56 Runway Looks That Fit the 2026 Met Gala Dress Code, “Fashion Is Art”

The official dress code for the 2026 Met Gala: “Fashion is art.”

The exhibition’s theme is “The Art of Costume,” which, curator Andrew Bolton explains, is devoted to “the centrality of the clothed body within the museum’s vast collection.” While Costume Institute shows focus on physical form, the dress code leaves room for wide interpretation by guests. Luckily, there’s plenty of inspiration to draw from. Designers have long been translating art (in its many obscure forms) into wearable pieces.

We imagine many attendees will draw inspiration from artistic movements. As the likes of Vivienne Westwood, John Galliano and Christian Lacroix know, you can’t go wrong turning a page in history. Rococo, Baroque and Renaissance are certainly popular starting points. But there are more modern interpretations: Yves Saint Laurent copied Piet Mondrian in 1965 (and again at his final haute couture show in 2002), while Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez paid homage to Ellsworth Kelly in their Loewe debut last year. Of course, we can’t forget Moschino, Prada and Versace’s love for Pop Art.

Famous painting themes are also on our bingo cards. Portrait of Ms. and burning june Would make a good choice, although we’d also be happy to see someone delving into Cubism. portrait of dora maaranyone?

We can also expect plenty of nods to the “Art of Costume” theme – both literally and intellectually. Perhaps the pinnacle of costume art is Yves Saint Laurent’s 1979 ode to Pablo Picasso’s costumes for Sergei Diaghilev’s ballet, procession. Improvisations on the human form are also possible, whether trompe l’oeil figures, nude attire, breastplates, or exaggerated padding.

There are also plenty of fashionable art moments to draw from. What better place to showcase a shocking piece of performance art than on the steps of the Metropolitan Museum of Art? We wouldn’t be surprised to see a real-life transformation on the first Monday in May. Think Shalom Harlow at the closing of Alexander McQueen’s spring 1999 collection, her strapless white dress painted with neon yellow and black paint in real time, or Bella Hadid’s airbrushed look at Coperni’s spring 2023 show.

Below, we’ve rounded up the past 56 runway looks that fit the “fashion is art” 2026 Met Gala dress code.