into the fashion of historically beautiful and intriguing art pieces. The response from social media to celebrities outfits was surprisingly more positive than it has been in years past, perhaps due to the sheer greatness that the majority of celebrities brought with their looks this year. Usually, I see a lot of misinterpretation of the theme or outfits that are entirely off-theme, and I surprisingly didn’t see much of that this year. There were a variety of beautiful looks at the 2026 Met Gala, read on to understand the deeper perspective, and to see who had the best outfit.
Many users described Rihanna’s look as a major statement piece that shined across the steps of the met. Her look was dripping with gold and silver that was almost blinding to everyone else. The bedazzled gown was Maison Margiela, and wasn’t explicitly stated to be a reference to any historical art pieces, but instead a tribute to the continuation of luxury in fashion. Additionally, Rihanna’s hair was decorated as well as her body, with gemstones lining her slicked back look, successfully continuing her luxurious look even through her hair.
Sabrina Carpenter was another artist that gained significant attention online for her look. The outfit took inspiration from Audrey Hepburn’s 1954 film Sabrina, which explains the vintage film strips that were draped around her torso. The dress itself was a custom Dior piece by Jonathan Anderson that included tulle dotted with rhinestones puffing out along her waist and flowing towards the floor. Carpenter also wore a beautiful headpiece that was shimmering with diamonds. Her look was an interesting and unique take on the theme, as she took inspiration from media art instead of classical art like most guests did.
For the red-carpet correspondent for Vogue herself, the media had high expectations for Emma Chamberlain, and she exceeded expectations. Her dress was an elegant custom Mugler body-con piece that started as a blank canvas, but became an art piece itself as artist Anna Deller-Yee painted the dress for over 40 hours. Chamberlain’s father himself was an artist, so when the theme “Fashion is art” was announced, she was thrilled and knew that this had to be her best look yet.
“My dad is an oil painter and a watercolor painter, and I grew up in a very creative household with art all over my house,”
The dress also included nods to Van Gogh and Munch through the mixture of many different colors. Overall, Chamberlain’s outfit was one of the most well thought out looks we saw all night, maybe even through all met galas.
Ultimately, the 2026 Met Gala showcased a variety of elegant and classical looks that perfectly encapsulated art into modern fashion. Guests interpreted the theme in a variety of ways, but the looks seen on the red carpet were all beautifully artistic in their own ways.
