The first Monday in May always marks a mega-night for fashion, the Met Gala. This year, following the release of the Devil Wears Prada 2, it seemed to have even more hype from its fashion loving crowd who can’t wait to see who will walk the red carpet and what they’ll be wearing. The looks don’t mean much unless you know the theme – which is different each year, and of course interpreted in unique ways by designers, stylists and stars.

The 2026 Met Gala theme was “Costume Art,” and was tied to the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute exhibition of the same name, exploring fashion as a form of art and focusing on the idea of the “dressed body.” The dress code, “Fashion Is Art,” encouraged guests to treat clothing as artistic expression—essentially turning themselves into living works of art.

This years hosts included Beyonce, Venus Williams, Nicole Kidman, and the “devil” herself, Vogue editor Anna Wintour, co-chair of the event. Fashion is not devilish though, it’s art, it’s expression, it’s passion, and the Met Gala represents all of that and more. While there were countless incredible looks on the Met Gala red carpet, my best dressed list is picked based on those I feel best followed the theme and the dress code.

In all honesty, I feel that this theme and dress code could have been so amazing, but so many stars just didn’t come close to what I think could have been achieved. There were a lot of beautiful looks, but at first glance, they just looked like gowns, with no connection to showcasing “Costume Art” or “Fashion is Art.” Alas, fashion is interpretive, so I am curious, what do you think? Did these looks knock it out of Central Park? (pun intended!)

Sabrina Carpenter – a dress made of film strips and Hollywood glamour
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Chase Infiniti – looks like paint, but is actually beading, incredible
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Janelle Monae – she always understands the assignment
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Emma Chamberlain in Mugler – dripping in “paint,” she looks like she just walked off a canvas
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Christine Beauchamp
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Blake Lively – the girl always wears fashion like art (and jewelry too)
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Paloma Elsesser – like a pastel painting come to life
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Beyonce in Olivier Rousteing – I’d like to think my bones glimmer just like this
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Lauren Wasser – gold Godess
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Kendall Jenner
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Kylie Jenner – the body before the fashion is formed
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Heidi Klum – Wacky but no doubt art from head to toe (white)
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For more on the First Monday in May, click here and learn about the beautiful film that goes behind the scenes. For more on the Met Gala visit Vogue.com, and to see my past Met Gala best dressed lists, click here.

Signed with Style,