behind the scenes of the 2026 met gala...
thom browne’s custom 2026 met gala creations celebrated the exhibition ‘costume art’... highlighting thom browne tailoring itself as an art form… each meticulous stitch, bead and ribbon reflecting portrayals of the body through clothes in human history…
...chase infiniti as the naked body...
she’s a rainbow… chase’s dress was constructed from 600 different colors and materials, over 1.5 million sequins and glass cut beads and 7,000 hours of work reflecting a colorful, bright venus de milo, brought to life in a new medium.
...skepta as the inscribed body…
fabric and flesh are interwoven in mirror images… skepta’s tailored jumpsuit was crafted from over 4,500 meters of black thread and 500,000 stitches, reflecting the stories told through the artist’s own tattoo art.
...olivia wilde as the abstract body…
shapes shift, retract, expand… olivia’s gown set a sharp black silhouette and visible leather pannier against 300 meters of frothy tulle to emphasize the architectural detail of a historically concealed undergarment.
...adut akech as the pregnant body…
a blossoming season of life, sculpted into visibility… through 500 handmade silk organza flowers, 300 molded sequin flowers with crystal centers, 300 tulle cover pearls and over 1,500 hours of embroidery, adut’s ensemble is specifically crafted to highlight the ever-evolving human form.
...dwayne johnson and lauren hashian as the mortal body…
knots of ribbon appliqué twist on and on, helical echoes of the skeleton… 50 highly skilled artisans were involved in crafting dwayne’s look, using over 350 meters of silk ribbon. the tailcoat took 1,960 hours of handiwork to complete… 35 artisans crafted lauren’s look, requiring 800 hours and 160 meters of silk ribbon to complete.
...finn wolfhard as the reclaimed body…
finn’s look required over 100 hours of handiwork to complete, the final result a collage of appliqué and textural painting, a reclamation through subversion of the traditional black tie silhouette.
...lindsey vonn as the classical body…
chiseled from stone like a hellenistic statue… lindsey’s dress required 6,000 hours of craftsmanship and over 500,000 glass cut and bugle beads in shades of white, grey, silver and clear crystal to achieve a marble trompe l’oeil effect.
...kun as the vital body…
like flesh and blood, the life source pulsing within… kun’s look was crafted from over 400,000 beads and sequins, including seed, glass, and bugle beads, requiring over 1,800 hours to make, for a glittering externalization of the body’s interior.
