No red carpet invites quite the same level of scrutiny as the Met Gala — and equally, no dress code is dissected quite so literally. Now that the final guests have ascended the steps of the Metropolitan Museum of Art for the 2026 iteration of the event, it's time for us to sit back, take a breath, and really digest what we've seen today.
Unlike other red carpets on the calendar, the Met Gala ultimately comes down to interpretation. Each year, some guests take the dress code literally, treating it like a strict rulebook, while others see it more as a suggestion. The result is always a mixed offering, keeping those of us looking on from home firmly on our toes.
So, how did the 2026 guest list fare? Well, it's worth revisiting what they were working with to understand who really stood the assignment. For those in need of a little refresher, the 2026 Met Gala theme is 'Costume Art', and the accompanying dress code is 'Fashion is Art'. Of course, when a brief is this open to interpretation, not every look will land with the same impact. But among the masses, there are always a select few who manage to distil the theme into something precise. Below, the guests the RUSSH team feel really nailed this year's Met Gala theme.
Emma Chamberlain
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Chamberlain might have been the first person to arrive on the carpet, but her look was not easily forgotten. The red carpet correspondent turned her body into a canvas, in a hand painted Mugler gown by Miguel Castro Freitas. According to Vogue, Chamberlain and her longtime stylist, Jared Elner, sent references for the dress including artworks by Van Gogh and Munch, and an archival butterfly dress from Mugler's 1997 collection.
Chase Infiniti
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It might be her first Met Gala, but her outfit is one of a seasoned professional. Infiniti opted for a Thom Browne gown for her debut, in a look that comprised something of an anatomical painting, featuring primary colours and cascading, floor-length fringe.
Paloma Elsesser
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Elsesser's dress was designed by Francesco Risso. But what you might not know is it's actually upcycled, with Risso and his team sourcing hundreds of dresses from the 20s to the 40s to create a kind of couture collage. A work of art, if we do say so ourselves.
Jordan Roth
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Jordan Roth chose to pay tribute to sculpture, with this incredible Robert Wun creation. It features a simple grey gown in velvet, with a sculpture — a faceless person — coiled around the back. Speaking to Vogue, the artist explained the inspiration behind the figure: “A solo figure is often posing for the viewer, but multiple figures are usually in some kind of heated moment—romance, love, lust, fear, violence. Something passionate is going on among these bodies.”
Lisa
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Another Robert Wun moment, this time featuring a second set of the singer's arms, which were 3D printed — and yes, have their own set of Bulgari jewellery. The positioning of the arms is inspired by traditional Thai dance moves, in a nod to Lisa's heritage.
Alysia Liu
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Another Met Gala debutante, Liu is a (very) newly minted Louis Vuitton ambassador, so no surprises she was repping the House for her first foray. Her stylist, Katie Qian, told Vogue that the look was inspired by both Liu's athleticism, and also her artistry — two key components of figure skating. "We wanted Louis Vuitton to help us elegantly reference vascularity, cell structure, and muscle tissue, which are reflected in the red hue as well as the detailed ruffles,” Qian explained.
Kendall Jenner
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Jenner's look — a custom Gap gown by Zac Posen — was inspired by the Winged Victory of Samothrace, a Greek statue that belongs to the Louvre's collection. The referencing is somewhat subtle, with the fabric strategically gathered and pulled to evoke the draped skirting on the statue. It's also crafted from a light, semi translucent material, evoking the lightness of the wings in flight.
Rachel Zegler
rachel zegler at the met gala inspired by ‘the execution of lady jane grey’ by paul delaroche pic.twitter.com/siNfvQaqK3
— ✭ (@badestoutfit) May 5, 2026
One of the more literal interpretations of the evening, Zegler's Prabal Gurung gown drew on the painting, ‘The Execution of Lady Jane Grey’, by Paul Delaroche.
Janelle Monae
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Artists have long been fascinated about the melding of technology and nature — a fascination that manifested in Monae's custom Christian Siriano gown. The floor-length creation featured actual electrical cables and circuit board fragments, interwoven amongst (also real) moss and other greenery.
