After a memorable 2025 edition chaired by an exceptional quartet, including Pharrell Williams, Lewis Hamilton, A$AP Rocky and Colman Domingo, the theme of the next Met Gala has just been revealed. Numéro takes a closer look.
The Met Gala, an unmissable event
Year after year, the Met Gala remains one of the most closely watched events in the fashion world. Every first Monday of May, the opening ceremony for the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s grand annual exhibition gathers a host of celebrities and spectacular creations.
Devoted to Black dandyism, the theme of the 2025 edition was “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style” and dazzled us with a series of memorable red carpet looks, from Bad Bunny to Chappell Roan and Rihanna. It also revisited dandyism through twelve key chapters, drawing its inspiration from Monica L. Miller’s book Slaves to Fashion. The latter co-curated the exhibition with Andrew Bolton.
“Costume Art” is the new theme of the 2026 Met Gala
With the theme “Costume Art”, the spring exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art will celebrate the intimate dialogue between bodies and clothing. It will bring together historical garments, contemporary designs, and major works from the museum’s collections.
The goal? To showcase how clothing shapes the body, and how the body influences its representation. For Andrew Bolton, chief curator of the Costume Institute, the idea is simple. At the Met, no matter which gallery you walk through, the connection between bodies and clothes always manifest.
According to early information published on the Met’s website, the “Costume Art” exhibition will explore this relationship across eras, telling its story through a wide range of media, from ancient marble to the most refined couture archives.
While we are waiting to know who the co-chairs of the 2026 Met Gala will be – last year edition included Pharrell Williams, Lewis Hamilton, A$AP Rocky, and Colman Domingo – the event surely promises to be one of the most electrifying highlights of the coming year.
The next edition of the Met Gala will take place on May 4th, 2026. The “Costume Art” exhibition will run from May 10th, 2026, to January 10th, 2027, at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.