On the first Monday of May, the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City hosted its annual Met Gala, a fundraiser for the museum’s Costume Institute hosted by Beyoncé, Nicole Kidman, Venus Williams, Anna Wintour, and others.
Every year celebrities, designers, and public figures come together to celebrate fashion and the museum’s newest costume exhibition (on display through January 10, 2027), with the expectation of dressing on theme. Guests were invited to interpret this year’s theme, “Costume Art,” in their own ways. Many embraced this theme, but a select few stood out in their execution, creativity, and commitment to detail.
In its new exhibit, the Met paired each garment in the gallery with a piece of art. In the spirit of positivity, I’m highlighting the evening’s “best dressed”—that is, the looks reflecting specific artistic references and inspirations.
Fashion taste is subjective, but I’ve chosen to highlight garments that not only executed the theme, but also celebrated creativity.
Hunter Schaffer in Prada with reference to Gustav Klimt’s “Mäda Primavesi”Miles Chamley-Watson in Kidsuper with reference to Georges Braque’s “Natura morta con clarinetto, grappolo d’uva e ventaglio”Emma Chamberlain taking inspiration from her father’s art
Kendall Jenner in Zac Posen with reference to Pythocritos’s “Winged Victory of Samothrace”Sam Smith in Christian Cowan with reference to ErtéClaire Foy in Erdem with reference to John Singer Sargent’s “Madame X”Amy Sherald Brings in Thom Browne in reference to her own paintingNaomi Watts in Dior in reference to Rachel Ruysch’s “Still-Life with Flowers”Lisa Airan in Christopher Kane in reference to Henri Matisse’s “Dance”Madonna in Saint Laurent in reference to Leonora Carrington’s “The Temptation of St. Anthony”Gracie Abrams in reference to Gustav Klimt’s “Adele Bloch-Bauer”Colman Domingo in Valentinon in reference to Basquiat’s “Pez Dispenser”
SZA in Bode in reference to 18th-century Viennese fashion plates
Skepta in Thom Browne including illustrations of Skepta’s own tattoos
Blake Lively in Versace in reference to 18th-century Venetian Rococo paintings
Chiara La Mark is a theater arts student at Cal Poly SLO. She is passionate about film and other mediums of storytelling. She has experience in being on the stage and behind the camera, and knows what it takes to entertain and engage an audience. This background has helped her to analyze and review work with gratitude and passion for the work that is done.
