Every year on the first Monday in May, celebrities dress up in extravagant gowns and sharp tuxes and get ready to attend one of the most exclusive events of the year: The Met Gala. One by one they walk the themed carpet at the entrance of The Met while paparazzi and interviewers flock to capture the moment.
While one of the most exciting aspects of the Met Gala is the theme of the year, it also invites the most criticism as viewers debate which attendees were on theme and which were not.
This year, the theme for the Met Gala was “Costume Fashion” with the dress code being “Fashion Is Art.” As expected, this theme invited many bold, avant-garde looks with celebrities walking the carpet with outfits made out of film strips, long, dramatic capes, unusual masks and more. However, like every other year, it also invited a lot of critique from viewers giving their two cents on all the looks.
“I usually watch the Met Gala every year, I’m pretty picky. I get kind of bored when people don’t do enough, but I thought overall it was pretty good this year,” Elena Shadwell (10) said.
The Met Gala is known for its over-the-top, haute couture looks, so when attendees don’t dress to the expectations, it’s disappointing, especially for recurring viewers. Nonetheless, there are always a few showstopping designs that are remembered for years to come. Along with the striking looks of regular attendees, it’s always exciting to see new stars make their Met Gala debut; however, some don’t receive the reception first-timers might have hoped for.
“[Hudson William’s] outfit was very very interesting, he was supposed to be the black swan, the white swan turning to the black swan, which I thought didn’t really make sense due to his outfit being blue,” Zane Shearer (10) said.
Hudson Williams, one of the stars from the viral show “Heated Rivalry,” made his Met Gala debut this year. While the idea behind the actor’s look seemed to be on theme, the execution wasn’t. His makeup seems to be the main topic of the look’s criticism with magazines such as Glamour, The Cut and more speaking on the “messy” makeup. Even though the look wasn’t applauded by everyone, it still has some fans.
“It wasn’t just a, well, naked display of exhibitionism, either: It aligns with the exhibition inside, “Costume Art,” which is centered on the body,” Vogue reported.
While there’s always some questionable outfits, there are also looks that seem to be the overall ‘winners’ of the Met Gala. One of these looks was worn by Emma Chamberlain who was wearing a custom Mugler who also was the designer behind Chappell Roan’s controversial dress from the 2026 Grammys.
“I really liked Emma Chamberlain’s look, because I feel like she followed the theme very well, cause she looked like a paint pallet. And she went full out, like it was very interesting to look at,” Shadwell (10) said.
Fan favorite Met Gala looks are often bold and creative while still being stylish. Sabrina Carpenter has been following this pattern for many of the events she has attended and this year’s Met Gala was no different. The singer brought the film industry to art theme wearing Dior, who also designed her beautiful 2026 Grammys gown.
“She had a movie film as her whole outfit and a corseted top right in front of it and it was absolutely iconic,” Shearer (10) said.
Many attendees chose to embody famous paintings in their outfits, like Rachel Zegler whose outfit, by Prabal Gurung, took inspiration from “The Execution of Lady Jane Grey.” Another stunning favorite was Gracie Abrams who wore a dress based on the painting “Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer” by Klimt.
“Many of the winning ensembles this year were intentional designs, exploring similar motifs that can be found within the new Costume Institute exhibition inside the Met,” Vogue reported.
Another direction some guests took was honoring their culture or heritage. One star who took this route was SZA, whose outfit also seemed to be a fan favorite amongst viewers.
“She had something that reflected her culture as an African American woman which I thought was absolutely amazing. With the embellished shells as the necklaces, the face piece that showed the gold streams around her eyes was absolutely outstanding and poetic,” Shearer (10) said.
The singer wore a custom Bode bright, extravagant gown that seemed to capture the attention of everyone on the carpet and at home. Along with reflecting her culture, the dress was also inspired by SZA’s love for moths as it included hand-painted wings that appeared when her arms extended. The dress was constructed out of fully recycled materials as well.
“I think a lot of people went with the art theme and there were a lot of art history references within it. So, I think overall it was executed well,” Shadwell (10) said.
Overall, this year’s Met Gala seemed to be a success with many stars paying tribute to classic paintings, various forms of art and different cultures.
