The annual Met Gala is the biggest fundraiser for The Met museum in New York City, and the money raised goes to the museum for the preservation of artifacts and the general upkeep of the museum.
The Met Gala 2026 was in support of The Met’s new exhibit about Costume Art. To commemorate this, the dress code of the gala was “Fashion is Art.”
“I feel like this theme of ‘Fashion is Art’ really showcases the importance of the arts and how they could be tied into fashion,” freshman Mia Domingo said. “I mean, humans have been creating forms of art since the time of cavemen, so combining both fashion and art is almost like paying homage to the generations of artists who came before us. I also feel like this theme left a lot of interpretation to the designers and the celebrities attending The Met, so people could get pretty creative with what they wanted to do.”
On the carpet, many outfits included floral motifs, shiny metals like gold and silver, and satin or sheer fabrics.
There were many different takes on the theme, with some celebrities focused on designers who use fashion and sewing as their art medium. K-pop singer Rosé showed up wearing a black YSL dress with a large rhinestone bird, a tribute to the bird motif commonly seen in the 90s.
Some people focused on the body being the art the fashion brings to life, like Alyssa Liu’s “anatomically inspired” Louis Vuitton dress. Gigi Hadid wore a sheer Miu Miu dress with leaf applicate, highlighting her body as the canvas, and Anne Hathaway wore a dress inspired by the poem “Ode on a Grecian Urn.” SZA placed emphasis on her body, femininity and up-cycling in her colorful floral outfit.
Others focused on referencing famous works of art, like Lauren Sanchez Bezos and Claire Foy wearing dresses inspired by Portrait of Madame X, which is housed at the Met. Heidi Klum fully committed to the theme, wearing a dress made of spandex and latex to make herself look like marble statue Veiled Vestal. Rachel Zegler wore a dress resembling the Execution of Lady Jane Gray.
Paintings, were not the only art form referenced in outfits. Sabrina Carpenter worked with Dior to wear a dress made of film inspired by the classic 1950s film Sabrina and Hudson Williams said his makeup look was inspired by the movie Black Swan.
Del Val students who tuned in had many opinions on the outfits which walked the carpet.
“I believe that Emma Chamberlain, SZA and Gwendoline Christie [had the best outfits],” sophomore Sam Calabro said. “They followed the theme very well. Specifically, I loved all the colors that were on Chamberlain’s dress, the way they all seeped together and how the dress spread across the floor, almost like paint.”
Emma Chamberlain seemed to be the students’ choice for best dressed.
“There were so many good outfits that night, so it’s hard for me to choose, but if I had to pick one, it would be Emma Chamberlain’s outfit,” Domingo said. “The color and the look of the dress make it look like she literally came out of a canvas, and the colorful eyeshadow really ties the look together. I feel like she really embodied the theme, and I really applaud her designers for this dress.”
Overall, the Met Gala theme was followed by patrons in a variety of unique, creative ways which highlight art, history, fashion, the body and the designer all in one.
“The Met Gala this year was interesting, to say the least,” Calabro said. “It’s the same every year, but it’s entertaining to see what celebrities are willing to wear for attention.”
