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Met Gala 2026, theme 'Costume Art' and 'Fashion Is Art' dress code

artMay 4, 202620546

The Met Gala opened Monday, May 4, 2026, at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York under the Costume Art exhibition theme, co-hosted by Beyoncé, Nicole Kidman and Venus Williams. The accompanying Costume Art exhibition pairs more than 400 historical and contemporary garments with artworks spanning 5,000 years to examine the dressed body as an artistic medium. Organizers set a "Fashion Is Art" dress code, and celebrities walked the red carpet in custom looks intended to treat the body as a canvas. By placing curated costume alongside fine art, the gala and exhibition reframe clothing as museum-worthy art and set a precedent for how designers and institutions present dress historically and creatively.

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