At the 2026 Met Gala, Black stars and socialites turned the human form into art

From Beyoncé to Colman Domingo, here are all of the Black attendees at the 2026 Met Gala who were on theme. 

At the Met last night, you didn’t need to step inside to see the art. 

The 2026 Met Gala took place last night at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and with a theme of “Costume Art” the steps became their own kind of exhibit with Black celebrities and notables turning the red carpet into a celebration of the human form. 

Beyoncé made her highly anticipated return after a decade away in a glimmering silver, skeletal gown by Olivier Rousteing, draped beneath a sweeping, gray, feathered coat that trailed behind her. The look, topped off with a matching shimmering silver sun ray headdress, celebrated the human form as a biological masterpiece. Before that, actress Chase Infiniti made her Met Gala debut in a sleek black custom Thom Browne dress that featured painted-on primary forms tracing the contours of the body.

Meanwhile, Jeremy Pope wore an archival Vivienne Westwood anatomy jacket dubbed “Slave to Love,” whose corseted structure mapped muscle and bone across the torso through thousands of hand-sewn pearl beads. Naomi Osaka delivered one of the evening’s most theatrical reveals, dropping a white cape to unveil a blood-red Robert Wun ensemble that evoked sinew and what lies beneath the skin, serving as a visceral meditation on transformation—a common theme in her ensembles. There were other gentler interpretations, like rapper Skepta arriving in a white suit emblazoned with his own tattoos, celebrating body art. 

Elsewhere on the red carpet, other Black attendees used the moment to celebrate fine art. SZA arrived in a massive yellow gown and headdress, a work of sustainable tapestry art. The artist Tschabalala Self paid homage to Edgar Degas’ “Little Dancer” sculpture with a silver exaggerated bubble skirt. Cardi B leaned into the surreal with a black lacey Marc Jacobs look with exaggerated puff sleeves inspired by German artist Hans Bellmer. Rihanna’s custom Maison Margiela gown by Glenn Martens was a “living sculpture,” blending medieval history with futuristic technology. Colman Domingo shouted out Jean-Michel Basquiat as the inspiration for his black-and-checkered ensemble in primary colors. 

Across the evening, when it comes to theme, you’ll find literal references, surreal interpretations, and deeply personal ones, too. Art was not just something to be viewed, but something to be embodied. Below, we gather all of the Black attendees who understood the assignment. 

Beyoncé

Beyoncé stunned in a custom Olivier Rousteing gown that celebrated the human form as a biological masterpiece.

Cardi B

Cardi B shut it down in a custom Merc Jacobs inspired by the work of German surrealist artist Hans Bellmer.

Rihanna

In a custom Maison Margiela gown by Glenn Martens, Rihanna’s look took inspiration from medieval architecture and sculpture.

Venus Williams

Co-chair and attendee, Venus Williams arrived as her own portrait, “Venus Williams, Double Portrait” (2022) by the artist Robert Pruitt.

Jon Batise

Arrived in a striking all-white ensemble designed by Eli Russell Linnetz in collaboration with stylist Corey Stoke, that pushed the boundaries of the male silhouette while also referencing the work of legendary Black American realist painter Barkley L. Hendricks.

Angela Bassett

Paying homage to the Harlem Renaissance, Angela Bassett wore a custom pink gown by Prabal Gurung directly inspired by the 1927 painting “Girl in Pink Dress” by Black artist Laura Wheeler Waring.

Amy Sherald

The celebrated painter and one of the evening’s co-hosts, Amy Sherald, arrived dressed as a direct translation of one of her own paintings, “Miss Everything, Unsurpressed Deleverance” (2013), in a Thom Browne look.

Jeremy Pope

Jeremy Pope, styled by Law Roach, arrived in an archival Vivienne Westwood anatomy jacket dubbed “Slave to Love.”

Naomi Osaka

Tennis pro Naomi Osaka turned heads in a blood red Robert Wun two-piece ensemble that evoked sinew and skin as a visceral meditation on transformation. It began as a white cape that gave way to the crimson that taced the body’s silhouette.

Chase Infiniti

Chase Infiniti made her Met Gala debut in a custom Thom Browne gown inspired by the iconic 2nd-century BC statue, the “Venus de Milo.”

SZA

In a collaboration with designer Emily Adams Bode Aujla, SZA’s look celebrated early 20th-century art history and sustainable wearable art as much of the materials were sustainably sourced.

Law Roach

Law Roach stepped out in a custom Ami Paris look that celebrated fashion as a canvas.

Janelle Monaé

Janelle Monaé’s otherworldly custom look by Christian Siriano combined themes of technology and nature for a work of headturning wearable art.

Skepta

Skepta donned a custom Thom Browne suit emblazoned with his own tattoos.

Yseult

Yseult’s look by Harris Reed paid homage to one of the world’s oldest pieces of art the “Venus of Willendorf,” a fertility statuette dating back to approximately 30,000 BC.

Paloma Elsesser

Paloa Elsesser’s ethereal gown by Francesco Risso channeled abstract art.

Adut Akech

Dressed in a gown by Thom Browne with her baby bump on full display, Adut Akech celebrated the exhibit’s theme, which focused more on the body, including the “pregnant body.” Fans also can’t help but wonder if the pink flowers are a hint at the gender.

Anok Yai

Anok Yai arrived as a living statue cast quite literally in bronze in a dramatic black draped look by Balenciaga.

Tschabalala Self

In a look by Brandon Blackwood, marking the designer’s first for the Met Gala, Tschabalala Self paid homage to Edgar Degas’ “Little Dancer” sculpture with a silver exaggerated bubble skirt.

Colman Domingo

One of fashion’s biggest stars, Colman Domingo, arrived in a custom, multicolored Valentino ensemble designed by Creative Director Alessandro Michele that evoked several references from art, including Pablo Picasso and Jean-Michel Basquiat.