The start of spring signals new beginnings, and this year’s Met Gala, held on May 4, felt especially symbolic. It marked the first Gala since Anna Wintour stepped back from leading “Vogue” magazine, with Chloe Malle taking the helm. This year’s Gala, titled “Fashion is Art,” was co-chaired by Wintour, Beyoncé, Nicole Kidman, and Venus Williams, while Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez Bezos served as Honorary Chairs.
Held annually on the first Monday in May at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the benefit, hosted by “Vogue,” supports the museum’s Costume Institute and launches its spring exhibition. This year’s exhibition, “Costume Art,” explores the relationship between fashion, the body, and artistic expression through nearly 400 pieces from the museum’s collection.
“I wanted to focus on the centrality of the dressed body within the Museum, connecting artistic representations of the body with fashion as an embodied art form,” Andrew Bolton, Curator in Charge, explained in a press release. “Rather than prioritizing fashion’s visuality, which often comes at the expense of the corporeal, ‘Costume Art’ privileges its materiality and the indivisible connection between our bodies and the clothes we wear.”
Among the designers interpreting the Gala’s theme were Balenciaga, Tory Burch, Michael Kors, Thom Browne, and Manish Malhotra, all of whom used The Pierre Hotel as their home base for the evening. Their interpretations varied dramatically, ranging from restrained tailoring to highly conceptual couture.
Gabrielle Union, Dwyane Wade, Suki Waterhouse, Anne Hathaway, Misty Copeland, and Danny Ramirez all wore Michael Kors. Union, Wade, Copeland, and Ramirez opted for sleek, tailored silhouettes, while Waterhouse embraced a softer, flowy design. Arriving arm in arm with Kors, Hathaway delivered one of the evening’s standout fashion moments. Inspired by John Keats’ 1819 poem “Ode on a Grecian Urn,” her strapless black gown featured a portrait of a Greek woman hand-painted across the train by artist Peter McGough.
Tory Burch dressed Laufey, Camila Morrone, and Anderson.Paak. Each look felt timeless and understated, though Anderson.Paak ensured his entrance was unforgettable with an impromptu dance performance featuring a boombox on the red carpet.
After recently returning to the spotlight with her memoir “Famesick,” Lena Dunham graced The Pierre red carpet in a vibrant cherry-red sequined and feathered Valentino ensemble, while Tyriq Withers wore Louis Vuitton paired with jewelry by David Yurman.
Anok Yai wore a custom look for Balenciaga designed by the house’s new creative director, Pierpaolo Piccioli. Her show-stopping ensemble served as the brand’s interpretation of the Madonna, blending religious iconography with high fashion.
Indian designer Manish Malhotra dressed actress Camila Mendes, filmmaker and producer Karan Johar, and himself for the evening. His designs were works of art in their own right, particularly Johar’s Met Gala debut look: a dramatic cape that reimagined classical Indian drapery through hand-painted gold detailing, reminiscent of the work of Indian painter Raja Ravi Varma.
Malhotra’s own ensemble celebrated the artisans behind couture craftsmanship, featuring intricate hand embroidery depicting scenes from his home city of Mumbai and embroidered with the names of the artisans who contributed to the piece. Resting atop his shoulders were 3D-printed figures of the artisans themselves, their woven threads extending back into the garment.
Amy Sherald, Dwayne Johnson, Olivia Wilde, Lindsey Vonn, Finn Wolfhard, Bill Skarsgård, Adut Akech, Skepta, and Marcello Hernández served as muses for Thom Browne this year. Browne’s designs leaned into classic tailoring and theatrical structure, fully embracing the exhibition’s themes. Sherald’s retro-inspired ensemble stood out in particular, drawing directly from her 2013 painting “Miss Everything (Unsuppressed Deliverance).” Resembling the subject of the painting, she wore a pillbox hat paired with a shift dress accented by pearl buttons.
Skepta also turned heads in an all-white look adorned with hand-drawn sketches personal to him, including the Union Jack and Big Ben, subtle nods to his London roots. The ensemble felt reminiscent of the personalized tradition of senior cords, reimagined through a couture lens.
Another memorable red carpet moment was came when Lindsey Vonn emerged carrying a custom Thom Browne cane accented with the designer’s signature red, white, and blue grosgrain ribbon. Just three months earlier, the Olympic skier had suffered a devastating injury, making her appearance on the Met Gala carpet feel not only fashionable but triumphant.
Though each designer interpreted the theme differently, they were united in ushering in a new chapter for both fashion and the Met Gala itself, one that embraced fashion not simply as spectacle, but as an embodied art.
“Costume Art” marks the first exhibition in The Met’s new, nearly 12,000-square-foot gallery, named after Conde M. Nast, founder of Condé Nast, the publishing company behind Vogue. The naming recognizes a significant lead gift from Condé Nast. Additional funding was provided by Thom Browne, Michael Kors and Lance Le Pere, Met Trustee Aerin Lauder Zinterhofer, Tory Burch LLC, Nancy C. and Richard R. Rogers, as well as Met Trustees Amy Griffin and John Griffin.
The exhibit runs May 10, 2026 through Janaury 10, 2027.
Amelia Cordischi, Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Juice Box Press, is an accomplished digital marketing professional with over a decade of experience in media and communications. Her work has been featured in notable publications, including The Boston Globe. A communications graduate of Simmons University in Boston, Amelia served as manager of Simmons College Radio (“The Shark”), where she also launched and co-hosted her radio show, The Find.
In addition to her editorial work, Amelia is an established freelance photographer, with bylines in Blended Magazine and CelebMix, capturing artists and cultural moments across the music and media landscape. Her career began at WCVB-TV’s Chronicle, the ABC affiliate in Boston, where she gained firsthand experience in broadcast journalism and storytelling.
When she’s not taking photos from the photo pit, interviewing emerging artists, or crafting the next Juice Box Press feature, Amelia can be found thrifting and exploring the world of sustainable fashion.