The organizers of the Met Gala have announced the dress code theme for 2026: «Fashion is Art». Guests of the annual ball, traditionally held on the first Monday in May – this year on May 4 – at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, are invited to envision themselves as a blank canvas upon which an artist or designer can create their masterpiece.

«The ball’s dress code encourages guests to express their own view of fashion as an embodied art form and to celebrate the many depictions of the clothed body throughout art history», the museum said in a statement.

The dress code theme naturally aligns with the concept of the spring exhibition, The Art of the Costume, for which the ball is held. The exhibition explores the «central role of the clothed body» through depictions and interpretations of the human form in the museum’s collection. It will feature nearly 400 objects and will be displayed in the new Condé Nast Galleries located adjacent to the Grand Hall.

Andrew Bolton, curator of The Costume Institute, emphasizes that fashion is a thread connecting the entire museum, running through different eras and galleries. This idea served as the starting point for the exhibition.

This year’s co-chairs of the ball are Beyoncé, Nicole Kidman, Venus Williams, and Anna Wintour. Honorary chairs are Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez. The co-chairs of the organizing committee are Anthony Vaccarello and Zoë Kravitz.

The committee also includes Sabrina Carpenter, Doja Cat, Gwendoline Christie, Alex Consani, Misty Copeland, Elizabeth Debicki, Lena Dunham, Paloma Elsesser, Lisa, Sam Smith, Teyana Taylor, and others. The full guest list is traditionally kept secret and will only be revealed shortly before the event.

The Met Gala is held as a charity event in support of The Costume Institute in New York and annually opens a new fashion exhibition at the museum. The first gala took place in 1948.

Photo: depositphotos

Yesterday, the 78th Cannes Film Festival officially kicked off on the French Riviera. Today, it remains one of the last strongholds of high fashion. That’s why those attending this iconic event prepare long and thoroughly, carefully selecting their outfits and accessories in advance and keeping their plans strictly under wraps.

The first day of the festival saw many celebrities, among them Heidi Klum. For her red carpet appearance, the German supermodel chose an outfit that violated the new rules of the festival. She «showed off» a luxurious dress made of layers of pink organza, cut to resemble delicate flower petals.

 

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While it wasn’t a «naked» dress, long trains are also banned this year.

 

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There are two possibilities: either Heidi’s stylist didn’t have time to properly prepare after the new dress code rules were introduced – or simply ignored them, which is entirely possible.

Photo: Instagram @heidiklum

«Tailored for You» — this will be the dress code theme for the upcoming Met Gala 2025.

«The dress code is designed to provide guidelines and encourage creative interpretation,» explained the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

The dress code aligns with the upcoming Costume Institute exhibition, titled Superfine: Tailoring Black Style, which will focus on men’s fashion.

The exhibition is inspired by Monica Miller’s book Slaves to Fashion: Black Dandyism and the Styling of Black Diasporic Identity, published in 2009. The book defines «Black dandyism» not only as an aesthetic concept but also as a political statement.

The dandy style is characterized by elegant and refined clothing, while Black dandyism serves as a strategy for reinterpreting one’s identity. This is particularly relevant in discussions of slavery and the transition to emancipation, a deeply significant topic in American history. The evening will be dedicated to this transformation.

«How Black individuals transformed from being enslaved, seen as objects of luxury and status, into independent personalities with their own stylistic expression — and ultimately became global trendsetters,» is how American Vogue describes the theme.

As for the dress code, Tailored for You allows for countless interpretations, but primarily, it invites looks that reflect personal style. We can certainly expect creative takes on tailoring — from versions of the zoot suit (a high-waisted men’s suit popular among jazz musicians in the 1940s) to bold, colorful ensembles inspired by the Congolese sapeurs.

Other key elements of men’s fashion, such as hats, ties, canes, brooches, and pocket squares, will also likely be prominently featured. The results will be revealed on May 5.

Photo: John Wronn