The 2026 Met Gala uses the dress code “Fashion is Art,” according to multiple outlets covering the event. The theme is linked to the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s spring exhibition at the Costume Institute, titled “Costume Art,” which pairs fashion with artworks to highlight connections between the two mediums across different periods.
Reporting also describes how attendees interpret the theme through their outfits, with many looks presented as art-inspired rather than strictly fashion-focused. Several outlets note that the event brings celebrities together to translate the concept of fashion as a form of artistic expression onto the red carpet. One source specifically describes “Costume Art” as a presentation that pairs roughly 200 art objects with around 200 garments, framing the relationship between fashion and art through the centuries.
While outlets vary in emphasis—some focusing on the theme’s meaning and others on standout looks—the coverage is consistent that “Fashion is Art” is the 2026 Met Gala dress code and that it draws directly from the museum’s “Costume Art” exhibition.
