All The Details You Missed From The Met Gala

Once again, the Met Gala has come and gone and it has everyone talking.

From celebrities who got the theme, to some who didn’t and to those who were missing altogether, we have all the goss.

The Met Gala theme this year was ‘Fashion is Art’, and while some celebrities stuck to this, some had other ideas.

Let’s take a look at some standout moments from the biggest night in fashion.

Rachel Zegler’s historical inspiration

Rachel Zegler, known for playing Snow White in the live action Disney film and recently debuting as Eva Peron in the musical Evita, has been making headlines over her symbolic Met Gala look inspired by The Execution of Lady Jane Gray.

Many fans are comparing the art piece to Zegler’s experience of cancel culture in the last few years, making her look perfectly themed and hinting at the hate she has unfairly received.

@varietymagazine Rachel Zegler says her #MetGala ♬ original sound – Variety

Bad Bunny

Bad Bunny arrived to the Met Gala with grey hair, a grey beard and a walking stick. The Puerto Rican singer fully got into character as he hobbled up the steps while posing for photos, and his elderly alter ego was heavily discussed online.

While some questioned its relevance with the theme, others argues that aging is art, and pointed out that while everyone came as the art, Benito is the artist. Aging is art and it is beautiful, but whether or not its fits the theme of Fashion is Art is another story.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Met Gala 2026 (@metgalaofficial_)

Painting on the red carpet

Other celebrities who directly took their looks from paintings and stayed on theme were Euphoria star Hunter Schafer, who wore a stunning dress inspired by the Gustav Klimt oil on canvas portrait of Mada Primavesi.

Gracie Abrams also drew her inspiration from another Gustav Klimt oil painting called the Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I.

@vogueitalia #HunterSchafer al #MetGala ♬ original sound – 𝑣𝑖𝑏𝑟𝑥𝑛𝑐𝑦

Sabrina on film

Not only did Sabrina Carpenter deliver an iconic duet performing Landslide alongside Stevie Nicks on the Met Gala stage, but she also stunned on the red carpet.

Carpenter arrived at the ball in an amazing custom-made Dior gown designed by Ireland’s own Jonathan Anderson. The dress paid homage to the 1954 Audrey Hepburn film Sabrina and included stills of Hepburn throughout the design. 

As film is a form of art, Sabrina definitely understood the theme and connected both fashion and film. 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by STELLAR (@stellarmagazine)

Kim K

Kim Kardashian has always been a controversial Met attendee, you either love her or hate her.

Kim enlisted the help of British pop artist Allen Jones for her look: “For Kardashian’s tangerine fiberglass breastplate, Jone repurposed a cast from 1967 or 1968,” according to British Vogue.

On theme, or a bit tacky? You decide.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Kim Kardashian (@kimkardashian)

Heidi Klum’s… costume? 

Heidi Klum is well known for her extravagant costumes, but are the Met and Halloween one of the same?

Klum brought her elaborate, prosthetic costume to the classy Met Gala, and while the whole idea is to push the boundaries of fashion and style, some are wondering – did Heidi push too far?

We think she fully embraced the theme by transforming herself into a living marble statue, but there is still every chance she’s become a meme in the process.

@lovingtanofficial A work of art ✨ #heidiklum #metgala2026 ♬ original sound – Loving Tan

Celebs who were missing

While the main conversation over the Met Gala focuses on the outfits and fashion, we’d also like to take a look at who was missing and why?

Many A-list celebrities were noticeably missed from the 2026 ball including Zendaya, Ariana Grande and Billie Eilish.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Ariana Grande (@arianagrande)

Ariana recently announced her new album Petal which will be released in July, so perhaps she is laying low at the minute and has chosen not to attend major events in preparation for the release.

Zendaya has a very busy schedule this year, with Dune: Part Three, Spider-Man: Brand New Day and the Odyssey all still to be released. With her insane schedule and premiers coming up it makes sense why she decided to skip the ball this year.

@voguefrance En prélude au #MetGala 2026, retour sur les silhouettes d’exception signées #Zendaya ♬ original sound – pillowtalkertv

Billie Eilish has in the past used the Met Gala to make statements, like in 2021 when she wore an Oscar de la Renta dress on the condition they would stop using fur.

She opted to skip the ball this year to focus instead on her ongoing press tour for her upcoming concert film Hit Me Hard and Soft: The Tour.

It’s worth noting that this is the first year that the Met has named Jeff Bezoz as an honorary chair, which could also impact some celebrities’ decisions to attend or not.

Words by Nia Hayden