We have all seen the extravagant pictures of celebrities in opulent and exorbitant clothes in the past few days on the Internet. These pictures of celebrities in exceedingly beautiful and over-the-top costumes have taken all social media platforms by storm. They not only prompted famous news outlets and life & fashion magazines to cover the inspirations, the design, and the work behind the outfits, but the outrageousness of such clothes also sparked a massive wave of memes and jokes.
We are, in fact, talking about the Met Gala 2026. From Snow White actress Rachel Zegler to International popstar Rihanna to Supermodel Heidi Klum, every fashion-loving individual with an invitation graced the occasion. Indians, too, were part of this Met Gala, that too in bulk numbers.
Bollywood film director Karan Johar, Business professional Isha Ambani, and Maharaja Sawai Padmanabh Singh, with his wife, Princess Gauravi Kumari of Jaipur, wore royal dresses to the event.
So, let’s delve into the Met Gala 2026, the biggest and most anticipated event of the year for fashion and luxury-loving individuals from the movie industry, business families, designers, and socialites, among others.
The Met Gala is a ‘Haute Couture’ fundraising festival that is held every year at the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute on the Museum Mile of Fifth Avenue in Manhattan, New York. It’s also held annually to benefit the Museum’s Costume Institute. It is considered the world’s biggest congregation of wealth, fame, power, social influence, and spectacle that collide and make the world stop in awe of its grandeur.
Of course, no grandeur that’s a lavish display of wealth in the current climate will go unnoticed by the funny people of the Internet, who are just waiting for moments like this to have some fun.
The birth of the joke or meme stems from the widening disconnect between celebrities dressed in outlandish clothes and the everyday lives of civilians who go about their day. Needless to say, they are disconnected, but it still provides an opportunity for such funny content.
However, these outfits and looks aren’t just subject to discussions, memes, and eye-catching awe. They also tell stories, plenty of them inspired by artwork from the past. Here are some of the dresses that were inspired by famous artwork:
Dresses that Were Inspired by Famous Artwork
1. Kendall Jenner as “The Winged Victory of Samothrace”
Kendall Jenner wore a Zac Posen dress and went to the Met Gala, which closely resembled the masterpiece, the Hellenistic Greek sculpture, “The Winged Victory of Samothrace” from 190 BC. Jenner was wearing a white dress that was sleeveless on her right shoulder.
2. Emma Chamberlain as Vincent Van Gogh’s “Garden at Arles”
American influencer and businesswoman Emma Chamberlain wore a ‘Yellow’ dress with multiple other lighter colors mixed in it. The design and coloring of the custom Mugler outfit by Miguel Castro Freitas was deeply inspired by a famous painting by Vincent Van Gogh – The Irises.
While The Starry Night, Van Gogh’s most famous work, uses a dominant blue in it, ‘The Irises’ uses a multitude of colors from yellow, green, purple, blue, red, orange, and many more. Emma Chamberlain’s dress is stunningly a replica of the painting.
3. Gracie Abrams as Gustav Klimt’s “The Kiss”
American singer and songwriter Gracie Abrams wore a dazzling golden hued dress that was shimmering under the lights from all sides. Her Chanel gown was famously inspired by Austrian painter Gustav Klimt’s “The Kiss.”Klimt’s ‘The Kiss’ has elements added to the woman’s dress that are evocative of adorning elements that shimmer.
4. Rachel Zegler as Paul Delaroche’s “The Execution of Lady Jane Grey”
Rachel Zegler, star of West Side Story and Snow White, wore a bright white off-the-shoulder gown made of pearl silk moire, and hand-draped lace bodice, and a fitted skirt with bow detail trim. It was a custom pearl atelier designed by American-Nepalese fashion designer, Prabal Gurung. But it was her mask/blindfold, which was see-through, draped around just her eyes that became the striking difference.
It was eerily evocative of the 1883 painting, “The Execution of Lady Jane Grey” by the French painter Paul Delaroche. The artwork shows the titular Lady Jane Grey, also known as the ‘Nine Days Queen,’ kneeling before a wooden log with a blindfold on, just moments before her execution. It was a pretty powerful inspiration that Ms. Zegler went with, given the nature and the subject of the painting.
5. Kylie Jenner as “Venus de Milo”
American businesswoman and socialite Kylie Jenner wore a Schiaparelli dress by Daniel Roseberry at the 2026 Met Gala. Kylie Jenner’s dress featured a nude-toned corset and embroidered gown. However, her embroidered gown was seemingly hanging off from her waist down, with just her nude-toned corset from the waist-up.
It heavily matches the famed sculpture of Venus de Milo from 2nd century BC. The Venus de Milo, that depicts the Goddess Aphrodite, is renowned for being found on the island of Milos with no arms. With its bare-naked body and shoulders, the statue only depicts the goddess wrapped in some cloth from the waist down. Kylie Jenner was going for that look.
Some of the other notable examples of ‘Art Designing Fashion Outfit’ at the Met Gala 2026 were Lena Dunham in a bright red dress, reminiscent of the ‘Blood’ being splayed from Holofernes neck as Judith slays him in Artemisia Gentileschi’s “Judith Beheading Holofernes” Heidi Klum as the “Veiled Vestal” by Raffaelle Monti, and Lauren Sanchez Bezos as “Portrait of Madame X” by John Singer Sargent.
Until the Met Gala 2027 comes around, these are the pictures, the dresses, the stylistic choices, and their artistic inspirations that will stay with us in culture.
