The Met Gala 2026 is getting crafty with its theme.
The annual fundraising gala, hosted by Anna Wintour, has announced that the dress code for this year’s “Costume Art” party will be “Fashion Is Art.” The theme, previously confirmed as “Costume Art,” now finds its visual language, inviting guests to quite literally treat fashion as a gallery moment.
According to Andrew Bolton, the curator in charge of the Costume Institute, which benefits from the annual gala, fashion is the thread that ties the museum together.
“What connects every curatorial department and what connects every single gallery in the museum is fashion, or the dressed body,” he said in a statement. “It’s the common thread throughout the whole museum, which is really what the initial idea for the exhibition was.”
This year’s dress code encourages attendees to consider how a designer uses the body as a “blank canvas.” In other words, expect silhouettes that feel sculpted, garments that read like installations, and craftsmanship that leans into the idea of couture as fine art. If previous years have taught us anything, it is that interpretation is everything and the steps of the museum often resemble a living exhibition.
“Fashion Is Art” arrives just two months after the co-chairs were announced. After a decade away, Beyoncé will return to the Costume Institute benefit, acting as co-chair alongside Nicole Kidman and Venus Williams. The trio signals a blend of music, film and sport at the helm of fashion’s biggest night.
Meanwhile, the host committee reads like a mood board of modern style: Zoë Kravitz, Sabrina Carpenter, Doja Cat, Teyana Taylor, Misty Copeland and Lena Dunham among others.
Although Anna will remain at the helm of the annual fundraiser, her Vogue successor Chloe Malle will also step onto the Met steps in an official hosting capacity as a member of the 2026 host committee.
Despite the strict parameters attached to the first Monday in May, Anna has previously emphasised that she rarely knows what guests are wearing until they appear on the steps of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. And perhaps that is the real artistry of it all: the reveal.
If “Costume Art” sets the conceptual tone, “Fashion Is Art” ensures the red carpet becomes the canvas. And if history is anything to go by, the 2026 Met Gala will not simply be worn. It will be curated.
