Met Gala Themes 1995–2026: From 'Camp' to 'Costume Art'
Vogue has analyzed the themes of the Met Gala from 1995 through 2026. The upcoming 2026 theme, 'Costume Art,' will feature a dress code of 'Fashion is Art' and will mark the opening of the new Condé M. Nast Galleries. Co-chairs for the event include Beyoncé, Nicole Kidman, Venus Williams, and Anna Wintour. In 2025, the theme will be 'Superfine: Tailoring Black Style,' emphasizing Black dandyism. The 2024 theme, 'Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion,' will showcase 250 pieces inspired by J.G. Ballard. The 2023 theme celebrated Karl Lagerfeld with 150 items. Previous themes include 'In America: An Anthology of Fashion' (2022), 'In America: A Lexicon of Fashion' (2021), and 'Camp' (2019). The 2020 theme was postponed, while 'Heavenly Bodies' was the theme in 2018.
Key facts
- 2026 Met Gala theme is 'Costume Art' with dress code 'Fashion is Art'.
- 2026 Met Gala will inaugurate the Condé M. Nast Galleries, a nearly 12,000-square-foot space.
- 2026 co-chairs: Beyoncé, Nicole Kidman, Venus Williams, Anna Wintour.
- 2025 theme 'Superfine: Tailoring Black Style' organized by Andrew Bolton and Monica Miller.
- 2024 theme 'Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion' featured 250 items from permanent collection.
- 2023 theme honored Karl Lagerfeld with 150 pieces from 1950–2019, designed by Tadao Ando.
- 2022 theme 'In America: An Anthology of Fashion' was second part of American fashion examination.
- 2021 theme 'In America: A Lexicon of Fashion' centered on 'Who gets to be American?'
- 2020 theme 'About Time: Fashion and Duration' was postponed due to pandemic.
- 2019 theme 'Camp: Notes on Fashion' drew on Susan Sontag's essay.
- 2018 theme 'Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination' included Vatican artifacts.
- 2017 theme honored Rei Kawakubo/Comme des Garçons.
- 2016 theme 'Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology' explored handmade vs. machine-made.
- 2015 theme 'China: Through the Looking Glass' celebrated China's influence on Western fashion.
- 2014 theme 'Charles James: Beyond Fashion' featured 100 of his designs.
- First Met Gala theme under Anna Wintour's chairmanship was 1995 'Haute Couture'.
Entities
Artists
- Beyoncé
- Nicole Kidman
- Venus Williams
- Anna Wintour
- Andrew Bolton
- Monica Miller
- André Leon Talley
- Karl Lagerfeld
- Tadao Ando
- Rei Kawakubo
- Charles James
- Susan Sontag
- Oscar Wilde
- J.G. Ballard
- Rihanna
- Katy Perry
- Pharrell Williams
- Caroline Kennedy
- Claire Danes
- Emma Watson
- George Clooney
- Amal Clooney
- Guo Pei
- Sarah Jessica Parker
- Bradley Cooper
- Oscar de la Renta
- Timothée Chalamet
- Billie Eilish
- Amanda Gorman
- Naomi Osaka
- Prabal Gurung
- Marc Jacobs
- Ashley Graham
- La La Anthony
- Cara Delevingne
- Emma Chamberlain
- Lady Gaga
- Madonna
- Zendaya
- Pete Davidson
- Kim Kardashian
- A$AP Rocky
- Ysaunny Brito
- Olivier Rousteing
- Arizona Muse
- Colman Domingo
- Lewis Hamilton
- LeBron James
- Jennifer Lopez
- Chris Hemsworth
- Bad Bunny
- Michaela Coel
- Penélope Cruz
- Roger Federer
- Dua Lipa
- Jared Leto
- Kanye West
- Gigi Hadid
- Zayn Malik
- Dakota Johnson
- Florence Welch
- Carey Mulligan
- Jessica Biel
- Amber Valletta
- Gwyneth Paltrow
- Eva Mendes
- Naomi Campbell
- Renée Zellweger
- Helen Lasichanh
- Olsen twins
- Elsa Schiaparelli
- Miuccia Prada
- Lee Alexander McQueen
- Gianni Versace
- Coco Chanel
- Christian Dior
- Philip Treacy
- Givenchy
- Valentino
- Bvlgari
- Belperron
- Dior Men
- Jean Louis
- Cartier
- Balenciaga
- Maria Tash
- Thelma West
- ERL
- Brandon Maxwell
- Jean Paul Gaultier
- Narcisa Pheres
- Comme des Garçons
- Balmain
- Jason Wu
- Ralph & Russo
- Riccardo Tisci
- Rooney Mara
- Emilio Pucci
- Blake Lively
Institutions
- The Metropolitan Museum of Art
- Costume Institute
- Vogue
- Condé M. Nast Galleries
- Barnard College
- Columbia University
- Chloé
- Fendi
- Chanel
- Jean Paul Gaultier
- Off-White
- Schiaparelli
- Moschino
- Dior
- Thom Browne
- Balmain
- Calvin Klein
- Givenchy
- Alexander McQueen
- Christian Dior Haute Couture
- Ralph & Russo
- Valentino
- Bvlgari
- Belperron
- Cartier
- Maria Tash
- Thelma West
- BVLGARI
- ERL
- Brandon Maxwell
- Narcisa Pheres
- Lorraine Schwartz
- Guo Pei
- Prabal Gurung
- La Réunion
- Met Gala
- Metropolitan Museum of Art
- Anna Wintour Costume Center
- Getty Images
Locations
- New York City
- United States
- Vatican City
- Rome
- Italy
- China
- Japan
- France
- United Kingdom
- America
- New York
Sources
- Vogue Arts —
- Vogue Arts —