The best dressed at the Met Gala 2026

Fashion’s biggest night just clocked out at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and if we’re being honest, half the fun is judging it all from bed. This year’s Met Gala leaned hard into its 2026 theme, “Costume Art,” with a dress code that basically said if it doesn’t look like it belongs in a museum, don’t bother. While we missed PCJ this year, the guest list was pure crème de la crème. From Isha Ambani dripping in diamonds while serving a deeply personal heritage moment in Gaurav Gupta couture to Lisa turning up with 3D-scanned arms like a walking crystal exhibit, the red carpet screamed the theme- “Fashion is Art”. Here’s our edit of the best-dressed who truly understood the assignment. 

Isha Ambani in Gaurav Gupta

Isha Ambani turned the MET 2026 red carpet into a celebration of Indian craft. Dressed in a custom Gaurav Gupta sari woven with pure gold threads by artisans at Swadesh and styled by Anaita Shroff Adajania, the look was a masterclass in ancient Indian storytelling with pichwai-style detailing, layered with zardozi, aari, and intricate embroidery. Over 1,200 hours and 50 artisans later, the result was nothing short of couture theatre. The real flex, however, was a diamond-encrusted bodice featuring over 200 old mine-cut stones from Nita Ambani’s personal collection. Add to it 250+ carats of necklaces, haathphools, waist belts, and a delicate jasmine hair sculpture by Sourabh Gupta, and you’ve got a look that pays the best form of homage to heritage.

Karan Johar in Manish Malhotra

Dressed in a custom Manish Malhotra ensemble titled ‘Framed in Eternity’, Johar’s look drew deeply from the world of Raja Ravi Varma, transforming him into a walking canvas of Indian art. The sharply tailored silhouette elevated by a dramatic six-foot hand-painted cape layered with zardosi work, brought to life by over 80 artisans over almost three months stole the spotlight. Complementing the ensemble, Johar added statement jewellery from his label Tyaani.

Mona Patel in Dolce & Gabbana

Envisioned in custom Dolce & Gabbana Alta Moda, Mona Patel’s Met Gala was rooted in the genius of Leonardo da Vinci. Drawing from his studies of proportion and anatomy and inspired by her own namesake, the Mona Lisa, Patel reimagined the Renaissance ideal as a “Renaissance Woman,” filtering it through a modern feminine lens. The look comprised of a conceptual veil and an anatomical gown. The outer layer was a silk gazar cape that functioned like a moving manuscript, printed in sepia with iconic sketches including the Vitruvian Man, while beneath it, an ivory sculptural gown rendered the body from within. Braided spine detailing evoking muscle and fascia, draped lines tracing anatomy, and embellishments put the whole fit together.

Lisa in Robert Wun

At the Met Gala 2026, Lisa teamed up with Robert Wun and wore an ethereal, crystal-drenched gown featuring a veil held up by sculpted 3D scanned arms (replicas of her own) and positioned in traditional Thai dance forms. The result screamed part bride, part installation art. With nearly 67,000 crystals and close to 3,000 hours of craftsmanship behind it, the look mastered the theme “fashion as art,” and the hair and crystal makeup just added to the grandeur.

Sabrina Carpenter in Dior

Sabrina Carpenter quite literally wore cinema to the red carpet. Dressed in a custom Dior creation by Jonathan Anderson, her look was constructed from strips of film referencing the 1954 classic Sabrina, a moving archive of Old Hollywood glamour. The silhouette featured a high-slit, softly structured tulle with a trailing train. But the sparkle didn’t stop at the dress. Carpenter paired the look with Chopard diamonds and a bejeweled headpiece that was equal parts ingénue, icon, and a little bit of fashion fantasy. 

Emma Chamberlain in Mugler

Emma Chamberlain chose a custom Mugler creation by creative director Miguel Castro Freitas. It was hand-painted with swirling, Van Gogh-esque strokes and built using traditional art materials, turning her body into a living canvas. The silhouette itself leaned into Mugler’s signature drama featuring a sculpted, nude-illusion base with a sweeping train and fringe detailing. But the real finesse came in how she styled it. Instead of overpowering the look, Chamberlain kept things sharp and intentional with Chopard chandelier earrings in 18k white gold set with nearly 20 carats of yellow diamonds, layered with subtle diamond studs and finished with diamond and sapphire rings.

Beyoncé in Olivier Rousteing

After a decade-long hiatus, Beyoncé returned to the Met in a skeletal illusion gown by Olivier Rousteing. The look blurred the lines between anatomy and adornment, with crystal-encrusted bones mapped across sheer fabric and finished with a dramatic feathered cape. Layered in high-wattage diamonds by Chopard, from a sculptural headpiece to statement earrings and glove detailing that mimicked jeweled hand bones, the sparkle felt architectural.

Hailey Bieber in Saint Laurent

Hailey Bieber was dipped in 24-karat gold last night as she wore a custom Saint Laurent gold breastplate, moulded to her body like wearable art, with a cobalt blue chiffon skirt. Designed by Anthony Vaccarello, the reference was a nod to Yves Saint Laurent’s 1969 collaboration with sculptor Claude Lalanne. But Bieber, instead of going maximal, leaned into sculptural restraint with pieces from Belperron’s Virgin Gold collection; softly hammered ear clips and rings that echoed the raw, antiqued finish of the bodice. 

Princess Gauravi Kumar & Sawai Padmanabh Singh

For their MET debut, Princess Gauravi Kumari and Sawai Padmanabh Singh aka Pacho staged a heritage flex disguised as restraint. Dressed in custom Prabal Gurung, Gauravi’s look reworked her grandmother Maharani Gayatri Devi’s iconic chiffon sari into a fluid, blush-toned gown, paired with soft strings of pearls, rubies and uncut diamonds. Pacho, on the other hand, served a masterclass in modern maharaja dressing with a velvet phulghar coat that reportedly took hundreds of hours to complete, embroidered with motifs rooted in Rajasthani craft traditions. Talk about a moodboard for how Indian royalty can show up globally!

Kim Kardashian in Allen Jones and Whitaker

Teaming up with British pop provocateur Allen Jones and London-based atelier Whitaker Malem, Kardashian stepped out in a sculptural breastplate referencing Jones’ 1960s “Body Armour” works. The tangerine-toned, automotive-finished piece – yes, (literally completed in a car body shop) was paired with a hand-painted leather skirt. In true Kardashian fashion, the jewellery took a strategic backseat, but not entirely. She kept her Lorraine Schwartz jewels minimal to let the sculptural silhouette dominate.

Sabine Getty in Ashi Studio

Bang on the theme for the night, Sabine Getty’s Ashi Studio look featured a hyper-real, body-painted illusion. The gown played with painted hands, sculptural contours, and a corseted silhouette that felt almost melted onto her frame. A designer herself, she wove pieces from her personal collection into the narrative; rings, sculptural elements, and trompe l’oeil details that felt like a part of the illusion itself.

SZA in Bode

For the MET red carpet, SZA showed up as a gilded garden fairy who thrifted across continents. Her corseted gown, built from nearly 100 yards of vintage textiles (yes, sourced from eBay), came alive with sari-derived floral appliqués, antique rhinestones, quartz beads and cowrie shells, all collaged into a silhouette that felt like an amalgamation of an 18th-century robe and mythological insect fantasy. Emily Adams Bode Aujla leaned into SZA’s love for nature and folklore, finishing the look with sheer wing-like extensions and a wildly sculptural headpiece bursting with protea, orchids and shells. In a sea of polished diamonds, SZA’s take felt refreshingly feral with champagne-toned crystals, beaded cuffs and dangling elements woven into the garment itself.

“That’s all!”

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