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Met Gala Costume Art raises $42M, critics parse Madonna’s look

cultureMay 9, 20261878

The Met Gala raised $42 million this year for the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute to fund exhibitions, pay curators, and preserve paintings, sculptures, and one of the world's largest fashion archives. Fashion writer Rita Melssen published a detailed breakdown of Madonna's custom 2026 ensemble, with attention to its layered symbolism and the evening's high-value jewelry. The museum also opened a new 'Costume Art' exhibit that frames Gala looks as museum objects and highlights fashion's role in art history. The fundraising and exhibition pairing show how celebrity fashion directly finances conservation and programming at a major museum.

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