The Super Bowl of fashion is living up to its moniker so far.
The Met Gala is officially underway as A-list actors, global pop stars and tech titans alike grace the Metropolitan Museum’s grand staircase. The gala’s theme, “Costume Art,” honors the Costume Institute’s spring exhibition on the role of the dressed body in the history of art. The show inaugurates the new 12,000-square-foot Condé M. Nast Galleries.
This year’s abstract dress code, “Fashion Is Art,” encourages guests to treat the body as a canvas and “to express their own relationship to fashion as an embodied art form.” So if there ever were a time to wear an archival John Galliano naked dress or a Thom Browne body paint gown, it’s now.
Co-chaired by Nicole Kidman, Venus Williams, Anna Wintour and Beyoncé, the latter returning to the gala after a 10-year hiatus, the event — an annual fundraiser for the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute — will be a night of sartorial excellence.
Rihanna and ASAP Rocky
Rihanna, shining bright in Maison Margiela, and ASAP Rocky never disappoint.
(Angela Weiss / AFP via Getty Images)
Madonna
Madonna dons a towering ship headpiece.
(Angela Weiss / AFP via Getty Images)
Blake Lively
The same day that she settled her legal battle with Justin Baldoni, Blake Lively returned to the Met Gala in archival Atelier Versace.
(Angela Weiss / AFP via Getty Images)
Heidi Klum
Heidi Klum’s is a living marble statue in a custom look by designer Mike Marino, inspired by works such as “Veiled Christ” by Giuseppe Sanmartino and “Veiled Vestal” by Raffaele Monti.
(Angela Weiss / AFP via Getty Images)
Beyoncé
Leave it to Beyoncé to steal the show in a diamond-dripped skeleton-inspired look designed by Olivier Rousteing.
(Dimitrios Kambouris / Getty Images for the Met Museum)
Kylie Jenner
Kylie Jenner wears a deconstructed nude Schiaparelli gown designed by Daniel Roseberry.
(Michael Buckner / Penske Media via Getty Images)
Kylie Jenner’s nude corset gives the illusion that she’s topless.
(Kevin Mazur / Getty Images for the Met Museum)
Kendall Jenner
Kendall Jenner wears a nipple-baring bodice from GapStudio by Zac Posen.
(Dimitrios Kambouris / Getty Images for the Met Museum)
Kim Kardashian
Kim Kardashian turns heads in a bronze molded breastplate bodysuit.
(Mike Coppola / Getty Images)
Sarah Paulson
Sarah Paulson wears a dollar bill mask at the Met Gala.
(Dimitrios Kambouris / Getty Images for the Met Museum)
(Jamie McCarthy / Getty Images)
Rosie Huntington-Whiteley
Rosie Huntington-Whiteley poses during the Met Gala.
(Julian Hamilton / Getty Images)
Kate Moss
Kate Moss is a model through and through in sheer Saint Laurent.
(Dimitrios Kambouris / Getty Images for the Met Museum)
Rachel Zegler
Rachel Zegler’s Prabal Gurung Met Gala gown is inspired by the 1833 painting “The Execution of Lady Jane Grey.”
(Julian Hamilton / Getty Images)
Gracie Abrams
Gracie Abrams is a vision in a gold Chanel gown inspired by a Gustav Klimt painting.
(Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for The Met Museum/)
Margot Robbie
Margot Robbie is statuesque in Chanel.
(Dimitrios Kambouris / Getty Images for the Met Museum)
Chase Infiniti
Chase Infiniti is among the best-dressed at the Met Gala in a Venus de Milo-inspired dress.
(Mike Coppola / Getty Images)
Gabrielle Union
Gabrielle Union stuns at the Met Gala.
(Dimitrios Kambouris / Getty Images for the Met Museum)
Sabrina Carpenter
Sabrina Carpenter is picture perfect in a dress made from literal film.
(Mike Coppola / Getty Images)
Doechii
Doechii is beautiful in a burgundy Marc Jacobs wrap dress.
(Dimitrios Kambouris / Getty Images for the Met Museum)
Rosé
Rosé wears a Saint Laurent dress with a high slit.
(Dimitrios Kambouris / Getty Images for the Met Museum)
Dree Hemingway
Dree Hemingway looks ethereal in Valentino.
(John Shearer / WireImage)
Connor Storrie
Connor Storrie makes his Met Gala debut.
(Jamie McCarthy / Getty Images)
Olivia Wilde
Olivia Wilde wears custom Thom Browne with a caged white tulle train.
(Jamie McCarthy / Getty Images)
Gigi Hadid
Gigi Hadid reinvents the naked dress at the Met Gala.
(Mike Coppola / Getty Images)
Naomi Osaka
Naomi Osaka serves looks in a white sculptural hat and matching coat dress before unveiling a second outfit.
(Jamie McCarthy / Getty Images)
Rebecca Hall
Rebecca Hall looks sophisticated in custom Tom Ford by Haider Ackermann.
(Dimitrios Kambouris / Getty Images for the Met Museum)
Eileen Gu
Olympic medalist Eileen Gu goes for the gold.
(Julian Hamilton / Getty Images)
Katy Perry
Katy Perry, in a Stella McCartney strapless gown, hides behind a mask.
(Dimitrios Kambouris / Getty Images for the Met Museum)
Felicity Blunt, Stanley Tucci and Emily Blunt
It’s a family affair for Felicity Blunt, Stanley Tucci and Emily Blunt, who coordinate in black.
(Mike Coppola / Getty Images)
Yu-Chi Lyra Kuo
Yu-Chi Lyra Kuo soars in custom Jean Paul Gaultier, in reference to the Winged Victory of Samothrace statue.
(Jamie McCarthy / Getty Images)
Zoë Kravitz
Zoë Kravitz wows in an all-black Saint Laurent by Anthony Vaccarello lace gown.
(Michael Buckner / Penske Media via Getty Images)
Isha Ambani
Isha Ambani wears a custom-designed saree gown by Rahul Mishra.
(Jamie McCarthy / Getty Images)
Suleika Jaouad and Jon Batiste
Suleika Jaouad and Jon Batiste attend the 2026 Met Gala.
(Julian Hamilton / Getty Images)
Charli XCX
Charli XCX is the moment.
(Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images)
Gwendoline Christie
Gwendoline Christie knows a thing or two about the Many-Faced God.
(Dimitrios Kambouris / Getty Images for the Met Museum)
Sabine Getty
Jewelry designer Sabine Getty has her hands full in custom Ashi Studio couture.
(Dimitrios Kambouris / Getty Images for the Met Museum)
Jordan Roth
Jordan Roth looks like a living classical sculpture.
(Julian Hamilton / Getty Images)
Hugh Jackman and Sutton Foster
Hugh Jackman and Sutton Foster make it a date night.
(Dimitrios Kambouris / Getty Images for the Met Museum)
Venus Williams
Venus Williams is wearing a Swarovski crystal mesh gown inspired by her portrait.
(Jamie McCarthy / Getty Images)
La La Anthony
La La Anthony is dripping with custom crystals in a custom Wiederhoeft gown.
(Mike Coppola / Getty Images)
Nichapat Suphap
Nichapat Suphap turns heads in custom Robert Wun.
(Mike Coppola / Getty Images)
Sam Smith
Sam Smith makes a statement in Christian Cowan.
(Gilbert Flores / Variety via Getty Images)
Cara Delevingne
Cara Delevingne is back in black.
(Dimitrios Kambouris / Getty Images for the Met Museum)
Sunday Rose Kidman Urban and Nicole Kidman
Nicole Kidman, co-chair of the Met Gala, radiates in a red sequin Chanel gown. She’s accompanied by daughter Sunday Rose Kidman Urban.
(Dimitrios Kambouris / Getty Images for the Met Museum)
Lauren Sánchez Bezos
Lauren Sánchez Bezos, who reportedly spent $10 million with husband Jeff Bezos to sponsor the gala, dons a blue Schiaparelli by Daniel Roseberry gown.
(Dimitrios Kambouris / Getty Images for the Met Museum)
Anna Wintour
Anna Wintour has fun with feathers in Chanel.
(Jamie McCarthy / Getty Images)
Emma Chamberlain
Emma Chamberlain understood the assignment in custom Mugler hand-painted by artist Anna Deller over the course of 40 hours.
(Mike Coppola / Getty Images)
Ashley Graham
Ashley Graham wears a sheer, hand-sewn gown by Di Petsa.
(Julian Hamilton / Getty Images)