At the 2026 Met Gala, fashion didn't merely reference art—it transformed into art itself.

At the 2026 Met Gala, fashion didn't merely reference art—it transformed into art itself.

      Jalil Johnson serves as an editor in residence at Who What Wear and is a writer, fashion expert, and media personality based in New York. He began his career as a stylist and spent three years at Saks Fifth Avenue, honing his skills in trend reporting, emerging talent, and brand storytelling. He now shares his knowledge through his newsletter, Consider Yourself Cultured, and has been featured in publications such as The New York Times, Harper's Bazaar, The Wall Street Journal, Financial Times, and Vogue, which recognized him as one of the "New Faces of Street Style."

      The debate over whether fashion qualifies as art has persisted for a long time. At an Instagram Met Gala watch party at the Mark Hotel, I was reminded of Karl Lagerfeld's quote from the documentary The First Monday in May: "What we do is applied art. Chanel never claimed to be an artist; she was a dressmaker. Madam Vionnet and Madam Lanvin were also dressmakers. They aimed to dress a particular societal segment and were delighted when those women chose to buy their dresses."

      This year, the Costume Institute of the Met is presenting its spring exhibition, Costume Art, which seeks to advance this discussion by reexamining whether fashion can be regarded as an art form or, as Lagerfeld described, an "applied art."

      During the press preview, Andrew Bolton, the Wendy Yu curator of the Costume Institute, remarked, "It urges us to view the dressed body not just as an object of representation but as a subject of experience, a medium through which the concept of art can be transformed." Costume Art, the first exhibition in the Condé M. Nast Galleries, invites attendees to transcend the notion of fashion merely as a canvas for art, advocating for a view where fashion and art collaborate.

      It reinforces what Met Gala honorary chair Lauren Sánchez Bezos stated during the preview: "The Met has long understood what the world is only beginning to realize—fashion is art." It encourages viewers to regard fashion as the medium we interact with on a daily basis to express the ultimate artistic endeavor, whether applied or performative: living. Bolton further stated, "Fashion isn’t solely visual. It’s something we wear. It influences our posture, gestures, presence, and perception. Wearing clothes means we don’t just showcase who we are; we embody who we are, distinguishing fashion from other art forms by blurring the line between subject and object."

      The exhibition features nearly 400 pieces from the Met's collection, placing fashion in conversation with artworks that span centuries, creating links that are both literal and conceptual. These pieces are categorized thematically, all connected to the body. One such category, Classical Body, explores Hellenic and Roman interpretations of form, showcasing a structured, armor-like gold minidress from Givenchy designed by Alexander McQueen next to more fluid, draped garments reminiscent of classical sculpture—like a Di Petsa dress that seems to capture the essence of an elegant, drenched look.

      Pregnant Body looks at maternal fashion over the eras, including a Charles James taffeta dinner suit designed for Lane Bryant Inc.'s maternity line in 1954, challenging and reclaiming classical ideals. Epidermal Body and Inscribed Body delve into fashion that emulates or reflects skin, reinforcing the concept of clothing as a second skin, with pieces like a Daniel Roseberry Schiaparelli dress that resembles peeling skin and Adriana Varejão’s "Parede com Incisões à la Fontana—Horizontal," alongside Jean Paul Gaultier's mesh tattooed designs, two of which are featured in the exhibition.

      Although the exhibition undoubtedly shapes the tone of the gala, the official dress code, Fashion Is Art, allowed attendees to interpret the theme as they saw fit. Some interpretations were quite literal—Hunter Schafer wore Prada inspired by Gustav Klimt's "Mäda Primavesi," while Colman Domingo donned Valentino by Alessandro Michele, reminiscent of Pablo Picasso's "Acrobat and Young Harlequin." Amy Sherald, dressed in Thom Browne, appeared to emerge straight from one of her paintings, "Miss Everything (Unsuppressed Deliverance)."

      Others opted for a more abstract interpretation. For example, Nicole Kidman's red Chanel dress took on a more interpretive approach, channeling the profound emotional and historical significance of the color itself. Sabrina Carpenter showed up in Dior, honoring the film Sabrina with her bodice formed from actual film reels and film stills as the centerpiece of her flapper-style headpiece.

      In terms of notable designers, Saint Laurent, one of the evening’s sponsors, looked inward by revisiting its artistic history, recreating the iconic golden cast for Hailey Bieber, originally made in collaboration with Claude Lalanne for the A/W 69/70 haute couture collection.

      Singer Rosé wore a simplified black dress adorned with bird motifs inspired by Henri Matisse's "The Birds," subtly referencing the

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At the 2026 Met Gala, fashion didn't merely reference art—it transformed into art itself.

From the Costume Institute exhibition at the Met to the Met Gala red carpet, the distinction between fashion and art became increasingly indistinct.