Is that really art? At the Met Gala 2026, some outfits clearly missed the motto “Fashion Is Art” – from Doja Cat to the Kardashians.
The fashion event of the year was coming up again: the Met Gala. Like every year, the biggest stars of the film and music industry appear on the red carpet of the Metropolitan Museum of Art for the event. The motto for 2026: “Fashion Is Art”.
The gala dress code is always tied to a Metropolitan Museum exhibition. The opening, which can be seen in spring 2026, deals with the central importance of the clothed body.
Like every year, fashion fans speculated about what the celebrities would wear to the event – and like every year, people discussed on social media afterwards which looks hit the mark and which missed it completely.
Latex, lace and questionable art claims
Rapper Doja Cat surprised everyone with a dress made of latex that looked more like packing tape that was draped around her body and got caught. The entire outfit was also pretty beige and boring. To what extent this was meant to be artistic or fashionable remains questionable.
Cardi B also appeared in a questionable costume. The rapper wore a sheer lace dress with padded shoulders and skirt hem – a rather strange appearance, but one that actually had artistic intentions. The dress comes from a collection of surrealist dolls by the artist Hans Bellmer.
Statement looks with deductions
Katy Perry didn’t really manage to keep to the motto either. She dressed up as a kind of AI robot, but her mask was more reminiscent of a fencing mask or something straight out of a horror movie.
According to her, the overall concept was actually intended to be a statement against artificial intelligence. She wore a glove with six fingers on one hand to make fun of poorly AI-generated photos and images with AI.
The outfit is a clear flop, the motto is only half adhered to – after all, Perry wanted to draw attention to the problem of AI in the art industry.
K-pop star Lisa also had a few too many limbs. The idea of bringing two extra arms to hold her veil wasn’t bad in itself. The arms, however, looked more like they were borrowed from the nearest mannequin.
Creepy: Heidi Klum as a marble statue
Heidi Klum was also frightening to look at – but in the right way. On Halloween we are already used to the model mom being completely dressed up and barely recognizable on the red carpet. At this year’s Met Gala, she was also fully costumed: Using prosthetic masks and latex, she transformed herself into a living marble statue. Scary to look at, but a harmonious implementation of the gala motto.
Show your colors – with mixed success
Colman Domingo appeared in a colorful look. The top, which is sewn together from colorful squares, was more reminiscent of something found in a carnival box. At least, as in previous years, he dared to show up with a more extravagant look – because most male stars only appeared at this year’s gala in rather generic leather suits or leather coats.
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Kardashians, corsets and little effort
The Kardashian-Jenners also scored less this year. Kim, Kylie and Kendall all wore body-hugging corset looks – none of them particularly extravagantly artistic. The family’s matriarch, Kris Jenner, didn’t really impress either. With her kimono, she looked as if she had just gotten up and was now getting ready for the gala.
Main sponsor Lauren Sanchez Bezos also made little effort, appearing in a simple blue dress. It almost seemed as if she wanted to stay under the radar – even though she and her husband Jeff Bezos hosted the evening, which had already caused criticism in advance.
The highlights of the evening
But there were also many successful looks at the Met Gala. Madonna, for example, appeared in reference to the work “The Temptations of Saint Anthony Fragment II” by the surrealist painter Leonora Carrington. Beyoncé’s look was also widely celebrated: the singer celebrated her Met comeback after a ten-year break in a skeleton dress.
