The A-listers were asked to dress for the theme “Fashion is Art,” which dovetails with the exhibit “Costume Art” at the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute.
And while not everyone followed the guidelines to the letter, the gala – traditionally held on the first Monday in May – certainly delivered as one of the world’s top red carpets, with blinding star power.
Beyonce, one of the event’s co-chairs who was making her first appearance in a decade, was one of the last to arrive, but she did not disappoint, stunning the crowd in a bejeweled skeleton gown topped with a dramatic feather coat and a headpiece.
Her rap mogul husband Jay-Z – in a tuxedo with tails – and daughter Blue Ivy Carter, in a white strapless gown and sparkling heels – joined her.
Earlier, the singer’s fellow co-chairs, tennis legend Venus Williams and Oscar-winning actress Nicole Kidman, kicked off the proceedings.
Kidman stunned in a shimmering red long-sleeved Chanel column dress with wide feather cuffs, while Williams glistened in a black crystal Swarovski gown with an elaborate neck plate.
From there, the stars kept on coming. Rock royalty Madonna, Cher and Stevie Nicks joined music’s new generation of stars in Sabrina Carpenter, Doja Cat and Tyla.
Rihanna and A$AP Rocky were hours late, as per usual, making a grand entrance.
Bad Bunny, who is having a blockbuster 2026 with major Grammy wins and the Super Bowl halftime show under his belt, wore prosthetics and a white wig to explore how he would look as an old man, according to Vogue.
Donatella Versace, Tom Ford, Stella McCartney, Anthony Vaccarello and Haider Ackermann were among the many fashion designers on hand for the evening.
Olympic gold medalists Alysa Liu and Eileen Gu – whose dress had a built-in bubble maker – led a strong contingent of athletes to the red carpet, along with NFL superstar Russell Wilson and several men’s and women’s basketball stars.
And actress Blake Lively made a surprise appearance at the gala, just hours after she settled a major court case over her film “It Ends with Us” with her co-star and director Justin Baldoni.
Of course, the entire evening, which raised a record US$42 million, is overseen by Vogue’s global editorial director Anna Wintour – the ultimate tastemaker in US fashion who has helmed the fundraiser for the Met’s Costume Institute for 30 years. (AFP)
