The Met Gala has always pushed fashion limits.
In 2026, it went further.
This year’s theme, Costume Art, focused on fashion as art.
The red carpet felt more like an exhibition space than a style showcase.
Outfits were not just clothes.
They were sculptures.
Objects.
Sometimes even disguises.
Here’s who wore what.
Kim Kardashian
Kim Kardashian did not walk in wearing fabric. She showed up in structure.
At the centre of her look was a bold tangerine fibreglass breastplate by Allen Jones and Whitaker Malem. It did not flow or drape. It held firm, almost like armour.
There was no softness to balance it out. The focus stayed on shape, on rigidity, on the idea of the body as form.
Isha Ambani
Isha Ambani reimagined the saree as wearable art.
She wore a gold-woven saree with a sculptural cape by Gaurav Gupta, paired with heirloom diamonds.
Built over 1200 hours using heritage weaves, the look brought Indian craftsmanship to the centre of the Met Gala.
Heidi Klum
Heidi Klum arrived looking like a living statue.
Created by Mike Marino, the look used latex and spandex to mimic carved marble, inspired by Veiled Vestal.
It focused on form and texture over silhouette, turning her into a moving piece of sculpture.
Katy Perry
Katy Perry kept it simple at first glance.
A strapless white gown. A soft, flowing cape. Nothing loud.
Then came the shift.
Her face was hidden behind a mask designed by Miodrag Guberinic. Suddenly, the look was not about the outfit anymore, but about who was behind it.
Ananya Birla
Ananya Birla did not just arrive at the Met Gala. She stepped in like a piece of art.
Her debut look was built with stainless steel elements linked to artist Subodh Gupta. It did not move like fabric. It held its shape, almost like an installation.
A mask-like structure framed her face, shifting the focus away from identity and onto the form itself.
Natasha Poonawalla
Natasha Poonawalla combined art and fashion by wearing a sculptural piece by Marc Quinn along with a couture ensemble by Dolce & Gabbana.
The look blurred the line between installation art and clothing.
Bhavitha Mandava
Bhavitha Mandava, an Indian-origin model, kept her take on the theme more classic.
She wore a couture look by Chanel. The outfit leaned on clean structure and fine detailing rather than heavy experimentation.
There were no exaggerated shapes or sculptural elements. Instead, the focus stayed on sharp tailoring, texture, and finish.
Manish Malhotra
Manish Malhotra turned his Met Gala look into something deeply personal.
He wore a reworked bandhgala layered with an architectural cape, brought to life over 960 hours by more than 50 artisans across Mumbai and Delhi.
The outfit brought together dori, zardozi, chikankari and kasab embroidery. It also carried the names and signatures of the artisans, along with references to Mumbai’s cinematic landmarks.
More than a garment, it told a story of craft, memory and collaboration, placing Indian craftsmanship firmly on the global stage.
Karan Johar
Karan Johar made his Met Gala debut in a look by Manish Malhotra, inspired by Raja Ravi Varma.
He described himself as a “canvas”, bringing the painter’s legacy into motion. For Johar, the moment was about storytelling as much as fashion, shaped by his long association with cinema.
The look also marked over three decades of collaboration with Malhotra, turning the outfit into both a personal and cultural statement on a global stage.
Princess Gauravi Kumari
Princess Gauravi Kumari kept her look rooted in heritage.
She wore a vintage chiffon saree once owned by her great grandmother, choosing a soft pink tone as a nod to her home city, Jaipur.
She paired it with pearls inspired by Maharani Gayatri Devi, keeping the focus on legacy and continuity rather than reinvention.
Simone Ashley
Simone Ashley kept her look sharp and minimal.
She stepped out in a silver-threaded mini, clean in silhouette but strong in finish. The metallic detailing caught the light with every move, doing most of the talking.
Beyoncé
Beyoncé arrived in a look that balanced structure with spectacle.
Her body-conscious dress began with skin-tone mesh, layered with an embellished diamond skeleton that extended down to her gloves. The piece was designed by Olivier Rousteing.
Over it, she wore a dramatic feathered opera coat with a long train that required multiple people to carry. A sun-shaped crown and her signature styled hair completed the look.
On a night built around costume as art, her outfit focused on the body as structure, but scaled it up into something theatrical.
