Met Gala Drops Dress Code: Fashion as Art

0:00On April 20th, the Met Gail is dropping its dress code for next year, and it's all about fashion is art. This ties into the Costume Institute's Spring Exhibit theme, Costume Art, set for the first Monday in May, 2026. For over 50 years, these codes have pulled from the museum shows, pushing celebs to get creative with outfits that not to art history and the dressed body. Curator Andrew Bolton says the idea hits on how clothing threads through every gallery at the Met, even nudes carry cultural vibes. Past years kept it tight, like 2025's Taylor For You for Black-style tailoring or 2024's Garden of Time. But this one's wide open, letting guests remix fashion as pure art. Stars have crushed these challenges before. Rihanna went full-paple Pope and Pearls in a miter for a heavenly body theme back in 2018. Zendaya lit up the carpet as Cinderella in a glowing blue gown for Camp Notes in 2019.

1:00Blake lively transformed her Versace into a statue of Liberty tribute, with a gilded-age glamour in 2022. Not every look sticks the landing, though. Sydney Swini caught heat last year for a sleek black Mayu-Miyu number that skipped the tailoring focus on black dandyism. Kim Kardashian's floral Gavanshi in 2013 fell off Pong-2, even pregnant with North. Critics called them loose fits at best. Expect wild takes when the red carpet rolls out. As this code invites everyone to own their style story and blur lines between runway and masterpiece. Stay in the know with entertainment and celebrity news today, AI-powered updates. I'm Corey with the story.