HOW FASHION EMBODIES ART AT THE 2026 MET GALA
LAST NIGHT MARKED YET ANOTHER YEAR AROUND THE SUN WITH THE RETURN OF THE MET GALA. THOUGH THIS YEAR LEFT A SOUR TASTE IN SOME PEOPLE'S MOUTHS AS A RESULT OF ITS ORGANISATION AND THE FASHION BROUGHT TO THE PRESTIGIOUS EVENT. ZA SENOI GIVES HER TAKE ON THE EVENING.
Written by Za Senoi
“Nobody cares about the Met Gala that much anymore,” read a 1Granary Instagram post at 4pm on the first Monday of May.
I beg to differ.
Despite all of its connotations and yearly controversies, the Met Gala's status as a cultural touchpoint and infinitely fascinating conversation starter cannot be overstated. This year's theme, “Fashion is Art,” garnered significant online attention when it was announced for being too generic, too obvious. After all, who would argue that fashion isn't art? Sure enough, though, when the day came, plenty did. The everyman-turned-fashion-critic had plenty to say on how the theme was explored, with the nearly unanimous final verdict being that this year was underwhelming, or that celebrities had not “understood the assignment.”
The clues to this year's theme were hidden in the Met's exhibition, Costume Art. Its description reads “The Costume Institute’s spring 2026 exhibition explores depictions of the dressed body across The Met’s vast collection, pairing garments with artworks to reveal the inherent relationship between clothing and the body.”
Kylie Jenner wears Schiaparelli by Daniel Roseberry
Gigi Hadid wears Miu Miu
Kendall Jenner wears custom GAP by Zac Posen
It follows, therefore, that what most viewers expected—direct references to classical art-forms by the old masters—was not the most popular motif on the grass-laden steps. Indeed, bodies were the central coherence throughout most looks. The 'Naked Dress’ was the trend du jour: whether through sheer, frame-hugging silhouettes or reconstructed casts of their own frames, the barely-there illusion was favoured by the supermodels. The approach seemed to bring with it a reliance on the arguably plain Pantone Colour of the Year, Cloud Dancer, to varying degrees of success.
The body continued its command of the night through more artful interpretations, reaching across into painterly territories. Notably, Haider Ackerman for Tom Ford mastered the interplay between the two, highlighting the level of technique that qualifies fashion as art, while paying homage to the women wearing their vastly different pieces. On the court of public opinion, rising star Chase Infiniti was one of the best-dressed, wearing a multi-coloured and heavily beaded gown.
Madonna wears Saint Laurent by Anthony Vaccarello
Jordan Roth wears Robert Wun
Another name that dominated cameras and internet discourse was young designer Robert Wun, who dressed popstars, billionaires, playwrights and tennis players. Marrying technology and fashion, Wun's interpretation of the body focused on extending its reach—literally. BLACKPINK's Lisa donned 3D printed casts of her own arms; Jordan Roth came accompanied by a mannequin torso and head attached to his back; Nichapat Suphat's dress was tugged on by moving hands as she cruised up the steps, and the list goes on (for seven looks total, to be exact).
Chase Infiniti wears Thom Browne
Teyana Taylor wears Tom Ford by Haider Ackermann
Within the billionaire vein, let's address the Amazon-dwelling elephant in the room: the appointment of Lauren and Jeff Bezos as honorary chairs of the Gala upstaged any promotional material the event could've hoped for. The “Tech Gala,” as it was deemed online (with nudges via Emily Blunt's character in The Devil Wears Prada 2), alluded to Condé Nast's desperation for funding, with users stating their disappointment in the bastardisation of what, to some, is the celebration of the best the fashion industry has to offer. It seems once billionaires have run out of things to purchase, they have pivoted to trying to acquire the one thing money can't buy: taste. In a blatantly transparent search for attention, their presence significantly taints the prestige surrounding the Met, with many longtime viewers citing this as their reason to boycott the event.
Mrs Bezos made her appearance sans-Jeff, in Schiapparelli, referencing John Singer Sargent's 1884 painting Madame X, a recurring inspiration throughout the evening. The work is known as the scandalous portrait of its day, depicting Parisian socialite Madame Pierre Gautreau's dress strap slipping off the shoulder––so outrageous at the time that Sargent repainted it with the strap upright.
The icons of the event came in the form of hotly anticipated duos. Newcomers Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie took polar opposite approaches to their debuts, with Williams leaning into the costume strain of the theme as a Balenciaga bullfighter, while Storrie kept it sleek in Saint Laurent, where he was recently appointed ambassador after a rumoured multi-million-dollar bidding war. After a decade-long hiatus, Beyoncé graced the steps in Olivier Rousteing alongside daughter Blue Ivy. Finally, the unofficial Met Gala royal couple, Rihanna and A$AP Rocky, returned in Maison Margiela and Chanel, respectively.
And finally, as I know it’s the question on everybody's minds, my favourite look was one of the very first: Emma Chamberlain in Mugler. Perfectly blending art, the body, costume, and an homage to the house's iconic archive, all with stunning glam to match.
With all these references, each detail thought through for weeks by artists and designers with so many opinions to be scrutinised, how can anyone not care about fashion's biggest night? I certainly will continue to weigh in until someone is sent to stop me.