Lyrical Muse

The steps of the Metropolitan Museum of Art turned into a study of form, illusion and intent at the 2026 Met Gala.

Framed by the Costume Institute’s exhibition “Costume Art” and a dress code titled “Fashion is Art,” the evening called for more than spectacle. It demanded interpretation. The most compelling looks did not merely reference art; they engaged with it, reshaping the body, exaggerating silhouette and, at times, obscuring it altogether.

Colour played its part, from Yves Klein blue to arterial reds and molten golds. Yet it was structure and narrative that defined the night. The best dressed did not simply arrive well styled; they arrived with purpose.

Below are the celebrities that understood the assignment.

Rihanna in Maison Margiela

Rihanna walked the carpet in a Maison Margiela gown that drew from medieval Flemish architecture, rising around her body like a cathedral in motion. It felt deliberate, almost reverent. Alongside her, A$AP Rocky offered contrast in a sharply tailored pink Chanel look that leaned into modern dandyism without losing ease.

Emma Chamberlain in Mugler

Emma Chamberlain approached the theme with precision. Her Mugler look, hand-painted and rooted in archival references, carried the spirit of the house without feeling derivative. The butterfly motif from 1997 resurfaced here not as nostalgia but as reinvention, giving the outfit a tactile, almost living quality.

Beyoncé in Olivier Rousteing

Beyoncé did not just interpret anatomy; she turned it into spectacle. Her crystal-embellished skeleton gown traced the body in glinting detail, transforming bone structure into adornment. The jeweled gloves, shaped like skeletal hands, sharpened the concept, looking both beautiful and slightly unsettling, which is exactly where fashion as art tends to thrive.

Jeremy Pope in Vivienne Westwood

Jeremy Pope wore history with intention, donning a corseted Vivienne Westwood jacket, pulled from a 1996 collection, that carried the craftsmanship of Mr. Pearl’s corsetry into the present. Embellished with pearls and glasswork, it sculpted the torso with a rigidity that felt theatrical yet deeply controlled.

SZA in Bode

SZA’s look leaned into material storytelling. Constructed from vintage fabrics sourced from eBay, the Bode ensemble stitched together tapestries, curtains, and embellishments into something unexpectedly cohesive. It felt personal, almost archival, as if each textile carried its own past into the present moment.

Sabine Getty in Ashi Studio

Sabine Getty blurred the line between object and wearer. A jeweled hand extended from her dress, mirrored by her own, creating a visual echo that was subtle but effective. It was a quiet, clever nod to surrealism without tipping into excess.

Isha Ambani in Gaurav Gupta

Isha Ambani delivered a look that understood movement. Gaurav Gupta’s draped, sari-inspired silhouette flowed with architectural precision, holding its shape while remaining fluid. The now-viral mango-shaped accessory added a moment of levity, grounding the look in cultural detail without overwhelming it.

Lisa in Robert Wun

Lisa’s appearance bordered on performance art in her ivory gown, layered with nearly 67,000 crystals, that extended beyond the body through sculptural, 3D-printed arms modeled after her own. They lifted her veil in a gesture that felt both ceremonial and surreal. The result was ethereal, but engineered with exacting detail.

KUN in Thom Browne

KUN’s interpretation of the “Vital Body” was unapologetically literal. One half of his look shimmered with over 400,000 sequins and beads arranged to resemble the circulatory system. It pulsed visually under the lights, turning the body inside out in a way that was hard to ignore.

Kylie Jenner in Schiaparelli

Kylie Jenner’s Schiaparelli gown was a study in labour and embellishment. Thousands of pearls and painted scales built a surface that felt almost marine. The bleached brows sharpened the look, stripping away softness and letting the craftsmanship speak.

Sabrina Carpenter in Dior

Sabrina Carpenter took a cinematic route. Her Dior gown, constructed from rhinestone-studded film strips of the 1954 film Sabrina, quite literally wore its reference. Scenes featuring Audrey Hepburn flickered across the dress, turning nostalgia into something tactile and immediate.

Anne Hathaway in Michael Kors

Anne Hathaway’s gown operated like a canvas. Created with artist Peter McGough, the black-and-white piece featured hand-painted motifs inspired by Keats’ “Ode on a Grecian Urn.” The structure echoed classical forms, while the artwork introduced a quieter, poetic layer.

Gracie Abrams in Chanel

Gracie Abrams leaned into gilded opulence in her Chanel gown, inspired by Gustav Klimt’s golden period, shimmered with layered embroidery and metallic warmth. The new pixie hair cut sharpened the overall effect, keeping the look from slipping into ornamentation alone.

Adut Akech in Thom Browne

Adut Akech brought one of the evening’s most thoughtful narratives. Her maternity look, anchored in the “Pregnant Body” theme, balanced delicacy and structure. Silk organza flowers and sculpted sequins framed the body without disguising it, making the transformation itself the focal point.

Anok Yai in Balenciaga

Anok Yai approached the carpet as sculpture. Her Balenciaga look referenced the Black Madonna, with gilded skin and crystal tears creating an almost inhuman finish. The effect was striking. She did not just wear the garment; she embodied it.

Karan Johar in Manish Malhotra

Karan Johar’s debut felt personal and rooted. His Manish Malhotra ensemble drew from Raja Ravi Varma’s paintings, with hand-painted gold detailing applied directly onto fabric. The look carried narrative weight, translating Indian art history onto a global stage without dilution.

Teyana Taylor in Tom Ford

Teyana Taylor brought movement back into the conversation. Her fringed gown, reminiscent of Nick Cave’s soundsuits, responded to motion rather than resisting it. It felt alive, and she wore it accordingly.

Eileen Gu in Iris van Herpen

Eileen Gu delivered one of the evening’s most technically ambitious moments. Her Iris van Herpen “Airo” dress replaced traditional embellishment with atmosphere itself, constructed from 15,000 iridescent glass bubbles that hovered across the body like a suspended illusion. The silhouette felt weightless, yet highly engineered, holding its shape with precision. What set it apart was its movement. Integrated microprocessors released actual floating bubbles as she walked, turning the garment into a living installation.

Which look stayed with you long after the carpet cleared? Tell us your picks on Instagram, and explore more fashion coverage on our platform.

(Featured Image Credits: Courtesy of respective fashion houses and owners via X/Instagram)