Costume Art – The Super Bowl of Fashion

Today is the day of the Met Gala. Now is the final time to make your predictions on who will wear what, what kinds of trends, styles, and looks will be dominating the scene, and ultimately who will be the best dressed. 

Met Gala Looks via https://pin.it/6KnzSxonJ

What Is Happening?

The Met Gala, also known as The Met Ball or the Costume Institute Benefit, is an annual charity event for the Costume Institute at the Metropolitan Museum in New York City. The first Met Gala was in December of 1948, making this year’s event the 78^th anniversary.

Following Anna Wintour’s signature ruling, “The First Monday in May”, the event will take place on Monday, May 4, 2026. The red carpet is set to start at 5:30 p.m. E.T. (11:00 p.m. in the UK) and usually lasts for a few hours.

To watch it live, Vogue is exclusively broadcasting it through their website as well as on their YouTube and TikTok accounts.

"Fashion is Art"

This year’s fashion Olympics (or the Super Bowl of fashion) will be co-chaired by Beyoncé (who hasn't attended in 10 years), Nicole Kidman, Venus Williams, and Anna Wintour. As usual, it will be curated by Andrew Bolton, and the committee for this year includes Sabrina Carpenter, Doja Cat, LISA, Gwendoline Christie, and many other notable figures.

In case you have yet to hear, the theme for this year’s Met Gala is “Costume Art” with the dress code being “Fashion is Art”.

Unlike some other themes (Karl Lagerfeld in 2023, 2021 AND 2022 themes being related to the history and culture of America, 2013 Punk theme), this decision seems to give artists and designers full rein on their perceptions. Although there has yet to be a theme

I was immediately bored by, this theme invites all cultures, all experiences and mostly it encourages a wide variety of interpretations.

The idea of cultivating hundreds of minds to demonstrate their take on “Fashion is Art” is going to be nothing less than a magical display of artistic creation and design.

I fully expect this Met Gala to be a historical event, something generations will look back on and become inspired by the art that fashion truly is. Especially in an era where people are leaving behind the quiet luxury trend, I expect an all-out opulent display of debonairness and allure.

This theme forces creators to dig into their originality as artists and make something that is innovative yet worthy of being called art.

It is hard to predict who will wear what, but based on how Bolton is organising the museum, it is going through different body types such as the “Naked Body,” “Classical Body,” “Pregnant Body,” “Aging Body,” “Anatomical Body,” and “Mortal Body.”

From this, we can predict that there will be a lot of naked dresses. Although the naked dress is defined by its form-fitting nature, I do believe that purposely overstructured dresses with strong and shaped silhouettes will also be very common.

Tyla at the 2024 Met Gala

Who I am Looking For

Surprisingly, Chappell Roan is someone who I am hoping attends. Although she is a new artist and still has yet to reach her full potential, she often creates looks that flourishes on the creativity of art. Her outfits are bright, detailed and full of meaning, which would pair well with this year’s theme. Although her attendance is not confirmed, surely, she can’t give up this opportunity to dazzle social media.

Law Roach, who is confirmed to be styling Zendaya, is equally as exciting. He never seems to miss the mark. This theme will especially allow Roach to use Zendaya as his muse to beautifully show fashion as an art form.

Colman Domingo is another celebrity I always look for. In my opinion, he always makes his way to the best-dressed list in my book. Domingo shines us with his artistry when it comes to Met Gala looks. He is co-chairing the event for the second time, following last year, when he co-chaired the 2025 Superfine: Tailoring Black Style.

Other celebrities I’m looking out for are Bad Bunny, Lana Del Rey, Anok Yai, Madonna, and of course, Rihanna.

Overall, I hope to see tons of references to artworks. Personally, I think a fashion take on artworks such as John Everett Millais’s Detail of Ophelia, or Madame X by John Singer Sargent, would be fascinating to see.  

There is an opportunity here to be inspired by historic art. Not only is there an immense display of artistic inspiration, but designers also have the chance to show how these artworks are still relevant and can be related to modern times.  

Take Madam X, the dress, and the pose were considered highly promiscuous and overly sexual. The woman in the painting was named Virginie Amélie Avegno Gautreau, and she was a Parisian socialite in the late 1800’s.  

The painting was considered a scandal as sexuality during that time was seen as taboo and a private subject. The relevant correlation between the history of Madame X and now is the constant war between morals, values and self-expression that we so often see in today’s media.  

Rihanna at the 2018 Met Gala

The Power of Fashion

As we all wait patiently to be graced by the fashion Gods, I think it is important to mention how fashion makes meaning and how it is perceived as an art form.

For decades, fashion has served as an outlet for many characteristics of life, such as socioeconomic status, personality traits, beliefs, and, at times, it can be used as a political defiance.

The skill needed to create something of this calibre is extensive and more impressive; it is a skill owned by very few people. Fashion is tailored in personal creativity, and through this, we can experience the transition, perception, and feelings of the individual(s) who created it. Essentially, it is a way to communicate something or reveal a feeling without words. And that to me, is art.