At the Met Gala – 2026, designer Robert Wun presented three monumental couture looks for Beyoncé, Lalisa Manoban, and Naomi Osaka. All of them were created using more than one million hand-applied Swarovski crystals, transforming the garments into intricate light structures. Each look became a distinct story about the body, light, and individuality.

Beyoncé – «the starry sky» rendered in couture

For Beyoncé, Wun designed The Stargaze Gown, in which the idea of a nighttime city seen from an airplane was transformed into a «starry sky embodied in couture». The Swarovski crystals scattered across the fabric created the effect of a shimmering cosmos above a nocturnal metropolis.

The silhouette of the gown was architecturally constructed: a fitted bodice flowed into a flared skirt, while a sheer veil, also encrusted with crystals, added lightness and ethereality to the look. More than 318,000 stitches and over 4,300 hours of handwork turned the gown into an almost jewelry-like object.

It was Beyoncé’s second look of the evening – she changed outfits inside the museum itself.

Naomi Osaka – the body as a map of light

Wun built Naomi Osaka’s look around the idea of human anatomy, transforming the body into a visual map of movement and tension. Red-toned crystals appeared to trace muscles and contours, creating the effect of a living structure.

The gown fit like a second skin, emphasizing every movement, while the open back with lacing added sculptural depth. The appearance also included an element of transformation: Osaka first arrived in a coat, which she removed on the stairs, gradually revealing the couture look.

The creation of this look was one of the most technically complex – over 659,000 stitches and more than 3,280 hours of handcrafting.

It was a direct visual interpretation of the Met Gala theme – «the body as a canvas».

Lalisa Manoban – the bride who controls her own image

For Lalisa Manoban, Wun created The Veil, a look in which bridal aesthetics are reinterpreted as a symbol of control and independence. The sheer crystallized mermaid gown served as the foundation for the central statement – a sculptural construction of hands holding the veil.

These hands were created using a 3D scan of Lalisa’s body and reference the posture of traditional Thai dance. They form an almost theatrical gesture – as if the model herself controls the moment of revelation.

The concept behind the look is the «bride of the future», who decides when and how to reveal herself to the world. The creation required over 66,000 crystals and around 2,860 hours of work.

Each of these appearances was not merely a dress, but a complex construction between fashion, art, and technology. Robert Wun designed the looks as light installations that shift with the movement of the body.

The Met Gala – 2026 once again confirmed its status as the year’s most important fashion event, where couture ceases to be just clothing and becomes a language of art.

Photo: Instagram @swarovski, @lalalalisa_m, @naomiosaka

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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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.

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The Metropolitan Museum of Art has shared the first insights into the upcoming Met Gala. Here is everything known so far.

Exhibition Theme

Vogue has announced the theme of the next Costume Institute exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum: Costume Art. This concept views clothing as a powerful artistic medium – a form of expression through which character, imagination and inner rhythm can be conveyed. The theme invites exploration of how the body «speaks» to clothing, and how fashion reflects the movement of human emotions and shifts within society.

«This exhibition has the potential to become a truly captivating showcase, bringing together pieces from various sections of the collection – painting, sculpture and drawing», noted Max Hollein, Director of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

The chosen theme is no coincidence: it is designed to connect the exhibition with Condé Nast’s new space, spanning more than 1,100 square meters. The display will include around 200 garments and accessories, as well as up to 200 works of art. Curator Andrew Bolton emphasizes that this marks the largest update to the department in years and represents a significant step toward establishing fashion as an art form equal to any other. The opening is scheduled for May 10, 2026, and the exhibition will run until January 2027.

Ball Sponsors

This year, Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez will serve as the primary sponsors of the Met Gala. They will be joined by Saint Laurent and Condé Nast as secondary partners.

Who Will Host?

The names of the co-chairs have yet to be revealed. One thing is clear: Anna Wintour will once again assemble a star-studded lineup of artists, designers, directors and musicians.

Date

The 2026 Met Gala will take place, as tradition dictates, on May 4 – the first Monday of the month.

Photo: depositphotos