That’s a wrap on the 2026 Met Gala Monday! This year, celebrities — and the wealthy — were challenged to create looks for the theme “Costume Art.” Additionally, the dress code was “Fashion Is Art.” Approximately 400 people were on the guest list, according to the Associated Press, so the red carpet was STACKED with looks. Here are 10 celebrities who devoured the 2026 Met Gala theme and dress code, from SZA‘s garden-themed headpiece to Heidi Klum embodying a living statue and Madonna needing 14 helping hands.
According to Harper’s BAZAAR, painter Leonora Carrington inspired Madonna’s theatrical look. She worked with Saint Laurent to design the look under Anthony Vaccarello’s creative direction. Madonna’s black gown was giving gothic queen meets funeral chic, featuring ruffles and even a cloak. Additionally, she took the look up a notch with a top hat shaped like a pirate ship, including the mast and sails, and a golden horn prop. Aside from the over-the-top look, Madonna also had seven women on the carpet, wearing pastel gowns and helping her to arrange her gown. Ultimately, she served “living art piece” energy!
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – MAY 04: Madonna attends the 2026 Met Gala celebrating “Costume Art” at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 04, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by Kevin Mazur/MG26/Getty Images for The Met Museum/Vogue)(Photo by Kevin Mazur/MG26/Getty Images for The Met Museum/Vogue)(Photo by Dia Dipasupil/MG26/Getty Images for The Met Museum/Vogue)
2. Forget The Birthday, SZA Was The Garden
Meanwhile, SZA opted for some color on the 2026 Met Gala red carpet! She teamed up with designer Emily Adams Bode Aujla for a custom look. Her bright yellow gown drew on early 20th-century designs. Also, Ethos reports that her dress was made using vintage and sourced materials. The gown featured a corset, a busty top, a round, layered skirt, and butterfly wings attached to her arms. Her most standout accessory was her headpiece, which combined floating florals and face jewelry.
3. Law Roach Used His Styling Talents On Himself
Zendaya opted not to attend the 2026 Met Gala! So, her longtime stylist Law Roach took full advantage of the free night! Rather than skip the show, he became IT! He rocked a custom couture Ami Paris suit, created by designer Naila Opiangah. Additionally, his tailored, off-white, wide-sleeves suit jacket featured elegant designs that resembled a moving painting.
(Photo by Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for The Met Museum/Vogue)
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4. Janelle Monáe Never Misses & She Didn't In 2026
Thom Browne did his big one designing Janelle Monáe’s 2026 Met Gala gown. A true art piece that looks like it could’ve been inspired by SZA’s ‘CTRL’ album. The gown featured a green, moss-like base that hugged her curves and covered one arm and her neck. It was decorated with what looked like vintage computer pieces and she accessorized with a butterfly headpiece on her pixie bob hairstyle.
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5. Heidi Klum Channels Goddess At The 2026 Met Gala
One thing about Heidi Klum? She NEVER misses an opportunity to go all out with her red carpet look, especially when a theme is involved. She partnered with designer and effects artist Mike Marino to create one of the boldest looks of the night: a living statue complete with a full-body carved-and-marble effect. Klum wore materials and elements like latex, spandex, and even face prosthetics to become unrecognizable as anything but “Fashion Is Art.” She and Marino reportedly drew inspiration from the ‘Veiled Vestal’ and ‘Veiled Christ’ art pieces completed in 1847 and 1753, respectively.
Saying NAILED IT doesn’t even cut it!
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6. Emma Chamberlain Brings Colorful Flow To Met
Emma Chamberlain. That’s it. That’s the post. JKJK. However, the YouTuber-turned-high-fashion icon was no slouch with her sixth Met Gala attendance. Her concept, per Vogue, was to wear art on her body, resembling a combination of a watercolor and oil painting. The strapless gown is airy and mermaid-style with a train. It features a blend of colors, including yellow, red, blue and green on a nude base. Also, the gown was reportedly a custom Mugler, hand-painted by Miguel Castro Freitas.
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7. Lena Mahfouf's Look Was Handsy & HAWT
Another standout custom couture look at the Met Gala 2026 came from Lena Mahfouf. She and designer Burc Akyol went for tasteful yet provocative nudity, with a draped light-blue skirt and a metallic bustier shaped like sculpted hands. The point was to make the silver hands look as if they were molded to her chest. Mahfouf paired the look with blue eyeshadow, minimal jewelry, and a half-up, half-down hairstyle with soft curls.NEW YORK, NEW YORK – MAY 04: Lena Mahfouf attend the 2026 Met Gala celebrating “Costume Art” at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 04, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by Matt Winkelmeyer/MG26/Getty Images for The Met Museum/Vogue)(Photo by Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images)
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8. Kylie Jenner's Undressed Look? Art.
Kylie Jenner had the red carpet and internet buzzing after she pulled up to the Met Gala half-dressed…on purpose! She partnered with designer Schiaparelli and creative director Daniel Roseberry to create a custom couture gown that gave the illusion of nudity, featuring a corset sculpted to her curves from chest to waist —nipples included. Meanwhile, her overskirt gave the illusion of being taken off, pinned just below her waist. The gown was covered in embroidery, pearls, and other textures. Jenner topped off the look with bleached eyebrows, dark, parted hair and a chunky diamond chocker with matching earrings.
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9. Gwendoline Christie Embraces Theme From Gown To Mask
Gwendoline Christie and her longtime partner and designer, Giles Deacon, played no games with the Met Gala’s theme and dress code. She also tapped Gillian Wearing for a custom face mask and Katie Grand to pull the entire look together, per Vogue. Her base was a dramatic, red gown with a structured waist and flowing skirt. She included an oversized feathered headpiece in purple, green, blue, and black, and a lifelike mask of her own face. Forget words, just look at the pictures! Did THAT is an understatement.NEW YORK, NEW YORK – MAY 04: Gwendoline Christie attends the 2026 Met Gala celebrating “Costume Art” at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 04, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by Mike Coppola/Getty Images)(Photo by Matt Winkelmeyer/MG26/Getty Images for The Met Museum/Vogue)(Photo by Gilbert Flores/Variety via Getty Images)
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10. Kim Kardashian As '60s Pop Art
Whether you love her or hate her, one thing about Kim Kardashian that can’t be denied? Her Met Gala appearances always feel like her personal Super Bowl. Overtop, detailed and SERVING. So, it’s no surprise that at the 2026 event, she found a way to get folks chatting!
She and British designer Allen Jones, with creative direction from Nadia Lee Cohen and collaboration with design studio Whitaker Malem, crafted a look inspired by 1960s pop art, specifically Jones’ work of the human body. Kim K walked the red carpet in a orange molded bodysuit hugging her curvy frame and a metallic breastplate. Like her sister Kylie, nipples were included. Kimmy’s look also featured an open-front leather skirt. Her team allegedly used a repurposed body-cast artwork from the era mentioned, which Kim shortened to a bodysuit from full-body to allow movement. They reportedly finished the outfit elements in an auto body shop and the look took three weeks from sourcing to completion.
Cassandra Santiago is a multimedia journalist, editor, and editorial strategist with over a decade of experience shaping conversations across arts, entertainment, culture, and global news. A graduate of the University of Iowa, she has built a cross-platform career spanning newspapers, magazines, radio, and digital media.
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