Fashion’s biggest night delivered some of its most memorable looks in years, with the “Fashion Is Art” theme inspiring guests to go all the way.

The 2026 Met Gala took over the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City on Monday, May 4th, and this year’s theme did not disappoint. Under the dress code “Fashion Is Art,” guests were asked to celebrate the countless depictions of the dressed body throughout art history, tying directly into the Costume Institute’s new exhibition “Costume Art.” The co-chairs for the evening were Beyoncé, Nicole Kidman, Venus Williams, and Anna Wintour, with Lauren Sánchez Bezos serving as honorary co-chair. What followed was one of the most visually stunning red carpets in recent memory, with guests arriving in custom couture, living sculptures, and looks that genuinely belonged in a museum. Here are the standouts.

The Women

Beyoncé

As one of the evening’s co-chairs, Beyoncé arrived in a bejeweled Olivier Rousteing skeleton dress that immediately became the image of the night. The piece was equal parts couture and concept, a wearable work of art that honored the human form in the most literal and dramatic way possible. She walked the carpet alongside daughter Blue Ivy, who made her official Met Gala debut, giving the evening one of its most talked-about moments before the doors even opened.

Nicole Kidman

Co-chair Nicole Kidman arrived in a sequined Chanel gown with a feathered drop waist, designed under the house’s new creative director Matthieu Blazy. She walked the carpet with daughter Sunday Rose, making it a family affair. The look was classic Kidman, effortlessly glamorous without trying too hard, and the Chanel imprimatur gave it a weight and history entirely appropriate for the theme of the evening.

Sabrina Carpenter

Sabrina Carpenter traded her usual Pretty Girl Avenue aesthetic for something more cinematic at this year’s gala, arriving in a film-strip inspired slinky gown from Dior styled by Jared Ellner. The dress carried subtle nods to Audrey Hepburn’s 1954 film Sabrina, with rhinestone studs decorating each individual film strip panel. It was clever, personal, and thoroughly fashion-forward without losing any of her charm.

Rihanna

Rihanna arrived in shimmering Maison Margiela couture that was every bit as show-stopping as her past Met appearances, which is saying something. Where others played it safe within the theme, Rihanna delivered something genuinely unpredictable, arriving fully committed to a look that felt both futuristic and deeply referential of fashion history at the same time. Never anyone’s supporting character, even at an event full of them.

Anne Hathaway

Anne Hathaway arrived alongside designer Michael Kors in an elaborate black and white gown inspired by ancient Greek pottery. Kors explained on the red carpet that the dress was hand painted by prominent artist and longtime friend Peter McGough, making the piece a genuine collaboration between fashion and fine art. It was exactly the kind of thoughtful, intellectually grounded look this theme was made for, and Hathaway wore it with the kind of ease that makes difficult things look simple.

Naomi Osaka

Naomi Osaka turned up in a Robert Wun dress that earned her a place on every best dressed list of the evening. Wun is known for technically complex, architecturally ambitious work, and Osaka wore it with a confidence and physical presence that elevated the look further. It was one of the most striking pairings of athlete and avant-garde fashion the gala has seen in years.

Doja Cat

Doja Cat went the opposite direction from her typically theatrical appearances, arriving in a sleek nude latex gown by Saint Laurent with a hooded draping detail that was minimal by her standards but still unmistakably her. Sometimes the restraint is the statement, and on a carpet full of spectacle, Doja Cat’s decision to strip things back ended up being one of the most visually arresting choices of the night.

The Men

Jon Batiste

Jon Batiste arrived in an all-white look that had jaws dropping and immediately challenged every boring black suit on the carpet. He brought the artistic credibility the theme demanded and the flair to make it feel personal rather than performative. Of all the men at the gala, Batiste looked most like someone who actually thought about what “Fashion Is Art” meant to him rather than what it meant to his stylist.

Connor Storrie

Connor Storrie made one of the most memorable entrances of the entire evening at his Met Gala debut. He arrived in a black tux with a polka-dot top visible beneath, then removed the jacket mid-carpet to reveal a sleeveless Saint Laurent halter blouse with a floor-length train, paired with Tiffany and Co. jewels. He served drama, he served biceps, and he walked away as one of the night’s most talked-about arrivals. Not a bad debut.

Colman Domingo

Colman Domingo has established himself as one of the most reliably stylish men on any red carpet, and the Met Gala was no exception. He wore a vibrant Valentino ensemble with Boucheron jewels that balanced color, confidence, and tailoring in a way that few people can pull off. The king of suave red carpet style did not miss.

Hudson Williams

Hudson Williams arrived at his first Met Gala in a pastel blue matador-inspired look with intricate black embroidery and a matching train that was one of the most genuinely inventive male looks of the evening. His eye makeup, inspired by Black Swan, gave beauty enthusiasts something to recreate for weeks. It was a complete look in every sense of the word, and one of the strongest arguments for why men at the Met Gala deserve just as much attention as their counterparts.

Stanley Tucci

Stanley Tucci made his return to the Met Gala staircase for the first time in twenty years, arriving in Etro as part of his turn as Town and Country’s May cover star. It was a quietly triumphant moment for a man who has always understood that style is about confidence and ease rather than noise. His presence alone was one of the evening’s more unexpected pleasures.

The 2026 Met Gala delivered exactly what the theme promised, a red carpet that felt like a living exhibition, full of ideas, references, and moments that will be discussed and dissected for months. From Beyoncé’s skeleton couture to Connor Storrie’s mid-carpet reveal, this was a night that reminded everyone why fashion’s biggest evening still matters. Stay tuned to MusicOnTheRox.com for more culture coverage.

Image credits: Getty Images for The Met Museum/Vogue, Angela Weiss/AFP via Getty Images, Reuters