Beyoncé’s return and Rihanna’s striking appearance: highlights of Met Gala – 2026
The most interesting moments from the red carpet
The day before, New York hosted the year’s most important fashion event – the Costume Institute Ball, the Met Gala. This year’s theme was Costume Art («Art of Costume») – an approach in which clothing is understood as a powerful artistic medium.
The evening’s dress code, Fashion Is Art («Fashion is Art»), encouraged максимально free interpretation. Guests were invited to see the body as a «canvas» and clothing as a form of artistic expression revealing the connection between fashion, painting, sculpture, and other art forms – from classical traditions to the avant-garde.
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This year’s co-chairs were Nicole Kidman, Venus Williams, and Beyoncé. Beyoncé made her first Met Gala appearance in ten years, wearing a striking Balmain «skeleton» dress designed by Olivier Rousteing. She was accompanied by Jay-Z and their eldest daughter Blue Ivy.
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Nicole Kidman chose a Chanel look and attended with her daughter Sunday Rose, for whom this was her Met Gala debut in Dior.
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One of the first arrivals on the red carpet was Emma Chamberlain, wearing a custom Mugler look inspired by the «Chimera» from Thierry Mugler’s FW’95 couture collection.
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Madonna turned her appearance into a true art performance: in Saint Laurent, she recreated Leonora Carrington’s painting «The Temptation of Saint Anthony».
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Margot Robbie wore a custom Chanel gown that took more than 760 hours of handcrafting.
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Anne Hathaway appeared in a Michael Kors creation inspired by ancient ceramics featuring bird motifs.
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Her «The Devil Wears Prada» co-star Emily Blunt posed on the carpet with her sister Felicity and Stanley Tucci, completing her look with a pearl necklace worth around $500,000.
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Blake Lively returned to the Met Gala after a four-year break in a vintage Versace gown with a four-meter train from the Spring/Summer 2006 collection.
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Several stars embraced total black aesthetics: Cara Delevingne in Ralph Lauren, Zoë Kravitz and Kate Moss in Saint Laurent, Cher in Chrome Hearts, and Julianne Moore in Tom Ford.
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A contrast to the «black block» was Amanda Seyfried in Prada – a feminine, expressive gown that softened the evening’s monochrome palette.
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The Jenner sisters presented a unified aesthetic, their appearance resembling a campaign for Kim Kardashian’s iconic nipple bras.
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Kim Kardashian appeared in a custom look created by artist Allen Jones in collaboration with Whitaker Malem.
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Heidi Klum once again surprised audiences, embodying the theme literally with elaborate makeup that made her almost unrecognizable.
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Sabrina Carpenter reminded everyone that art is not only painting and sculpture but also cinema. She wore a Dior gown made from film strips of the 1954 movie «Sabrina» starring Audrey Hepburn.
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At the same time, Serena Williams chose a custom Marc Jacobs dress.
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The «naked dress» trend remained strong: Gigi Hadid appeared in a semi-sheer custom Miu Miu look, while Ashley Graham also opted for a bold, revealing outfit.
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Hailey Bieber arrived in Saint Laurent styled like golden armor.
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The red carpet was traditionally closed by the late arrival of Rihanna in Maison Margiela – this time without pregnancy rumors. She was accompanied by A$AP Rocky wearing a Chanel robe.
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As a reminder, the Met Gala is a charity evening supporting the Costume Institute in New York and annually opens a new museum exhibition. The first ball took place in 1948.
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