Art meets fashion at met gala 2026: celebrities channel iconic paintings

This year's Met Gala 2026 was a masterclass in art imitating sartorial life, as A-listers donned looks straight out of the museum. Under the theme 'Fashion is Art', the event celebrated the Costume Institute's exhibition 'Costume Art', featuring over 400 works from the Met's extensive collections.

Stars channel iconic paintings and sculptures

From Vincent van Gogh's swirling 'The Starry Night' to Pablo Picasso's abstract 'Harlequin and His Companion', celebrities took artistic inspiration to new heights. Emma Chamberlain, Colman Domingo, and Naomi Watts were among the stylish attendees who channeled iconic paintings by masters like the Dutch Old Masters and Gustav Klimt.

At the gala, curator Andrew Bolton argued that depictions of the dressed body unite works of visual art across millennia and continents. This theme was aptly reflected on the red carpet, where bodies of all kinds were on display, from the 'Classical Body' to the 'Aging Body'. While some opted for literal interpretations, others achieved an uncanny resemblance to the artworks that inspired them.