- Celebrities gathered at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City on Monday for the Met Gala.
- The fundraiser for the museum's Costume Institute had a "Fashion Is Art" dress code.
- Lauren Sánchez Bezos, Sabrina Carpenter, and Zoë Kravitz wore some of the night's best looks.
- Summaries are generated by an AI model trained on Business Insider's articles. AI may make mistakes or provide inaccurate/incomplete information.
What's the hottest place to be in New York City on the first Monday in May? A museum, of course. Well, one specific museum: The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
The Met Gala, known to fans as fashion's biggest night, is held on the first Monday in May each year and serves as an annual fundraiser for the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute.
Beyoncé, Venus Williams, and Nicole Kidman co-chaired the 2026 Met Gala, which is celebrating the Met's "Costume Art" exhibition, alongside former Vogue editor in chief Anna Wintour.
A-list attendees arrived at the event in their interpretation of the "Fashion Is Art" dress code. For Lauren Sánchez Bezos, that meant a gown inspired by a painting, while Emma Chamberlain wore a dress literally made with paint.
Read on to see the best looks from the 2026 Met Gala.
Beyoncé
Beyoncé made her long-awaited return to the Met Gala after 10 years as a cochair, and she didn't disappoint with her look.
Her Olivier Rousteing dress was designed to look like a crystal-covered skeleton, with sparkly embellishments that formed the shape of bones.
She wore a coordinating crown atop her head and a detached, fuzzy train that flowed dramatically behind her.
Blake Lively
As Lively told Vogue on the red carpet, her Versace gown was an archival piece from 2006, made more dramatic for The Met by adding a train.
The bodice of the gown was yellow with silver embroidery and had a halter neckline, while its full skirt was made of tiers of ruffled fabric.
The train certainly added drama, extending several feet behind her as she ascended the steps.
Madonna
Madonna's black dress had a gothic feel, but the showstopping element was her dramatic hat. A boat-like structure perched on top of it, with swaths of gray fabric extending around her that were carried by attendants.
It was the drama needed for the Met Gala red carpet.
Ciara
Ciara told Vogue her gold ensemble was a modern take on the Egyptian queen Nefertiti.
Her form-fitting, sheer dress was adorned with sparkly embellishments. She wore a gold headpiece that looked like a crown, oversized necklaces across her torso, and dramatic sunglasses.
Rachel Zegler
Zegler took inspiration from "The Execution of Lady Jane Grey" by Paul Delaroche for her Met Gala look.
Her white dress featured a corset bodice, off-the-shoulder sleeves, and a dramatic train. A sheer mask covered her eyes, in a nod to the painting.
Chase Infiniti
Infiniti's Thom Browne gown looked like a painting brought to life. Sculpted to her body, the dress was covered in a rainbow array of sequins that resembled a painting.
Fun and colorful, it was a beautiful choice for Infiniti's debut.
Adut Akech
Akech also walked the red carpet in Thom Browne.
The high-neck, black gown was made of semi-sheer fabric and covered in sparkly and floral detailing, including pink flowers on her pregnant belly.
White and black heels with a pop of the Thom Browne stripe completed the look.
Anne Hathaway
Hathaway's Michael Kors dress was hand-painted by Peter McGough. With a strapless neckline that dipped in the center, the gown cinched at the waist and flowed to the floor.
White detailing adorned the gown, including a depiction of the Greek Goddess of Peace.
Sabrina Carpenter
Carpenter stunned in a custom Dior look by Jonathan Anderson. Her halter gown was crafted from film strips — specifically from the 1954 movie "Sabrina," starring Audrey Hepburn.
The pieces hugged her body and extended into a floor-length skirt, which also featured a thigh-high slit. She wore the outfit with platform pumps and a diamond headpiece.
Audrey Nuna
Nuna's ensemble seemed inspired by abstract expressionism, as her white coat dress appeared splattered with black paint.
She wore a coordinating wide-brimmed hat, and her makeup enhanced the look, with black lipstick and dramatic eyeliner.
Sheer gloves with the same pattern completed the look.
Alex Consani
Consani walked into the Met Gala wearing a white, off-the-shoulder Gucci coat. However, upon arrival, she removed her coat, revealing a form-fitting gown underneath.
The top of the dress featured a completely sheer corset, while the dramatic skirt was covered in black feathers that flowed into a full train. Consani's ensemble was another look that put human beauty on display as art.
Kylie Jenner
Schiaparelli designed Jenner's gown, which made her look like she was naked from the hips up.
The top of Jenner's dress was structured and skin-toned, sculpted to resemble a woman's body. Her floral skirt folded down at her hips and had bodice detailing, making it look like Jenner had not yet pulled up the gown.
It was a perfect fit for the "Fashion Is Art" Met Gala, as it spotlighted both Jenner's form and the gown as art. She added to the drama of the look with bleached eyebrows and large jewelry.
Kendall Jenner
Like her sister, Jenner arrived at the Met Gala made to look like she wasn't quite finished getting dressed.
Her custom Gap by Zac Posen gown was sheer, and its neckline gave way to reveal a sculpted bra with nipple detailing.
The dress folded down around her waist, making it look like she was still pulling her dress on.
Eileen Gu
Gu's minidress was one of the most fun looks of the night, as it looked like she was covered in actual bubbles. The base of the dress was sheer with a layer of bubble-shaped embellishments sitting atop it.
The bubbles crawled up her neck, creating the illusion they were popping along her body. A full skirt and illusion strapless neckline added even more fun to the look.
As Gu walked the red carpet, bubbles flew out of the gown, popping around her as she walked.
Dwayne Johnson
Johnson walked the red carpet in a layered Thom Browne tuxedo that took 50 people to make.
His white blouse, tie, and vest lay under a black jacket that was cropped in the front and flowed to his mid-calf in the back. Three-dimensional embroidery covered the jacket's back, which split to reveal a red-and-white Thom Browne stripe lining on one side.
He wore black trousers with a skirt, as well as glasses and a green brooch on his lapel.
Lauren Sánchez Bezos
Bezos wore a form-fitting Schiaparelli dress inspired by "Madame X," a portrait by John Singer Sargent, to the gala, as she shared on Instagram.
According to The Met, the portrait caused backlash at the time it was painted because Madame X was depicted with the strap of her gown falling off her shoulder. Sargent then repainted the portrait with the subject's strap in its proper place.
The navy-blue dress Bezos wore to the gala mimicked the original painting, as she walked the red carpet with one pearl-encrusted strap falling down her shoulder just like the mysterious Madame X. Dangling diamond earrings completed the look.
Bezos' look appeared to be a commentary on the critiques she has often received for her own fashion and a fun replica of a painting inside the museum. It was a great choice for the sponsor to wear.
Naomi Osaka
You couldn't miss Osaka's custom Robert Wun ensemble, which turned out to be two looks in one.
She arrived in a dramatic white coat dress with puffy sleeves, a high neckline, and a full-length skirt trailing behind her.
She paired it with a wide-brimmed, curved white hat. Red, three-dimensional florals popped out of the top of the hat and floated from the rim, making it look like they were floating around her.
The look was similar to a Wun gown that's on display as part of the Costume Institute exhibit, making it a perfect fit for the gala.
Osaka then removed the coat to reveal a form-fitting red dress with a crisscross back and embroidery mimicking the human body's muscles. Matching gloves completed the look, which was by far one of the best looks of the night.
Heidi Klum
Klum literally transformed herself into a statue for the Met.
Her off-white, long-sleeve dress was designed to look like a Greek statue, but Klum was also covered in body paint. The gown blended seamlessly with her skin, making it seem like she was a statue.
The effect continued into her hair, where a crown sat atop her head.
Lisa
Lisa also took the physical element of the "Fashion Is Art" dress code literally, arriving in a Robert Wun gown with extra limbs.
She wore a sheer, white gown that had long sleeves, a mermaid skirt, and sparkly embellishments sewn into the fabric. The dress was pretty, but the showstopping element was the veil she wore over it, which floated around her thanks to three-dimensional mannequin arms that sat on her shoulders.
Lisa told Vogue on the red carpet that the faux limbs were replicas of her actual arms.
EJAE
The "KPop Demon Hunters" star wore a custom, floor-length Swarovski gown completely covered in crystals.
The dress had a high neckline, with smaller crystals sitting on her neck, larger crystals connecting it to the bodice, and smaller crystals making up the form-fitting bodice. Another cluster of larger crystals sat on EJAE's hips, with strands curving around to accentuate her figure.
She also wore crystal bracelets, rings, and even hairpieces, creating a look that sparkled from head to toe.
Venus Williams
Like many attendees, Williams took inspiration from a specific portrait for her look. However, Williams' was extra special because the inspiration was Robert Pruitt's portrait of her that hangs at the National Portrait Gallery, as she told Vogue on the red carpet.
The black Swarovski gown was covered in sparkles, spilling into a trumpet-style train at Williams' feet. A large silver neckpiece, designed to look like the Wimbledon plate, sat on her chest and bore symbolism related to Williams' life.
Strands of crystals flowed down her torso and arms, adding more drama to the look.
Emma Chamberlain
The influencer and Vogue correspondent wore a form-fitting Mugler gown that resembled a painter's palette.
The high-neck, long-sleeved piece was decorated with real hand-painted swatches across her chest and hips, which swirled into blends of green, red, and blue fabric on its ruffled mermaid skirt.
She completed the look with smoky eye makeup, yellow diamond earrings, and blue Stuart Weitzman heels.
Zoë Kravitz
Kravitz, who is heading up the gala's Host Committee for 2026, selected a lacy, black gown from Saint Laurent for fashion's biggest night.
The dress had a traditional ball-gown silhouette, with a scalloped, scooped neckline, long sleeves, and a full skirt that floated around her. The gown's semi-sheer, lace fabric contrasted with the shape, creating tension.
Kravitz styled the look with gold accessories and a messy updo, and she kept her right hand in the gown's pocket as she walked the red carpet, hiding her ring finger.
Jen Rubio and Stewart Butterfield
Rubio, the CEO of Away, and Butterfield, the former CEO of Slack, are members of the Met board. They walked the red carpet of the gala side by side.
The bodice of Rubio's gown appeared to be made of wood, with two three-dimensional monkeys carved into it on one side. The top contrasted with her ruched, white skirt, creating a fun mix of textures.
Butterfield opted for a deconstructed suit that featured a flipped collar and unfinished lapels. Red socks, a gold-and-red cummerbund, and a gold brooch tied his avant-garde look together.




