The debate around whether fashion qualifies as art has been running for decades. The Met‘s Costume Institute has spent years making the case that it does, and this year’s Gala pushed that conversation further than ever — raising a record-breaking $42 million for the institute in a single night.
This year’s exhibition, Costume Art, set the tone, while the dress code of “Fashion is Art” gave guests plenty of room to interpret the theme however they wanted. And interpret they did. Some leaned into direct art references, others let their look become the art itself, and a few treated the human body as the canvas. The parameters were wide, and the results were genuinely varied.
The evening’s hosts were Beyoncé, Nicole Kidman, and Venus Williams, who arrived alongside Anna Wintour as tradition goes. Beyoncé, however, made one of the night’s last entrances — and made it count. She wore a diamond-encrusted skeletal gown by Olivier Rousteing, formerly of Balmain, arriving with husband Jay Z and their daughter Blue Ivy, who made her Met Gala debut at just 14 — technically below the event’s 18+ rule.
Wintour also let Nicole Kidman’s 17-year-old daughter, Sunday Rose Kidman-Urban, through the doors, so it seems age restrictions were more of a suggestion this year. North West‘s debut might not be far off at this rate.
Once the looks started rolling in, a few clear trends emerged — things got handsy, masks were a moment, and nip-slips were basically unavoidable. Art references dominated, with at least three separate Yves Klein tributes spotted on the carpet, alongside nods to Madame X and Lady Jane Grey.
Then came the surprises. Stevie Nicks, at 77, made her very first Met Gala appearance wearing an early look from John Galliano‘s Zara — a collaboration that turned plenty of heads. Madonna arrived with seven models carrying the corners of her train, which is very Madonna. Bad Bunny showed up aged by around 53 years as a character he called Old Bunny, which was either genius or completely unhinged, possibly both.
Closing out the carpet was Rihanna, accompanied by A$AP Rocky and wearing a custom gown by Glenn Martens for Maison Margiela. It was the kind of closing moment the night deserved.
The 2026 Met Gala was a lot — chaotic and considered in equal measure, with looks ranging from genuinely brilliant to completely baffling. For a full breakdown of the best and wildest moments from the carpet, keep it locked to VZN for ongoing coverage.
