Whitaker Malem, Allen Jones, and Kim Kardashian's Met Gala breastplate

London design duo Whitaker Malem created Kim Kardashian's orange fibreglass breastplate for the 2026 Met Gala, collaborating with pop art sculptor Allen Jones and visual artist Nadia Lee Cohen. The breastplate was cast from a mould derived from Jones's 1969 Hatstand sculpture, sprayed orange by Martyn Smith at MPS Body and Paint in Lydd, Kent. Kardashian wore it naked underneath, with a hand-painted leather skirt added. The piece weighed as much as a bag of flour. Whitaker Malem, founded in 1988, are self-described 'pop artisans' who typically make 12 garments a year. They have worked on film costumes including Brad Pitt's skirt in Troy, Wonder Woman's suit, and Halle Berry's belt in Die Another Day. The breastplate was collected days before the gala by a courier who flew first class from Los Angeles. Kardashian attended the gala with Jones, whose fetishistic furniture has influenced fashion designers like Thierry Mugler.