The Tamesis
Kendall Jenner Earns Wings at the “Art of Costume” at the 2026 Met Gala.
For the 12th annual Met Gala, the model turned to GAP INC. designer, executive vice president and creative director Zac Posen to create a GapStudio look inspired by Wings of Victory in Samothrace——Also known as Nike of Samothrace— A second-century statue of the Greek goddess of victory that welcomes visitors to the Louvre.
Although Jenner and Posen have never worked together, they have great respect for each other. She cited Christina Ricci’s 2011 Met Gala gown (which Jenner calls a “spider dress”) as her go-to Posen look. “I’ve had this dress on my mood board for so long!” she said. “It’s perfect, she looks beautiful and sexy.”
Pawson has a long-term relationship with Jenner’s sister, Kim Kardashian, and has been eager to work with the model. So when the 2026 Met Gala was approaching, Posen wrote Jenner a letter. “I said it would be a dream to work with her on this subject,” he said. “I think she’s the perfect person.”
“I’ve always admired Zach from a distance,” Jenner said. But lately, she added, “I’ve been thinking about him.” When it came time for the Met, Pawson’s thoughts crossed her mind. “I thought about him but didn’t take any action at the time,” she said. “Amazingly enough, I got an email from him.” Jenner thinks the whole endeavor was meant to be. “I believe the universe will lead you in a certain direction. It just comes together so perfectly.”
Taking the classic white T-shirt (a Gap staple) as a starting point, Posen gave the ancient statue a modern twist. “I took a white Gap T-shirt off my back in the studio and started pulling on it and adjusting it and figuring out how to interpret sculptures that have impacted humanity and modern culture in a contemporary way, in a captivating way,” he said. (Also on the mood board were jersey and drapery masters: Madame Grès, Azzedine Alaïa, Roy Halston Frowick, Madeleine Vionnet, Geoffrey Beene and Claire McCardell.)
Jenner was “super, super, super involved” in the process, and her passion for capturing that windswept tunic in ultra-thin fabrics led Posen to develop a lightweight cotton-viscose blend that created a wet, pleated look. “It’s so cool to see him work. I can see his wheels turning, which is a real treat for me,” Jenner said. “I love being involved in every step of the process.” The designer added some dimension by layering tea-dyed liquid jersey with satin chiffon and organza to mimic the statue’s liquid curtains.
