Founded in 1948 by Eleanor Lambert, the Met Gala is now the most anticipated fashion event of the year, bringing together celebrities, designers, and cultural elites around the Costume Institute's annual exhibition.

The best clothing designs of the Met Gala 2026

This year, guests were invited to reimagine garments as works of art in their own right. Between living sculpture, couture trompe-l'œil, and exceptional textiles, here are the looks that defined the Met Gala 2026 red carpet.

Clothing design of Kendall Jenner — Zac Posen for GapStudio

Kendall Jenner wore a custom GapStudio gown by Zac Posen, inspired by the goddess Nike (the Winged Victory of Samothrace). The designer revealed he worked from a simple white Gap t-shirt, twisted and sculpted to capture the movement of a divine figure in the wind. The dress showcases exceptional draping — the couturier's signature.

• Inspiration: ancient Greek sculpture, movement and divinity

• Material: fluid draped tension, silhouette in motion

• Kendall Jenner wears the first clothing design from the Zac Posen x GapStudio collaboration at the Met Gala 2026.

Kendall Jenner at the Met Gala 2026 - Vogue

This look illustrates how a mass-market garment can reach the status of sculptural artwork when reinterpreted by a renowned couturier.

Clothing design of Kim Kardashian — Allen Jones x Whitaker Malem

Kim Kardashian collaborated directly with artist Allen Jones and the leather and armour atelier Whitaker Malem for a look inspired by the work "Body Armour". A clothing design that dissolves the boundary between garment and sculpture: Kim's body itself becomes an art object.

• Inspiration: British pop art, the body as sculpture

• Material: custom leather and armour

• Kim Kardashian's Met Gala 2026 look is a direct collaboration with pop artist Allen Jones, who physically co-created the garment.

Kim Kardashian at the Met Gala 2026 - Vogue

The piece goes far beyond an evening costume to become a committed artistic statement.

Clothing design of Beyonce — Olivier Rousteing

Beyoncé made her long-awaited return to the Met Gala after ten years of absence, accompanied by her daughter Blue Ivy. She wore a custom skeleton gown by Olivier Rousteing, playing on sculptural illusion and couture trompe-l'œil: a silhouette that is both organic and architectural, oscillating between living body and work of art.

• Inspiration: body sculpture, illusion and anatomy

• Material: skeletal embroideries, skin-baring gown

• Beyoncé's return to the Met Gala 2026 marks her first red carpet appearance since 2016, in an Olivier Rousteing clothing design with skeleton effect.

Beyonce at the Met Gala 2026 - Vogue

A look on the boundary of artistic performance, worn by one of the evening's co-chairs.

Clothing design of Rihanna — Maison Margiela Artisanal by Glenn Martens

Rihanna closed the red carpet — her signature move — in a Maison Margiela Artisanal ensemble designed by Glenn Martens. Inspired by Flemish medieval architecture, the long-sleeve bustier is encrusted with more than 115,000 crystal beads, antique jewels and chains, hand-sewn over 1,380 hours. Over it, a shroud in bronzed duchess satin transformed into a column skirt.

• Inspiration: Flemish medieval architecture, living sculpture

• Material: 115,000 hand-sewn crystals, bronze duchess satin

• Rihanna's clothing design at the Met Gala 2026 required 1,380 hours of artisanal craftsmanship for Maison Margiela.

Rihanna at the Met Gala 2026 - Vogue

A testament to haute couture that confirms Rihanna as the greatest ambassador in Met Gala history.

Clothing design of Emma Chamberlain — MUGLER by Miguel Castro Freitas

Emma Chamberlain, Vogue's red carpet co-host, wore a custom MUGLER gown created by Miguel Castro Freitas, then hand-painted by artist Anna Deller-Yee. The nude organza and georgette dress with cascading spiral ruffles required 40 hours of painting and four days of drying.

• Inspiration: watercolor and expressionism, Van Gogh and Munch

• Material: hand-painted organza and georgette

• Emma Chamberlain's MUGLER clothing design at the Met Gala 2026 is a unique piece hand-painted over 40 hours.

Emma Chamberlain at the Met Gala 2026 - Vogue

The piece illustrates how fashion can integrate the manual artistic gesture to become a singular, narrative object.

Clothing design of Anok Yai — Balenciaga by Pierpaolo Piccioli

Sudanese-American model Anok Yai wore a custom Balenciaga gown designed by Pierpaolo Piccioli, inspired by the Black Madonna. Accessorized with golden tears, she stated she wanted to "send a message of hope" with this highly political and symbolic look.

• Inspiration: African religious iconography, surrealist tailoring

• Material: Balenciaga couture gown, golden tear accessories

• Anok Yai embodies the Black Madonna at the Met Gala 2026 in a Balenciaga clothing design conceived as a political and artistic act.

Annok Yai at the Met Gala 2026 - Vogue

A look that transcends the exercise of style to enter the contemporary cultural and identity debate.

Clothing design of Alex Consani — Gucci

Alex Consani, the first transgender woman to be a member of the Met Gala host committee, made a sensation in a custom Gucci gown: a corseted nude tulle bustier, a voluminous feather skirt and train, completed by a white cape. She arrived draped in the cape, progressively revealing her look — a staging worthy of an artistic performance.

• Inspiration: futurist art, surrealist shop window mannequins

• Material: nude tulle, black feathers, satin

• Alex Consani is the first transgender woman to be a member of the Met Gala host committee, arriving in a progressively revealed Gucci clothing design.

Alex Consani at the Met Gala 2026 - Vogue

An entrance that transforms the red carpet arrival itself into an act of clothing design.

How Veeton reproduces the most complex clothing designs of the Met Gala 2026 with AI

Veeton is an AI fashion photoshoot platform built for fashion brands. Upload a flat lay or a packshot of any garment, select a virtual model from the gallery, and Veeton generates a professional on-model visual in seconds — no studio, no casting, no physical shoot. The platform is designed to handle technical complexity: structured garments, intricate embellishments, mixed materials, fine surface textures. The Met Gala 2026, with its "Fashion Is Art" dress code, offered eleven extreme test cases. Here is how Veeton performed on each.

Clothing design of Tessa Thompson — Valentino by Alessandro Michele

Tessa Thompson wore a custom royal blue Valentino gown designed by Alessandro Michele, inspired by the Yves Klein blue — one of the most iconic pigments in art history. The sculptural, strapless design features swirling cut-outs tracing the bodice, baring skin with deliberate elegance. Her nails, dipped in cobalt blue pigment as if pulled from a paint palette, completed the living artwork effect.

• Inspiration: Yves Klein's monochrome blue, body as painted canvas

• Material: structured sculptural fabric with fluid cut-outs

Tessa Thompson at the Met Gala 2026 - Vogue

The AI fashion image generated with Veeton captures the architectural precision of the cut-outs, the depth of the Yves Klein blue, and the tension between volume and skin.

Clothing design of Keke Palmer — Prabal Gurung

Keke Palmer wore a short, draped red gown by Prabal Gurung featuring a bold off-the-shoulder neckline, a ruched bodice, and a dramatically sweeping train. The structured silhouette creates movement and volume simultaneously — a look that oscillates between couture cocktail dress and living sculpture. She paired it with a million-dollar Wempe necklace featuring over 1,200 diamonds and 211 carats set in 18k rose gold.

• Inspiration: sculptural draped form, the body as gesture

• Material: draped fabric with structured bodice, sweeping train

Keke Palmer at the Met Gala 2026 - Vogue

The AI on model visual generated by Veeton reproduces the flowing train, the ruched bodice texture, and the exact draping geometry of Prabal Gurung's construction.

Clothing design of Rosie Huntington -Whiteley — Burberry

Rosie Huntington-Whiteley wore a custom Burberry gown directly inspired by John Singer Sargent's Portrait of Madame X (1884). The design features a heart-shaped bodice and a draped dark brown silk tulle skirt with a dazzling sequined bodice, translating the painting's sense of scandal and controlled elegance into a modern red carpet context.

• Inspiration: John Singer Sargent's Madame X, body as art historical reference

• Material: dark brown silk tulle, sequined bodice

Rosie Huntington at the Met Gala 2026 - Vogue

The on model fashion visual generated with AI replicates the heart-shaped neckline construction, the sequin texture of the bodice, and the draped fall of the skirt.

Clothing design of Anne Hathaway — Michael Kors

Anne Hathaway arrived in a Michael Kors Collection gown hand-painted by artist Peter McGough, featuring a deep V-cut neckline and imagery depicting a bird and Irene, the Greek goddess of Peace — a direct reference to ancient vase art. The gown transforms the body into a living Greek urn. She completed the look with Roger Vivier platform sandals.

• Inspiration: ancient Greek vase painting, goddess iconography

• Material: gown with hand-painted artistic motifs

Anne Hathaway at the Met Gala 2026 - Vogue

The AI fashion image generated with Veeton captures the fine hand-painted detail of the artwork on fabric, the deep V silhouette, and the sculptural quality of the overall draping.

Clothing design of Tate McRae — Ludovic de Saint Sernin

For her very first Met Gala, Tate McRae wore a golden gown by Ludovic de Saint Sernin, constructed around a maille bloquée corset with boning, overlaid in delicate French gold lace woven on traditional Leavers looms in Calais-Caudry. Hand-applied gold feathers on the bra add a texture that plays like armor under the light. The inspiration: the gilded statues adorning La Réale, Louis XIV's ceremonial boat.

• Inspiration: gilded royal sculpture, living gold statue

• Material: maille bloquée corset, French gold Calais-Caudry lace, hand-applied gold feathers

Tate McRae at the Met Gala 2026 - Vogue

The AI on model visual generated by Veeton reproduces the multi-texture complexity of the look — the structured boning, the lace weave, and the micro-detail of the hand-applied feathers.

Clothing design of Hailey Bieber — Saint Laurent

Hailey Bieber delivered goddess vibes in a custom Yves Saint Laurent gown by Anthony Vaccarello. A sculpted gold bodice gives the ensemble a regal edge reminiscent of Greek antiquity, while a royal blue skirt and matching cape ground the look with an old Hollywood softness. The contrast between the metallic bodice and the fluid blue fabric creates a powerful chromatic tension.

• Inspiration: Greek goddess, old Hollywood glamour

• Material: sculpted gold bodice, royal blue draped skirt and cape

Heily Bieber at the Met Gala 2026 - Vogue

The on model fashion visual generated with AI renders the dual-texture architecture — the solid gold bodice against the fluid blue fabric — and the structural volume of the cape.

Clothing design of Hunter Schafer — Prada

Hunter Schafer arrived in a custom Prada look directly inspired by Gustav Klimt's 1912/1913 painting Mäda Primavesi. The empire-waist gown in linen features a line of rosettes just under the bust, with deliberate holes and tears along the waist and skirt — as if the dress were slowly falling apart — revealing a floral silk chiffon fabric beneath that extends into a long train.

• Inspiration: Gustav Klimt's Mäda Primavesi, painting come alive

• Material: linen with intentional distressing, floral silk chiffon lining and train

Hunter Schafer at the Met Gala 2026 - Vogue

The AI fashion image generated with Veeton captures the layered complexity of the look — the linen surface, the torn texture, and the floral chiffon emerging beneath.

Clothing design of Katy Perry — Stella McCartney

Katy Perry made a theatrical entrance in a custom Stella McCartney gown: a white off-the-shoulder structured design with bold cutouts at the sides and a deliberately distressed dramatic train. Her face was entirely obscured by a sculptural silver mirrored mask designed by Serbian artist Miodrag Guberinic. She completed the look with long white opera gloves — one featuring six fingers, a deliberate nod to AI image artifacts — and tarot cards.

• Inspiration: identity, performance, body as mirrored surface

• Material: structured white fabric with cutouts, chrome mirrored mask, opera gloves

Katy Perry at the Met Gala 2026 - Vogue

The AI on model visual generated by Veeton renders the clean architecture of the Stella McCartney gown, the drama of the train, and the reflective surface of the sculptural mask.

Clothing design of Camila Mendes — Manish Malhotra

Camila Mendes wore a custom deep mahogany gown by Manish Malhotra, inspired by the works of painter Amrita Sher-Gil. The look features a structured corseted base with hand-ruched French chiffon that gathers at the hip in a sculptural knot before cascading into a fluid trail. The surface evokes the texture of dry brushstrokes, in a deep mahogany hue drawn from Sher-Gil's palette of Indian reds, browns and ochres.

• Inspiration: Amrita Sher-Gil's paintings, female empowerment through texture

• Material: hand-ruched French chiffon, corseted base, high jewellery in tourmalines and uncut diamonds

Camila Mendes at the Met Gala 2026 - Vogue

The on model fashion visual generated with AI reproduces the brushstroke-like texture of the ruched chiffon, the sculptural hip knot, and the deep mahogany color depth of the gown.

Clothing design of Alysa Liu — Louis Vuitton

Alysa Liu, Louis Vuitton's newest ambassador and Olympic figure-skating champion, wore a ruffled high-low gown from the label. The design plays with volume and movement — layered ruffles creating depth and a sense of kinetic energy at rest, with an asymmetric silhouette that echoes the athleticism of the wearer.

• Inspiration: movement, sculptural volume, athletic elegance

• Material: ruffled layered fabric, high-low asymmetric silhouette

Alysa Liu at the Met Gala 2026 - Vogue

The AI fashion image generated with Veeton captures the layered ruffle structure, the asymmetric hem, and the volume gradient from bodice to train.

Clothing design of Rose (BLACKPINK) — Saint Laurent

Rosé wore a custom strapless black Saint Laurent gown by Anthony Vaccarello, inspired by the house's spring 1998 and 2002 couture archives. The centerpiece: a sculptural, crystal-embellished bird detail at the waist — a direct reference to Georges Braque's The Birds, the painting adorning the ceiling of the Louvre. The gown hugs the body before falling into a soft train, with a thigh-high slit adding a sharp modern edge.

• Inspiration: Georges Braque's The Birds (Louvre ceiling), Saint Laurent couture archives

• Material: sleek black fabric, crystal-embellished sculptural bird waist detail

Rose at the Met Gala 2026 - Vogue

The AI on model visual generated by Veeton reproduces the precision of the bird embellishment, the crystal texture of the sculptural detail, and the clean minimal architecture of the Saint Laurent silhouette.

Each of these looks — from Hunter Schafer's deliberately torn Prada linen to Tate McRae's hand-applied gold feathers — represents a genuine technical challenge: complex construction, mixed materials, fine surface detail. Veeton's platform successfully reproduced the structure, texture and garment details of each piece, placing every look on a virtual model with a neutral background that keeps the focus entirely on the clothing design. A direct application of the AI outfit maker to the most technically demanding red carpet of the year.

Fashion AI: when artificial intelligence crashed the Met Gala 2026

The Met Gala 2026 wasn't just a fashion event. It's the moment where the line between fashion AI and human creation officially dissolved — on the red carpet and across social media.

Tech moves into fashion: Zuckerberg, Mosseri and Silicon Valley at the Met

For the first time, the Met Gala 2026 was dubbed the "Tech Gala". Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez Bezos were the lead sponsors, reportedly contributing $10 million. In their wake: Mark Zuckerberg (Meta) and Adam Mosseri (Instagram CEO), both attending for the first time, alongside Evan Spiegel (Snapchat), Sergey Brin (Google), and representatives from OpenAI and Amazon.

• Key signal: Meta, which owns Instagram — fashion's most powerful visual engine — is now embedding itself into the cultural spaces that define the industry.

• The Met Gala 2026 is the first edition where a tech figure (Jeff Bezos) served as lead sponsor, and where Meta, Google and OpenAI bought tables at $350,000 each.

• Mark Zuckerberg had already attended the Prada show at Milan Fashion Week 2026, sitting front row alongside Anna Wintour — a signal that tech is no longer just hosting fashion online. It wants to be embedded in it.

Instagram remains the go-to platform for collection launches, brand building and online sales. The presence of Meta, Google and OpenAI at the Met Gala 2026 is as much a strategic move as a cultural one.

Generated fashion visuals: the AI-generated photos that flooded Instagram and X

On the night of May 4, 2026, an unprecedented phenomenon blurred the perception of the red carpet: generated fashion visuals — AI-generated photos of celebrities dressed for the Met Gala — flooded Instagram and X, racking up nearly 900,000 likes in under 24 hours, with no indication they were fake.

• Real case: A fake photo of Nicki Minaj — who did not attend the gala — showing her in a sculptural lavender gown racked up 4 million views on X before enough people flagged it as AI-generated.

• Real case: Mohamed Hadid, Gigi Hadid's father, posted a collage of generated fashion visuals presenting his daughter on the red carpet — and deleted it only after fans pointed out the images were not real.

• The generated fashion visuals from the Met Gala 2026 accumulated nearly 900,000 likes on Instagram in under 24 hours — with no visible "AI" label.

The problem ran deeper: Google's AI search tool, fed these fake images, validated them as genuine Metropolitan Museum of Art photography, even linking to coverage in trusted media outlets.

For fashion brands, the signal is clear: generated fashion visuals are no longer a niche tool. They are already inside the information stream — and they perform. The question is no longer whether fashion AI will transform visual creation in fashion. It already has. The only question left is how to use it transparently and strategically.

Recap: Met Gala themes from 2021 to 2025

Every year, the Met Gala poses a different question to the fashion world. A look back at five landmark editions to understand the evolution of the Met Gala theme and its dress code.

Met Gala 2025 — Superfine: Tailoring Black Style

Theme: Superfine: Tailoring Black Style — Dress code: Tailored for You

Inspired by Monica Miller's book, this edition celebrated Black dandyism and its influence on global fashion. Co-chaired by Pharrell Williams, A$AP Rocky and Lewis Hamilton, it placed the sophistication of Black menswear at the center of the red carpet. Rihanna wore a Marc Jacobs suit-dress — while pregnant with her third child.

"As the first Costume Institute showcase dedicated entirely to menswear since 2003, the exhibition drew inspiration from Monica Miller's 2009 book on Black dandyism." — H! Fashion, Tania Leslau

The Met Gala 2025 raised $31 million — a record at the time.

Met Gala 2024 — Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion

Theme: Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion — Dress code: The Garden of Time

The exhibition spotlighted garments too fragile to be worn — the "sleeping beauties" of fashion history. The dress code drew from J.G. Ballard's short story. Zendaya turned heads by walking the red carpet twice, in Galliano then in Givenchy. Tyla, in an hourglass Balmain look, was also a revelation of the evening.

"The theme explored the fleeting beauty of fashion across 400 years of clothing history." — Vogue

Met Gala 2023 — Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty

Theme: Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty — Dress code: Honoring Karl

A tribute to the legendary artistic director of Chanel and Fendi, this edition was both celebrated and contested — notably over Lagerfeld's positions on beauty standards. Guests wore Chanel, Fendi, and interpreted his world in black, white and leather. His mythical Birman cat Choupette was omnipresent throughout the looks.

"The night was packed with references to Lagerfeld's style and his immense influence in the fashion world." — CBS News

Met Gala 2022 — In America: An Anthology of Fashion

Theme: In America: An Anthology of Fashion — Dress code: Gilded Glamour

The second chapter of the tribute to American fashion, centered on the Gilded Age and its ostentatious opulence. Kim Kardashian wore Marilyn Monroe's iconic gown designed by Jean Louis — a highly controversial moment. Blake Lively transformed her Versace dress into a direct reference to the Statue of Liberty on the Met steps.

"Gilded Glamour inspired some era-accurate grandeur — think Vanderbilt excess, corsets and drama by gaslight." — Hello Magazine

Met Gala 2021 — In America: A Lexicon of Fashion

Theme: In America: A Lexicon of Fashion — Dress code: American Independence

After the Covid-related absence in 2020, the Met Gala made its grand return in September 2021. The theme explored the shifting identities of American fashion across time. Billie Eilish, in Oscar de la Renta, had made her wearing of the gown conditional on the house abandoning fur — a noted act of activism.

"In America: A Lexicon of Fashion wove together identities of the ever-changing U.S. through time." — CBS News

These five editions point to a clear trend: the Met Gala oscillates between heritage celebration (Lagerfeld, Americana) and strong cultural engagement (Black dandyism, Costume Art). The 2026 edition follows this logic by placing art at the very heart of clothing design.

FAQ — Met Gala 2026: the most asked questions

What is the date of the Met Gala 2026?

The Met Gala 2026 was held on May 4, 2026, at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. It traditionally takes place on the first Monday of May.

What is the theme of the Met Gala 2026?

The exhibition theme is "Costume Art", and the Met Gala 2026 dress code is "Fashion is Art". Curator Andrew Bolton designed this theme around "the centrality of the dressed body" in the museum's collection.

What are the best clothing designs of the Met Gala 2026?

Among the most striking looks: Rihanna in Maison Margiela (1,380 hours of craftsmanship), Beyoncé in an Olivier Rousteing skeleton gown, Kendall Jenner in Zac Posen for GapStudio, and Emma Chamberlain in hand-painted MUGLER.

How much money did the Met Gala 2026 raise?

The Met Gala 2026 raised a record $42 million for the Costume Institute of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, surpassing the previous record of $31 million set in 2025.

How can fashion brands draw inspiration from the Met Gala 2026?

The Met Gala 2026 shows that the fashion of tomorrow is sculptural, artisanal and charged with meaning. For e-commerce brands and DNVBs, AI tools like Veeton make it possible to create fashion shoots inspired by these aesthetics — without a couture budget. The clothing design of tomorrow is conceived as much in the studio as on a red carpet.