Donatella Versace turned heads on Sunday evening at Anna Wintour's pre-Met Gala party, where she modelled a figure-hugging, stone-embellished gold gown. The 71-year-old fashion designer, who attended Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez's party on Saturday, appeared youthful as she stepped out in the one-shoulder dress. The ensemble cinched at her trim waistline and featured a sheer overlay on the skirt with a minimal train. Versace added height to her petite frame with nude-toned platform heels. Her signature long blonde hair was styled with shaggy bangs and straightened.
The party precedes Monday night's annual gala, which Wintour has spearheaded since 1995. Last week, Versace mingled with fashion luminaries at the King's Trust 5th annual gala at Christie's, where she dazzled in a baby blue dress with sheer sleeves. On Monday, she will join more A-listers for fashion's biggest night.
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez will serve as honorary co-chairs at the Met Gala, reportedly paying $10 million for the privilege. Sources indicate this move placed them in favour with Wintour, who uses the event to raise funds for the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute. The 2026 Costume Art-themed gala features their names on the invitations.
The dress code encourages celebrity attendees to explore how designers use the human body as a blank canvas. The New York City museum will pair historical and contemporary garments from the Costume Institute for the exhibition, loosely divided into three categories: the classical and nude body, aging and pregnant bodies, and the anatomical body. Andrew Bolton, the Costume Institute's curator, stated that fashion holds 'the status of art because of, and not in spite of, its relation to the body.' French luxury fashion house Yves Saint Laurent is sponsoring the exhibit.
The 2026 Met Gala host committee includes co-chairs Anthony Vaccarello and Zoe Kravitz, alongside members Sabrina Carpenter, Doja Cat, Angela Bassett, Gwendoline Christie, Misty Copeland, Elizabeth Debicki, Lena Dunham, Sam Smith, Teyana Taylor, and more.
