The Met Gala theme this year was 'Costume Art,' accompanied by the dress code 'Fashion Is Art.' The theme ran alongside the Costume Institute's 2026 spring exhibit, which explores the intersection of clothing, the body, and artistic expression, treating garments as wearable, sculptural masterpieces. However, many fashion critics felt that several A-listers missed the mark in adhering to the theme at the event held at New York's MoMA on Monday night.
AI-Generated Red Carpet Redemption
An Instagram account by art dealer Oscar Segrelles, followed by the likes of Justin Bieber and liked by Diplo, has used AI to show what celebrities should have worn if they had truly embraced the art theme. The results are so impressive that fans rushed to the comments to praise the looks, with some not even realizing they were not real.
Nicole Kidman, 58, was depicted on MoMA's steps wearing a pop art creation inspired by artist Roy Lichtenstein. In reality, she wore a burgundy sequin Chanel gown—divine, but not aligned with any particular theme. Rihanna, 38, was draped in a statement gown featuring Banksy's 'Girl With Balloon' print, holding a red heart-shaped balloon. Her actual outfit was a Maison Margiela sculptural silver gown.
Kylie Jenner, 28, and boyfriend Timothee Chalamet, 30, were seen in matching outfits made from fabric emblazoned with Sandro Botticelli's 'Birth of Venus.' While Timothee did not attend this year, Kylie was one of the few who stuck to the theme, sporting bleached brows. Her Schiaparelli gown was inspired by the Venus de Milo sculpture, featuring a nude illusion corset bustier with fake nipples at the bust.
More AI Transformations
Lady Gaga, 40, was depicted wearing Picasso's black-and-white anti-war masterpiece 'Guernica.' The artwork denounces a monochromatic bloody attack during the Spanish Civil War without using the color red. Gaga is rumored to have boycotted the event due to Jeff Bezos's role as co-chair. Hailey and Justin Bieber, 29 and 32, wore fabric printed with Michelangelo's 'The Creation of David,' created in the early 16th century. While Justin did not attend, Hailey scored fashion points wearing a Greek-inspired gold armor creation by Saint Laurent.
Kris Jenner, 70, was seen wearing a gown printed with Salvador Dalí's 'Melting Clocks' painting. Her real look, however, saw her mocked for wearing a Dolce & Gabbana kimono that gave the illusion she had forgotten to change out of her dressing gown. The AI-generated images also showed actor Jared Leto, 54, wearing a creation mimicking Jeff Koons' 'Balloon Dog,' although he did not attend this year. Kylie Jenner's ex Travis Scott, 35, was also not in attendance but was mocked up wearing Damian Hirst's preserved tiger shark submerged in formalin in a glass-panel display case, famously titled 'The Physical Impossibility of Death in the Mind of Someone Living,' created by the British artist in 1991.
Anna Wintour's Take
Anna Wintour was pictured in an AI gown made up of Leonardo da Vinci's 'Mona Lisa' masterpiece. She wore her own interpretation of 'Costume Art' with a feathery turquoise jacket and a matching turquoise and black embroidered gown by Chanel.
Scandal and Criticism
A-listers were once clamoring for an invite to the Met Gala, but after this year's event, some feel it has become a 'dystopian' parade of billionaires and influencers. Hosted by former Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour, known for being meticulous about the guest list and decorum, the event earned a reputation as the top event among Hollywood and fashion's elite. However, this year, the event became shrouded in scandal, with many expressing outrage even before it began over the involvement of Amazon billionaire Jeff Bezos, 62, and his wife Lauren Sanchez, 56, who bankrolled much of the event.
When the ball kicked off on Monday evening, devastated fans took to social media to blast this year's Met Gala, branding it the 'worst' one ever, slamming the 'cheap' outfits and sharing outrage over the 'tacky' guest list. The event was noticeably missing many big names who had become regulars, such as Zendaya and Billie Eilish, and instead was attended by an array of social media stars, WAGs, models, and heiresses. Plenty of stars who did show up got it spectacularly wrong, turning the red carpet into a parade of sartorial disasters.
There was no shortage of billionaires at the event, with the guest list including Meta founder Mark Zuckerberg and his wife Priscilla Chan, heiress Isha Ambani, George Soros's sons Alex and Robert Soros, Walmart heir Samuel Robson Walton, and venture capitalist Amy Griffin. Fans were quick to criticize this year's turnout on X, branding the event 'tacky,' 'out of touch,' and a 'billionaire's ball,' claiming it felt 'gross,' 'gauche,' and 'dystopian.'
'Ah, the Met Gala, the chance for multi-millionaires to wear my life savings for a bit of fun and get attention. F**k the Met Gala,' one X user raged. 'The Met Gala is just a bunch of washed-up celebrities and out-of-touch millionaires cosplaying as "edgy" while wearing $50k dresses made by people who can't afford rent,' slammed another. 'Meanwhile, real Americans are grinding, watching prices explode and dealing with actual problems. I'd rather watch paint dry than pretend these clowns are relevant. Hard pass.' 'The Met Gala stopped being an aspirational event and became a circus for millionaires,' claimed someone else.
