The first Monday in May is approaching, and with it, fashion’s biggest night. On May 4, guests will once again ascend the steps of the Metropolitan Museum of Art to celebrate the Costume Institute’s spring exhibition, “Costume Art.” In late February 2026, the night’s official dress code was revealed: “Fashion Is Art.”Here’s what that actually means for the stars’ red carpet ensembles and how it connects to the exhibition.Jump to:What is the 2026 Met Gala dress code?How does the dress code connect to the exhibition?How could attendees translate “Fashion Is Art” into actual looks?Who is hosting the 2026 Met Gala?What is the 2026 Met Gala dress code?This year’s Met Gala dress code is “Fashion Is Art.” Vogue announced the directive on February 23, just over two months ahead of the gala.The phrase aligns directly with this year’s exhibition, “Costume Art,” and signals a broad invitation rather than a narrowly defined aesthetic.Andrew Bolton, the curator in charge of the Costume Institute, has emphasized that clothing runs through every corner of the museum’s collection. “What connects every curatorial department and what connects every single gallery in the museum is fashion, or the dressed body,” he said. “It’s the common thread throughout the whole museum.”In other words, the red carpet prompt encourages attendees to treat their look as a work of art in its own right.How does the dress code connect to the exhibition?The 2026 exhibition, “Costume Art,” explores the relationship between clothing and the human form. The show brings together garments from the Costume Institute with artworks spanning roughly 5,000 years, examining how fashion and fine art have engaged with the body across time.Bolton has described the exhibition as centering on the dressed body and its presence throughout the museum. In a previous release, he explained that the show aims to “privilege fashion’s materiality and its indivisible connection between our bodies and the clothes we wear.”The show groups the pieces by different ways the body shows up in art and fashion. Some sections look at figures that have long filled museum galleries, like classical forms and depictions of nudity. Others shift the focus to bodies that haven’t always been centered in Western art, including pregnant and aging figures.“Costume Art” opens to the public on May 10, 2026, and runs through Jan. 10, 2027.How could attendees translate “Fashion Is Art” into actual looks?If this year’s exhibition centers on the relationship between clothing and the body, expect the red carpet to follow suit.Because “Costume Art” explores how artists and designers depict the human form—from classical sculptures to anatomical studies—the red carpet may lean into dramatic shapes and structure. Think molded bodices that resemble marble statues, corsetry that emphasizes and contours the torso, and gowns that exaggerate hips or shoulders to reshape the silhouette.The exhibition includes dramatic, oversize pieces by designers like Rei Kawakubo of Comme des Garçons, known for creating garments that distort or obscure the body’s natural shape. That presence could point to bold, architectural looks and garments that prioritize structure and volume.There’s also a strong anatomical thread in the show, with garments that reference musculature and the physical structure beneath the skin. On the red carpet, that might translate into illusion gowns that mimic the body, sheer layering that plays with exposure, or designs that subtly emphasize bone lines and musculature.And because the dress code explicitly frames fashion as art, we may also see guests draw from art history more broadly. Instead of leaning on literal costume, designers may focus on silhouette and construction, treating the garment itself as the statement piece.Who is hosting the 2026 Met Gala?This year’s co-chairs are Anna Wintour, Nicole Kidman, Venus Williams, and Beyoncé. The event will mark Beyoncé’s first Met Gala appearance since 2016.The gala will also feature a host committee, co-chaired by Anthony Vaccarello and Zoë Kravitz. Members include Adut Akech, Angela Bassett, Sinéad Burke, Sabrina Carpenter, Doja Cat, Gwendoline Christie, Misty Copeland, Alex Consani, Elizabeth Debicki, Lena Dunham, Paloma Elsesser, Rebecca Hall, Lisa, Sam Smith, Teyana Taylor, Chase Sui Wonders, among others. Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez Bezos will serve as honorary chairs and lead sponsors of the gala and exhibition.As always, the full guest list will remain under wraps until the first Monday in May.