Wildest looks from the Met Gala 2026 red carpet

The Met Gala’s 2026 theme, “Fashion is Art,” might be the event’s most ambiguous dress code yet. Monday’s annual star-studded fundraiser for the museum’s Costume Institute was inspired by “Costume Art”, the Met’s blockbuster Spring exhibition, which explores depictions of the dressed body through a series of thematic body types: “the naked body,” “classic body,” “pregnant body” and “ageing body.” Guests were instructed to “celebrate the countless depictions of the dressed body throughout art history” on the red carpet, and stylists had predicted plenty of naked dresses and subversive, sculptural silhouettes. But which celebrities played it safe, and who left us speechless? Nicole Kidman was one of the first stars to arrive on the blue carpet Monday night in her role as co-chair for this year’s event, wearing a breathtaking sequinned and feathered Chanel gown — gorgeous, but not exactly nailing the dress code (yes, we are the theme police tonight). Watch more on Independent TV: https://tinyurl.com/yc7ukx9n The Independent is the world’s most free-thinking newsbrand, providing global news, commentary and analysis for the independently-minded. Subscribe: https://bit.ly/Subscribe-to-Independent Find us on social: TikTok /   / independent   Instagram /   / the.independent   X (Twitter) /   / independent   Facebook /   / theindependentonline   Download the iOS & Android app: https://tinyurl.com/2s3ts5dh Sign up to our newsletters: https://tinyurl.com/2bmw565x Help to support truly independent journalism. Every dollar you contribute will directly fund additional special reports and investigations from a free-thinking, award-winning newsroom you can trust: https://www.independent.co.uk/donations