The Metropolitan Museum of Art celebrated its 52nd anniversary with the Met Gala on May 4. The gala’s theme, “Costume Art,” called for fashion as an art form in relation to the body. Held at the museum’s Costume Institute in New York, the event is known for its avant-garde style and star-studded invite list. A-list celebrities, designers and cultural figures attend the gala every year, modeling jaw-dropping couture that reveals their take on the theme. 

Celebrities drew inspiration from art movements such as the Renaissance, Art Deco, Surrealism and African Futurism, each look serving as a timepiece in its own right. Here are The Black & White’s top 10 looks from the 2026 Met Gala.

10. Paloma Elsesser in Francesco Risso

Paloma Elsesser’s pastel bejeweled look was a highlight of the night’s attire. The custom Francesco Risso gown showcased the designer’s newest fashion project, “Bureau of Imagination,” featuring upcycled and handcrafted pieces. Elsesser, a prominent plus-size model and activist, paired the garment with a custom metallic, crystal-encrusted earpiece. With a discreetly colorful patchwork of over 30 upcycled secondhand vintage dresses, the gown projected a dream-like elegance. Risso designed the dress to emulate a moving painting, and the result was ethereal.

9. Colman Domingo in Valentino

Once again, actor and playwright Colman Domingo stole the carpet with yet another sharp and dapper look. The colorful patchwork design by Alessandro Michele took an impressive 400 hours to create — and paired with dark wool boot-cut trousers, it was the statement piece of the night. The look not only featured fine tailoring but also stunning accessories, including a Serpent Bohème brooch and rings, as well as a vintage 1982 Omega Constellation “Manhattan” watch. Michele drew inspiration from Jean-Michel Basquiat’s “Pez Dispenser” and Pablo Picasso’s harlequin art, illustrating his vision through the pieces’ vivid colors.

8. Anne Hathaway in Michael Kors

For her ninth appearance at the Met Gala, Anne Hathaway arrived in a stunning custom-painted dress by artist Peter McGough. Inspired by John Keats’ 1819 poem “Ode on a Grecian Urn,” the dress was hand-painted to boldly reference Grecian pottery. Sewn-on white doves contrasted the all-black gown, paying tribute to Irene, the Greek goddess of peace. While not overwhelmingly ambitious, overall, the look was a gorgeous classic, satisfying the theme with its homage to Greek pottery and 19th-century literary art.

7. Rihanna in Maison Margiela

Shining brighter than a diamond, singer and songwriter Rihanna struck the carpet with a stunning copper-toned gown. The custom Maison Margiela couture by designer Glenn Marten was inspired by Flemish primitives, a 15th and 16th century painter group known for artistically incorporating metal, jewels and textiles, which Marten drew on for the gown. Approximately 115,000 crystal beads and antique jewelry fell in harmony with the additional bling of two ear cuffs and Glenn Spiro earrings. The regalia didn’t end here — a “living sculpture” gold-threaded crown added the cherry on top to a very shiny cake. 

6. Adut Akech in Thom Browne

Model Adut Akech’s appearance the night of the Gala was nothing short of divine. The model, expecting a baby in just weeks, centered the dress design around her maternity. The dress utilizes organza — a lightweight, woven fabric — which was generously paired with a black silk taffeta overcoat. Thom Browne, the dress’s designer, added distinctive details like lilies of the valley, the birth flower for the month of May, around the stomach. Coupled with Browne’s original patent leather spectator heels, the outfit was curated to make Akech’s night as seamless as ever while paying tribute to the event. 

5. Heidi Klum in Mike Marino

Heidi Klum’s collaboration with artist Mike Marino shocked the carpet as she embodied Raffaelle Monti’s 19th-century sculpture, the “Veiled Vestal.” Depicting a Roman priestess, the piece was made of foam and latex that imitated draped, carved marble, while maintaining the original statue’s veil and floral crown. Klum drew inspiration from a prior visit to the Met, where she first noticed Monti’s work. While one of the most creative pieces on the carpet, the look lacked the elegance the event entailed and felt more like a costume rather than high fashion. 

4. Beyoncé in Olivier Rousteing

After a 10-year hiatus, the Queen Bee has returned to the Met as co-chair, lighting the carpet up — literally. With over 370 carats of Chopard diamonds, Beyoncé modeled a custom crystal-embellished skeleton gown designed by Olivier Rousteing, decorated with elaborate details of the human bone structure. Beyoncé struck the floor with a feathered train alongside a jeweled sun-shaped headpiece more lustrous than the dress itself. Accompanying Beyoncé was her daughter, Blue Ivy, who broke the precedent of the Met Gala’s adults-only invite list. The dress’s uniqueness, simultaneous incorporation of the theme and trademark Beyoncé touch brought the whole look together as one of her best yet. 

3. SZA in Bode

Singer and songwriter SZA illuminated the carpet in a custom yellow Bode gown, constructed with over 100 yards of vintage fabric. Using shades of ochre and marigold, designer Emily Adams Bode Aujla crafted the dress to blooming perfection, utilizing flowers, shells and a sheer butterfly wing decorated with jeweled cuffs around the artist’s arms. An abstract headpiece featuring jewels, shells and authentic flowers contributed to the dress’s vibrancy. Aujla pulled inspiration from the 1910s Art Nouveau era that regularly incorporated bold curves, formal motifs and organic themes.  The idea was executed flawlessly, with a look seemingly straight from a fairytale.

2. Emma Chamberlain in Mugler

For her sixth Met Gala appearance, the YouTube sensation adorned a custom Mugler gown that took over 40 hours, 30 colors and four days of drying to produce. The look was inspired by her family’s love of art — Chamberlain’s father is an oil painter, and Chamberlain says she was raised in a creative-minded household. Her ensemble featured an iridescent eyeshadow look that complemented the dress’s dark, custom dyed navy satin. She paired these elements with Stuart Weitzman platform heels and a blonde pixie cut, making the dress stand out as one of the carpet’s most memorable looks. 

1. Sabrina Carpenter in Dior 

2026 Grammy Award winner Sabrina Carpenter paid homage to the 1954 classic “Sabrina,” donning a high slit and halter neck look using film strips from the movie. The singer joined the evening as both a host committee member and a guest performer, singing some of her 2024 hits alongside a surprise duet with Fleetwood Mac’s Stevie Nicks. Elements of the movie peekaboo through the look, a custom Dior tulle dress by Jonathan Anderson, with a 1920s-inspired bob and rhinestone headpiece. Overall, Carpenter’s look stunned the carpet with its uniqueness and attention to detail, capturing a literal rendition of “cinema as art.”