This year’s Met Gala celebrated the theme “Costume Art: The Intersection of Fashion History and the Body as Canvas.” All celebrities and other guests had to follow the official dress code “Fashion Is Art.” Many looks of the night took inspiration from art history, including iconic paintings, sculptures, old artists, etc.
Fashion’s biggest night, which focuses on raising money for the art museum and celebrating the true meaning of high fashion and art, took place on Monday, May 4, 2026, at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. The co-chairs for this year included Beyoncé, Nicole Kidman, Venus Williams, and Anna Wintour.
As in previous years, many people online had a lot to say about guests who don’t follow the dress code or the theme of the night, sparking some controversy. Despite all the criticism, many celebrities were able to successfully follow the theme.
Some of the most talked-about and appreciated looks of the night included Emma Chamberlain, who wore a custom Mugler gown inspired by fine art and painters Vincent van Gogh and Edvard Munch. Bad Bunny, who transformed into an old man, represented “The Aging Body” section of the Costume Institute’s “Costume Art” exhibition. Madonna, whose outfit was heavily inspired by Leonora Carrington’s surrealist painting, “The Temptation of St. Anthony,” while she wore a Saint Laurent gown. Sabrina Carpenter wore a custom Dior dress covered in strips of film from the 1954 movie, “Sabrina.”
I asked a few BCCHS students around campus these two simple questions: “What were your thoughts on this year’s Met Gala?” Also, “What was your favorite look?”
Daniela Vasquez (11) said, “I believe they could’ve stayed more on theme. My favorite looks were Anok Yai’s, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s, Doechii’s, and A$AP Rocky’s.”
Angie Ramirez (11) added, “I think half of the people didn’t even try to stay on theme, which was VERY disappointing, and my favorite look was Emma Chamberlain’s.”
Gisselle Acuna (11) offered, “My thoughts are that there were interesting looks. Honestly, my personal favorite look was Alyssa Liu’s; the stitching of the dress made her look like a rose, and gave an illusion of a rose.”
Finally, Luccia Corrales (11) said, “My thoughts on this year’s Met Gala were that the idea behind it, like the theme, was really cool, but I feel like very few people did a good job in ‘eating down.’ My personal favorite look was Hunter Schafer’s.”
In my opinion, I really admired the theme. I thought it was super cool, creative, and very unique. Although it is true that many celebrities don’t always fully follow the theme, there are always those who genuinely try their best to create a strong look. My favorite looks of this year so far would have to be Madonna, Rachel Zegler, Kendall Jenner, and Bad Bunny.
