The Stitch: The Best of the 2026 MET Gala

By Antonio Machado Multimedia Editor On the first Monday of every May, the biggest fashion brands in the world gather together to host a fundraising gala held for the Metropolitan Museum of Art's [MET] Costume Institute in New York City. Each year has a specific dress code tied to the museum's spring exhibition. Designers spend millions of dollars in labor, fabric, and time to design garments that align with the vision for the year. This year’s theme, “Fashion Is Art,” remained vague and left so much room for disappointment and excellence - and like every other MET gala, it’s usually the former. This year, however, we had some rather exceptional standouts. Hunter Schafer Wearing custom Prada, Schafer’s gown referenced one of the greatest works by Gustav Klimt, “Mäda Primavesi,” a painting which is featured in the museum’s permanent collection featuring a young girl wearing a white linen dress set against a colorful, floral background. Schafer wore a similar white dress with a line of roses just underneath the bust, but with tears and rips throughout that evoke the florals of the backdrop. She easily earned her spot as one of the most talked about attendees, and it’s not just because she’s the people’s princess. Cardi B Serving “The Substance,” Cardi B came dressed in a custom Marc Jacobs gown. The garment was a direct reference to Hans Bellmer’s “The Doll,” a surrealist sculpture that explored the idea of a human body being dismembered and reassembled in strange ways. The sheer black gown snaked across her body, undercut by splashes of lavender, pink, and orange throughout her body to evoke the bruising on “The Doll.” An incredibly creative interpretation of the artwork - and easily the best person to wear it. Sabrina Carpenter As she’s risen to fame, Sabrina has demonstrated she knows exactly how to do a reference. Her custom Dior tulle getup serves as a reference to one of the greatest icons in fashion history, Audrey Hepburn. The bodice, composed of actual celluloid film strips from Hepburn’s film “Sabrina” (1954), was accompanied by a beautifully rhinestoned tulle skirt. Adorned by a gemstone headpiece which called back to the movie, Sabrina stood out on the carpet with her creative interpretation of the theme. Designed by Jonathan Anderson, the gown is a masterclass in using unconventional materials - and making them look good. Kylie Jenner Kylie keeps reminding everyone that the Kardashian’s may not have talent, but this Jenner does. Very few people could pull off the nuance of this Daniel Roseberry Schiaparelli gown, which slides off her body and turns Jenner into a living, walking sculpture. The 11,000 hours that took to make this dress made the nude bustier decorated with a nipple-barring and belly button feel all the more impressive. It is such a simple yet compelling garment. The tension between a dress coming undone with the rigidity of the corset created one of the best looks in Jenner’s career. And extra props for the bleached brows. Emma Chamberlain Influencer turned model turned journalist turned model again, Emma Chamberlain has never disappointed on the carpet, often outshining a lot of the A-List names who walk the carpet, and this year was no exception. In fact, it might be the best instance. As the only one wearing Mugler on the carpet, Chamberlain stood out in her Miguel Castro Freitas gown. The gown was hand-painted by Anna Deller-Yee in impressionist brushtrokes of vibrant yellows that descended into deep blues and settled into her custom-dyed navy satin heels - reminiscing of a certain “Starry Night.” Turning the body into a canvas was easily the best way to adapt the theme, and Chamberlain rightfully earned the title of best dressed.