The Costume Institute at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, best known for hosting fashion’s most iconic night, has announced the theme for its annual fundraising event, the Costume Institute Benefit, widely known as the Met Gala. On November 17, Met Gala confirmed the theme on their social media accounts setting the fashion world buzzing with anticipation. Known as fashion’s biggest night, the glamorous event brings together the crème de la crème of the fashion and entertainment industries, all gracing the legendary red carpet in their most striking, imaginative looks. The event is organised and promoted by Vogue.
2026 will mark 78 years of the star-studded affair and it’s first one without the guiding hand of Anna Wintour, who served as editor-in-chief of Vogue from 1988 to 2025. Curator of the Costume Institute Andrew Bolton announcing the theme for the 2026 Met Gala revealed it to be ‘Costume art’ for the spring exhibition as well as the event. He said, “I wanted to focus on the centrality of the dressed body within the museum, connecting artistic representations of the body with fashion as an embodied art form.”
With the museum exhibition taking place in Spring 2026 and the Gala taking place on May 4, today we will be breaking down the theme for the upcoming event and what fashion aficionados can expect from the celebrities on the grand day.
What does ‘Costume Art’ mean?
Keeping in mind Andrew Bolton’s statement about the theme, ‘Costume Art’ will “draw on the Costume Institute’s vast archive, contrasted with select works of Western art that depict the human form,” according to Harper’s Bazaar. To understand the relationship between the human body and fashion via the medium of art and emphasize on how the connection between fashion and our bodies is indivisible are the main goals for the upcoming Gala.
The Costume Institute posted the following statement on social media site Instagram, further explaining their approach to the theme: “Focusing primarily on Western art from prehistory to the present, the show will explore artistic representations of the dressed body, pairing fashions and artworks from the museum’s vast collection to highlight the inherent relationship between clothing and the body.”
See the post here:
Elaborating on the exhibition they continued, ““Costume Art” is the inaugural exhibition in a new, nearly 12,000-square-foot suite of galleries adjacent to the Great Hall, which will display the department’s annual spring show and mark a new chapter for the Museum.” Paintings, sculptures and other works of art spanning 5,000 years alongside historical and contemporary garments from the Institute are expected to be seen there in 2026 according to Vogue Scandinavia.
What can fashion aficionados expect celebrities to wear?
Though the dress code and theme are different, celebrity attendees often draw on the theme of the exhibition to dress up in extravagant and elaborate costumes. The dress code is usually announced on the first Monday of May, although most stars already have their ensembles ready weeks or months in advance. With the theme focused on the human body’s relation to fashion in art, fashion enthusiasts can expect to see some interesting looks come May.
References to classic pieces of art such as Da Vinci’s ‘Mona Lisa’ or Botticelli’s ‘The Birth of Venus’ or sculptures like Michelangelo’s ‘David’ and the Winged Victory of Samothrace are bound to be popular. Victorian silhouettes, Greco-Roman attire or modern twists on antique fashion styles are also some potential routes that stars can take. The ultimate focus will be on the body, however so it will be exciting to see what celebrities and stylists are able to come up with in tandem. Until then, one can only speculate.
