ARTFEED — Contemporary Art Intelligence

Tschabalala Self Wears Brandon Blackwood to 2026 Met Gala

exhibition · 2026-05-05

Artist Tschabalala Self will co-chair the 2026 Met Gala, which launches the Costume Institute's exhibition "Costume Art" (opening May 10). For her first attendance, she commissioned friend and designer Brandon Blackwood to create her gown. Blackwood, a Brooklyn native and Bard College alum like Self, worked with New York's Atelier YQS on the dress—his first for the event. He is known for anti-racism handbags and has dressed Beyoncé, Serena Williams, and Megan Thee Stallion. Self, from Harlem, has risen in the contemporary art world.

Key facts

  • 2026 Met Gala kicks off 'Costume Art' exhibition at the Costume Institute
  • Exhibition officially opens on May 10
  • Tschabalala Self serves as a gala co-chair
  • Self attends the Met Gala for the first time
  • Brandon Blackwood designed Self's gown and styled her look
  • Blackwood worked with New York's Atelier YQS on the dress
  • Blackwood and Self both born and raised in New York City
  • Blackwood and Self attended Bard College together

Entities

Artists

  • Tschabalala Self
  • Brandon Blackwood

Institutions

  • Metropolitan Museum of Art
  • Costume Institute
  • Bard College
  • Atelier YQS

Locations

  • New York City
  • Brooklyn
  • Harlem
  • New York

Sources