The 2026 Met Gala has placed artistic interpretation at the centre of its fashion narrative, with celebrities embracing a more literal approach to this year’s theme.

Attendees were challenged to reflect “Fashion Is Art,” a dress code linked to the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Art exhibition.

This year’s brief required direct references to established artworks, prompting a shift towards historically grounded fashion.

Many attendees responded by drawing inspiration from movements such as the Harlem Renaissance and 17th-century Baroque painting, turning the red carpet into a visual exploration of art history.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art stated that the concept invites guests “to express their own relationship to fashion as an embodied art form and celebrate the countless depictions of the dressed body throughout art history.” This framework has influenced a range of looks that aim to balance creativity with recognisable artistic references.

Amy Sherald in Thom Browne (Reuters) inspired by her own artwork

Rosé in YSL (AFP) inspired by Doves (Henri Matisse)

Rachel Zegler in Prabal Gurung (Reuters) inspired by The Execution of Lady Jane Grey (Paul Delaroche)

Angela Bassett in Prabal Gurung (AFP) inspired by Girl in Pink Dress (Laura Wheeler Waring)

Anok Yai in Balenciaga (AFP) inspired by Mater Dolorosa

Yu-Chi Lyra Kuo in Jean Paul Gaultier (Reuters) inspired by Winged Victory of Samothrace

Kylie Jenner in Schiaparelli (Reuters) inspired by Venus de Milo (Alexandros of Antioch)

Hunter Scahfer in Prada (Reuters) inspired by Mäda Primavesi (Gustav Klimt)

Isha Ambani in Garav Gupta (Reuters) inspired by Padmini, the Lotus Lady (Raja Ravi Varma)

Madonna in YSL (AFP) inspired by The Temptation of St. Anthony, Fragment II (Leonora Carrington)

Karan Johar in Manish Malhotra (Instagram) inspired Raja Ravi Varma’s paintings

Mona Patel in Dolce & Gabba (Facebook) inspired by The Vitruvian Man (Leonardo da Vinci)

Gracie Abrams in Chanel (Reuters) inspired by Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer (Gustav Klimt)

Emma Chamberlain in Mugler (Reuters) inspired by Enclosed Field with Ploughman (Vincent van Gogh)

Jordan Roth in Robert Wun (Reuters) inspired by Pygmalion and Galatea (Jean Léon Gérôme)

SZA in Emily Adams Bode Aujla (AFP) inspired by Oxum (Joana Lana)

The event was co-chaired by Beyoncé, Nicole Kidman, Venus Williams and Anna Wintour, with a host committee spanning fashion, film and music. As an annual fundraiser for the Costume Institute, the Met Gala continues to merge cultural commentary with high-profile fashion.