Dive In: Random Bits From The Met Gala
If you’ve watched Devil Wears Prada 2, you’ll know the tech bros are lovin’ fashion RN, so what else did we glean from the Met Gala?
The tech bros and fashion
Yep, not just a movie plot but the actual state of fash right now. If Mark Zuckerberg was once a guy who slobbed around in hoodies and Jeff Bezos was more interested in affordable knock-offs than designer duds, those days are o’er. Silicon Valley was all over the Met Gala. Although the Met has long been a place for the superrrrr-rich and famous to see and be seen, this year’s shindig got even more backlash than usual thanks to a key sponsorship from Jeff Bezos and his wife, Lauren Sanchez. Hours before the red carpet kicked off, Amazon workers served as models for a Ball Without Billionaires in protest of the ‘do and anti-Amazon protesters continued to try and worm them way closer to the red carpet throughout the night. In the end, the Fashion won…
The 2026 Met Gala raised a whopping $42 million for the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute. That’s the highest amount in the event’s decades-long history. Plus, the reach was ginormous – the Youtube live stream boasts 1.7 billion global video views and counting. So, what can I tell you that hasn’t already been memed to death in the five days since?
The theme was Fashion Is Art. There’s a theme every year and every year, the red carpet is split between those who don’t bother to dress to theme at all and just wear whatever TF they feel like versus those who go all out for theme dressing. And there’s a spectrum of this too – from casually and conceptually on theme to costume party crisis. That’s why in previous year’s we’ve seen Doja Cat as a literal cat – Lagerfeld’s cat Choupette in the Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty year. It’s also why we’ve seen Jared Leto carrying his own head as a clutch purse in the Camp: Notes on High Fashion year.
Yves Klein Blue looks good on everyone
Interpreting the ‘fashion is art’ theme in an easy, accessible way comes care of Yves Klein. The saturated ultramarine blue is forever associated with the French artist as his signature colour and it worked its way onto the red carpet with Hailey Bieber in YSL and Tessa Thompson in Valentino, among others. Try not to scramble for that dress “is not just blue. It’s not turquoise. It’s not lapis. It’s actually cerulean” reference. This blue is, in fact Yves Klein Blue and there’s a reason this particular shade is as deservedly famous as it is – it is velvety and insanely gorgeous. Watch it make its way into the fashion collections later this year. This trend has definitely been cemented.
Wearing body armour will forever look like Liz Hurley in Austin Powers
YKB aside, Hailey did pair her look with moulded gold body armour and Kim Kardash went moulded body armour too. Hailey’s was YSL. Kim commissioned British pop artist Allen Jones to create her piece, so she is literally wearing art. That’s the theme on the nose then. But why do all these pointy-nipped breastplates remind me of Liz Hurley’s shooting boobs in Austin Powers. Just me? Am I just very childish? Shagadelic baby.
Caveat: Unless you’re this girl. In actual armour.
This girl is Louisa Jacobson – the youngest daughter of Meryl Streep. Urgh, that gene pool. Deadly. She stars in The Gilded Age. Her sister is Grace Gummer, who stars in Love Story as JFK Jnr’s sister Caroline. Grace is married to Mark Ronson. Sorry, I love celebrity connections and six degrees of separation. Love. Anyway! Louisa. Louisa wore Dilara Findikoglu and became one of the most buzzed looks of the night. The Joan of Arc-inspired armoured dress was created by Dilara who is a Turkish-British fashion designer and only one of the hottest cult designers working right now. Fans of Dua Lipa might recognise the name or at least the corsetry. She wears a lot of this designer’s theatrical lewks. Okay enough of the six degrees!
Crimpy orange is not a vibe ever.
New Vogue editor head of content do better. This is lank boring for what should be a Vogue night. Not just an Anna-Lauren Sanchez night. Chloe Malle’s designer calls the hue tangerine. It does not improve it. Fash fans, stick with Yves Klein Blue for 2026 moodboards.
Knowing your bestie is going to the same event
Besties – hands down - will forever and ever, no matter who you are, make a night more fun. Am I right or am I right? I know I am right! Especially when it’s a big fancy dress-up and you know it’s kinda uncomfortable and you’re kinda hot and tired and your feet are already sore. But it’s fun because you can sneak off to the loo with your bestie and smoke ciggies outside and go out ‘til much too late. That was Heated Rivalry’s Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie. Both lookin’ like the had the most fun. And why not? If it was my first Met Gala and I looked even half as hot as these two, I too would never want to go home. Keep Cinderella at her ball, please.
Heidi Klum might love Halloween too much
Joining the list of Doja Choupette and Headless Jared will be Heidi as a full-blown Greek statue. I mean I know The Menopause is making all of us over-50s a leeetle bit crazy, but this is maybe too de trop for ‘fashion is art’. The gal does love Halloween though. Her annual October 31 parties are legendary and she goes all out – like all out, every year. She has been an earthworm, Medusa, ET, a peacock, an alien… In no particular order and with varying degrees of dedication to the lewk. This Met Gala look defs coulda joined the panteon of characters.
No one can out-swag Riahanna
Except her husband. Because oh my god, the aura of this man. A$AP Rocky in pale pink Chanel and wee little diamond-studded apple bag was just the best! Also his wife ends up tweaking Heidi Klum’s nipple, because of course she did. And he is just a picture. My most fun snap of the night. I love a candid snap. And this was one of my faves of the night. They must be terrifying good fun at a party!
No-one can out-swag Beyonce
Except her daughter. Because oh my god, the aura of the child. It was Bey’s first Met gala appearance in a decade, so all eyes were on her and her diamond-encrusted skeletal Olivier Rousteing gown. The piece literalised the ‘body as art’ concept and the billowing ombre feathered train added even more drama. Who else on earth could pull this much together in a single lewk and not be dwarfed by it? Only her surely.
And then there’s Blue Ivy. Coolest kid on the planet. Not to be outdid by her mother or her father. And not removing her sunnies, even when requested by her parents. I loved this. I also loved that at 14, I was praying for a bubble Lycra bikini to wear to the Umhlanga Sands pool and Blue Ivy is in couture, silver spiked heels and a pair of sunnies giving her dad shit on the biggest red carpet of the year.
Wearable sculpture was a whole vibe
Whether Rihanna’s sculptural Margiela look, Lisa’s 3D mannequin-arm dress, Kendall Jenner’s winged Nike of Samothrace–inspired dress or Lena Mahfouf’s silver-handed bra, 3-D sculptural elements nailed the look and aced the red carpet. Look out for this trend going mainstream later this year. Okay, not the extra arms maybe, that’s hard to pull off at Blondies on a Friday night. Actually wait… Think of the extra Palomas we could order with all those extra hands!
John Sargent got referenced. A lot
Okay, hear me out. Yes, John Singer Sargent is well-known Belle Epoque society portrait artist, so yes, sure, he can get a nod on the Fashion Is Art red carpet… But almost every gal who simply decided that she wanted to wear a slinky, mildly embellished black gown hit the red carpet at The Met and declared that she was channelling a John Sargent. I mean the man got referenced more in one single night that he has been in years.
Lauren Sanchez Bezos’ Schiaparelli gown was the likely winner of a Sargent reference. His portrait of Paris socialite Madame X aka Virginie Gautreau is one of the Met Museum’s most iconic paintings. Multiple fashion mags flagged it as one of the night’s clearest art-history references. At the time of painting the portrait in 1884, Virginie Gautreau’s portrait was considered scandalous! Her pose far to sensual and her jewelled strap slipping off her shoulder. In fact, the strap caused such outrage and pearl-cluching at the time that Sargent was forced to repaint the strap back in place. You’ll note – art history nerds – that the Schiaparelli gown’s strap falls off Lauren Sanchez’s shoulder. That said, Devil Wears Prada costume designer Molly Rogers did snipe to media: “How did she make Schiaparelli look so cheap?!”
What else did I miss? Katy Perry’s Stella McCartney fencing mask? Yawn. Nicole Kidman’s frock – sensational and new Chanel artistic director Matthieu Blazy’s first Met gala look in the role – but still Nic, not Fashion Is Art. Kris Jenner’s Greek pottery embellished kimono? What’s up with that? Face still giving though. Yikes, she looks positively glowing. Sarah Paulson being the only one to make a political statement wearing custom Matières Fécales? Yes, do it!
Sabrina in custom Dior? Her dress was created out of film strips of the film Sabrina. Cute. Model Anok Yai’s hair and make-up as art? Deadly. Isn’t it insanely gorgeous? And Emma Chamberlain’s body as a canvas in custom Mugler. Which maybe is what Blake Lively was aiming for her in puffs of pastel vintage Versace, but who knows?
And last but not least - men wearing capes! Because Superman should not be the only one having any fun and I love love love this - even though I am unlikely to see anyone sweeping off down Bree Street in a flouncy cape any time soon!
Okay, who did I miss? What are we wearing? Blue? .Just tell me we’re wearing blue.