On May 4, 2026, the 2026 Met Gala was held at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. The theme of the event was “Costume Art” with a dress code of “Fashion is Art.” The theme invited celebrities to use their body as a canvas and express themselves through art in their outfits. We decided to pick our top 10 outfits of the day.

Emma Chamberlain [see photo below] showed up to the gala in an artsy, almost eerie dress designed by Mugler’s Miguel Castro Freitas and hand-painted by Anna Deller-Yee. The look was inspired by Vincent Van Gogh, Edvard Munch, and Mugler’s archival looks. 

Lia – Chamberlain’s dress not only followed the dress code, but it surpassed expectations, turning her body into a real work of art, following the dress code when others couldn’t, which is why Chamberlain is my number one choice for best-dressed (Rank: 1).

Mia – Emma Chamberlain’s dress followed the “Fashion is Art” dress code and displayed it beautifully. The hand-painted dress came together nicely, but other outfits were more visually appealing to me. (Rank: 6)

SZA’s outfit [see photo above] was an intricate combination of various accessories, including flowers and beading. The dress, constructed from over 100 yards of vintage fabrics, beaded flowers, and tapestries that were all sourced from eBay, was the work of Emily Adams Bode Aujla. SZA’s dress was designed to tell a story of joy and sunshine with the vibrant yellows and bright flowers.

Lia – SZA’s outfit, while pretty and eccentric, didn’t really have a cohesive meaning and felt more like a scattered “Dress to Impress” outfit rather than a work of art. That being said, it was still one of the more aesthetically pleasing and unique outfits of the night (Rank: 4)

Mia – I admire the creativity used to source the materials for the dress. The vibrant, warm yellow colors and the deep pink complement each other and her very well, which is why I chose it as my number one choice. (Rank: 1)

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Madonna [see photo below] took the theme very literally as she chose to replicate a portion of Leonora Carrington’s painting titled “The Temptation of St. Anthony.” With a detailed, intricate hat that appeared like a ship and seven other people, Madonna’s outfit was perhaps the most elaborate one of the night.

Lia – Madonna’s complex and carefully thought-out ensemble certainly captured my attention during the event and successfully brought a painting to life; for that, she was in my top three celebrity outfits. (Rank: 3)

Mia – Though Madonna followed the “Fashion is Art” dress code to an exact replica of a piece of a painting and executed it well, there were other clothing pieces that I believe deserved a higher spot. (Rank: 7)

Sabrina Carpenter’s look for the night [see photo above] was inspired by Audrey Hepburn’s “Sabrina” and even included film from the movie in the outfit. Carpenter’s look took a different approach to the dress code for the event and focused more on film arts rather than physical art like paintings and sculptures. 

Lia – Carpenter’s stunning and classy outfit stood out from the rest. With its unique incorporation of film, gorgeous accessories, and hairstyle, this outfit was definitely one of my favorites of the night. (Rank: 2)

Mia – Sabrina Carpenter’s Met Gala dress was a lot different than most. Plain from afar, the dress made partially from film presents the incredible, small details that some of the designers put into their work. With that, her outstanding dress is among my favorites. (Rank: 4)

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Daisy Edgar-Jones [see photo below] wore a dress designed by Seán McGirr for Alexander McQueen. In an interview with Vogue, Edgar-Jones stated that the dress surrounds the idea that “structure and fragility can coexist.” 

Lia – Although Edgar-Jones’ dress was very pretty and had an interesting meaning behind it, it just did not fit the theme, so it did not make it high on my list. (Rank: 9)

Mia – Even though Daisy Edgar-Jones’ dress did not have any specific inspiration, I thought that it was beautiful. The white lace detailing stood out to me, surrounded by other, much more complex outfits. (Rank: 5)

Skepta’s suit [see photo above], designed by Thom Browne, showcases embroidery of his own tattoos, embracing the “Fashion is Art” theme with his own identity.

Lia – Unlike some of the other men who attend the Met Gala, Skepta wore more than just a plain suit. His outfit displays the art that is on his body in the form of fashion, which is what the theme called for. For that, Skepta made my top 10, even if there could’ve been more to his outfit. (Rank: 7)

Mia – Knowing the story behind Skepta’s suit and that the suit puts his tattoos on display, I can safely place it within my top 10. While simple, it is on the more creative half of this year’s Met Gala attire. The simplicity of the suit is the one thing that stopped him from earning a higher spot. (Rank: 8)

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Anne Hathaway [see photo below] wore a custom Michael Kors Collection dress designed in tandem with artist Peter McGough. The concept behind the hand-painted dress originated from a poem titled “Ode on a Grecian Urn” by John Keats. The idea was to tell the story of the poem and peace.

Lia – Hathaway’s unique interpretation of the dress code is what stood out to me. Hathaway used written art to create a beautiful, simple dress that earned her a top 10 spot for me. (Rank: 5) 

Mia – Anne Hathaway came to the Met in a very elegant dress. The contrast of the white and black caught my attention. The fact that the dress was hand-painted also had me rank it so high. (Rank: 2)

Jessica Kayll [see photo above], unlike the majority of those who attended the gala, decided to hand-paint her own dress, taking inspiration from Monet’s “Water Lilies.” Kayll also accessorized with flowers in her hair, which matched the floral aspects of the dress.

Lia – Although the silhouette of the dress isn’t the most flattering, the outfit made the top 10 for me due to the hours of hard work and talent that went into its creation. Kayll truly took the theme into her own hands and converted a well-known art piece into fashion. (Rank: 8)

Mia – Right when I saw Kayll’s dress, I knew the exact inspiration she took for it. She executed the painting on the dress very well, and that is what earned her a top 10 spot for me. (Rank: 6)

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Bad Bunny [see photo below] took inspiration from one of the museum’s exhibitions, focusing on the aging body. For his outfit, Bad Bunny didn’t just put on a suit and call it a day; instead, he decided to age himself, through the use of prosthetics, 50 years. 

Lia – Bad Bunny followed the dress code better than most others who didn’t make my list because he took inspiration from one of the museum’s exhibits, which was part of the dress code. For that, and the hard work that went into the unique look, he made my top 10. (Rank: 6)

Mia – Bad Bunny aging himself for the Met Gala was nothing that I would have expected to see. The effort put into making a realistic-looking aged body was very impressive, but visually, I could not rank it any higher. (Rank: 9)

Heidi Klum [see photo above] took inspiration from the 19th-century sculpture “Veiled Vestal” by Raffaele Monti. Alongside Mike Marino, who designs a large number of her Halloween costumes, they created a look that almost directly resembles the sculpture.

Lia – Although Klum’s attire was not my favorite and was even a bit uncanny or creepy, her transformation into a statue and the hard work that went into it deserve recognition, even if the costume appears as if it should be at one of Klum’s Halloween parties and not the Met Gala. (Rank: 10)

Mia – Knowing Heidi Klum goes above and beyond for Halloween, I was not surprised at all seeing her unsettling Met Gala outfit. I did not love it, but the outfit was designed well enough to make my top 10. (Rank: 10)

Overall, this year’s theme made for an interesting dress code that sparked creativity and allowed room for different interpretations and mediums of art to be displayed: film, the body, statues, paintings, etc.