The Met Gala is back, and this time it’s all about Costume Art — exploring the powerful connection between fashion and the human body.
Ever since the thrill of the 2025 Met Gala — “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style,” a show-stopping celebration of Black dandyism and 300 years of Afrodiasporic fashion — the industry hasn’t stopped buzzing. Now, there’s even more to talk about. On 17 November 2025, Andrew Bolton, curator and head of the Anna Wintour Costume Centre at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, joined by Anna Wintour herself, announced the 2026 Met Gala theme. And just like that, the fashion world is in full chatter mode again.
Read also: The best-dressed stars at the 2025 Met Gala: tailored, timeless, and on theme
What to know about the 2026 Met Gala
Next year’s Met Gala theme, “Costume Art”, is the first exhibition to be held in the institute’s permanent galleries. The spring 2026 exhibition at the Costume Institute will debut the new Condé M. Nast Galleries — nearly 12,000 square feet of space right next to The Met’s Great Hall, a placement that speaks volumes about fashion’s rising stature within the museum. Bolton noted that the expansion is a major win for both the department and the fashion world at large, saying, “I also think it’s going to be transformative to fashion more generally —the fact that an art museum like The Met is actually giving a central location to fashion.”
The exhibition will bring together an extraordinary blend of artworks and fashion, pairing pieces spanning 5,000 years with garments from the Costume Institute. Visitors can expect to see paintings, sculptures, and various objects displayed in dialogue with both historic and modern fashion. By presenting these works side by side, the exhibition shines a light on how fashion and art have continually informed and shaped one another across the centuries.
The theme “Costume Art” might sound simple at first, but its meaning can be interpreted in many ways that might leave a lot of people confused. But don’t worry — we’re breaking down what Costume Art truly represents, as explained by Bolton and what you should expect as we all gear up for fashion’s biggest night out.
Decoding Costume Art
In his interview with Vogue, Bolton noted that his idea for “Costume Art” is to insist on the significance of the body, or “The indivisible connection between our bodies and the clothes we wear.” He explained that their previous exhibitions often focused on the aesthetic and visual appeal of the garments, with the mannequins hidden underneath. But for Bolton, who believes that “What connects every curatorial department and what connects every single gallery in the museum is fashion, or the dressed body,” the goal this time is to shift the spotlight onto the bodies that are often overlooked.
In lieu of this, the exhibition is organised around different body types: Bodies commonly depicted in art (classical and nude), overlooked bodies (ageing, pregnant) and anatomical or universal bodies. Bolton’s perspective on the human body for this exhibition seeks to be far more inclusive than what the fashion industry usually promotes. While mainstream fashion often highlights extremely thin models and offers only narrow size ranges, Bolton is embracing a wider, more realistic view of the body. His approach aims to value different shapes, sizes, ages, and physical conditions, shedding light on the industry’s long-held, limited beauty standards.
How this shapes the Met Gala
The Met Gala will be held on the first Monday in May, as tradition dictates, landing on 4 May 2026. One important thing to remember is that the theme and the dress code are two separate affairs, and if celebs don’t get both right? The internet is always there to happily point it out. For instance, last year’s theme was “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style,” while the dress code was “Tailored for You,” which is why we saw so many impeccably fitted suits on the iconic steps.
So, while the 2026 theme has been announced — giving us a general sense of what to expect — the dress code remains under wraps for now, and we can’t wait to find out what it is.
In terms of fashion direction, we can anticipate looks that resemble true art pieces: sculptural silhouettes, architecturally structured gowns, and designs that draw attention to the form of the body itself. It’s shaping up to be a visually striking event.
A closer look at the event
For now, the celebrity chairs for the event have yet to be announced, though Anna Wintour is expected to serve as the primary host for the evening. Among the confirmed sponsors are Jeff Bezos and his wife, Lauren Sanchez Bezos, alongside Saint Laurent and Condé Nast, all lending their support to what promises to be a star-studded night. We can expect to see a lot of Saint Laurent pieces, as well as their ambassadors, gracing the event.
The event will be streamed on Vogue’s official website, and viewers can also follow live updates through Vogue’s official social media channels.
Why the 2026 Met Gala is set to be unmissable
From unveiling the spectacular new Condé Nast Galleries to championing body inclusivity, Costume Art is set to redefine how we experience fashion. With sculptural gowns, art-inspired ensembles, and a theme that places the human form at the forefront, the 2026 Met Gala is set to be a celebration of fashion as a living, breathing art form. It will be a theatrical, boundary-pushing celebration where fashion becomes real and true art.
Read more: 2025 Met Gala trends: kiss curls, culture, and monochrome ruled the night
