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As one of the most anticipated events in the fashion world, all eyes turned to the Metropolitan Museum on the first Monday of May. This year’s Met Gala was an artistic affair, as stars wore their finest and most extravagant takes on what it means when “Fashion Is Art.” Given that most of these looks took months of planning, expect to see plenty of drama and storytelling.
In no particular order, here are MEGA’S top picks for the best-dressed women.
Anne Hathaway
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Hello, Andy! The Devil Wears Prada 2 star Anne Hathaway appeared in a custom Michael Kors ballgown featuring Peter McGough’s hand-painted design. Fun fact: the back of her skirt references a Grecian urn.
Emma Chamberlain
Did you know that Emma Chamberlain’s father was an oil painter? It makes sense, then, that the internet personality would arrive as the canvas. Her custom watercolor-inspired frock was from Mugler by Miguel Castro Freitas and was painted by Anna Deller-Yee.
Beyoncé
Who can forget Queen B herself? No one, for sure. Making her regal return to the Met Gala 2026, Beyoncé stepped into the event in Olivier Rousteing’s custom skeleton piece covered in clusters of crystals.
Chase Infiniti
Surprisingly, Chase Infiniti wasn’t in Louis Vuitton, unlike during the previous awards season. Be that as it may, the actress’s colorful Thom Browne dress earns her a spot on this list for the 1.5 million sequins embroidered into the fabric. Now that’s commitment.
Sabrina Carpenter
If you paid attention to Sabrina Carpenter’s Coachella set, then you’d know that she’s a Dior girl, as all her outfits then were made by the House. Her partnership with Jonathan Anderson proves to be working in her favor after she arrived in a custom Dior slit tulle dress made of film strips from the 1954 film Sabrina.
Kylie Jenner
Kylie Jenner has really come a long way since her 2014 Instagram “King Kylie” days, yet the roots are still there. She still favors figure-hugging silhouettes (as she should with her pristine physique). But this time, she bleached her brows and donned Schiaparelli’s deconstructed faux-nude ballgown.
Nicole Kidman
Timeless as always, Nicole Kidman wore a red sequined Chanel number with feather trimmings that took over 800 hours to complete. Could this have been a Moulin Rouge! callback? Maybe. Maybe not. Either way, she looks great.
Adut Akech
Thom Browne wove a special maternity look for the pregnant Adut Akech. Beneath was an organza bodysuit, paired with a black silk taffeta outerwear with appliques of Lily of the Valley, the birth flower of May.
Gracie Abrams
If whimsy were a person, it would be Gracie Abrams in Chanel’s golden piece—aptly inspired by the works of Gustav Klimt, of course.
Zoë Kravitz
It was Zoë Kravitz’s 11th time attending the gala. At this extravaganza, the actress walked in Saint Laurent’s black guipure lace dress. But what made her truly stand out was the basque waist detail that flared architecturally.
Alex Consani
Creative director, Demna, was feeling inspired by Sandro Botticelli’s Primavera—specifically the moment Zephyrus, the god of the west wind, kidnaps Chloris, the goddess of flowers and spring. Thus, Alex Consani’s Gucci attire featured a transformation: a white faille cape at the start, then a dramatic nude bastier with a large train of black feathers.
Madonna
Last but not least, there was Madonna, who definitely knows how to put on a good show. Wearing Saint Laurent, her outfit consisted of a chiffon veil attached to the top of her black ship hat. The fabric was held by seven other women dressed in colorful lace slips and white veils over their eyes. If anyone’s wondering, the reference was the 1945 painting by Leonora Carrington, The Temptation of St. Anthony (Fragment II).
Photos: GORUNWAY
Frequently Asked Questions
The official theme for the Met Gala 2026 was “Fashion Is Art,” inspiring attendees to showcase highly structural, custom attire with deep historical and artistic references.
Anne Hathaway wore a custom Michael Kors ballgown featuring a hand-painted design by Peter McGough, with structural elements referencing a classical Grecian urn on the back.
Beyoncé made her red carpet return in a custom Olivier Rousteing skeleton-inspired garment, heavily embellished with intricate crystal clusters throughout the entire silhouette.
Sabrina Carpenter wore a custom Dior slit tulle gown constructed out of actual film strips from the iconic 1954 classic film “Sabrina,” designed by Jonathan Anderson.
Madonna wore a Saint Laurent ensemble inspired by Leonora Carrington’s 1945 painting, “The Temptation of St. Anthony,” accompanied by seven women in veils and lace.
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