All our Met Gala predictions from the fashion writers group chat

The assignment: Fashion Is Art.

The 2026 Met Gala is mere days away. The biggest night of fashion takes place in New York on the first Monday of May, meaning if you’re in Australia, those red carpet arrivals will start flooding your feeds on Tuesday morning.

This year’s dress code, ‘Fashion Is Art’, celebrates the opening of the Costume Institute’s spring fashion exhibition, Costume Art. The show will sit at the intersection of fashion and art (duh), focusing on “treating the dressed body as a living canvas”, and pairing garments with sculptures and paintings spanning some 5,000 years.

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Of the many A-listers expected to arrive, confirmed guests include co-chairs Beyoncé, Nicole Kidman, Venus Williams, and Anna Wintour, naturally. They’ll be joined by a star-studded host committee including Ashley Graham, Cara Delevingne, Emma Chamberlain, Paloma Elsesser, Misty Copeland, La La Anthony, Lena Dunham, Elizabeth Debicki and Lisa from BlackPink.

Safe to say, it’s going to be a particularly epic event to watch and let’s be real – judge. Who will take the assignment literally, and who will surprise us with their interpretation? In the spirit of wishful thinking (and a healthy does of cynicism), we consulted a group chat of Australian fashion writers and stylists for their thoughts. Behold, our 2026 Met Gala predictions.

On the nose

“I predict Viktor and Rolf will be front and centre. It could be argued the theme is a riff on their AW15 Paris collection. I’d love to see someone like Janelle Monáe or Tilda Swinton embody one of their framed canvas pieces.” – Karinda Mutabazi, fashion stylist

@echoboard “Wearable Art” Viktor & Rolf Fall/Winter 2015 #viktorandrolf #couture #fashion #performance #archive ♬ son original – echoboard

“There’s definitely going to be at least one super literal interpretation of the ‘fashion is art’ theme – someone will have a frame and canvas around them.” – Cait Emma Burke, writer and producer

“Very Gilmore Girls festival of living pictures vibe.” – Allie Daisy King, digital creator and podcast host

It’s giving Mona Lisa?

“Someone like Zendaya will do an amazing rendition of Sanmartino’s The Veiled Christ.” – Lara Daly, Fashion Journal‘s senior editor

“I am anticipating people adorned in Renaissance-vibe food. Someone will come as the horse from Picasso’s Guernica.” – Ella Taverner, writer and producer

“Alex Consani will go as the Mona Lisa.” – Izzy Wight, writer and podcast host

@captincroookU see it or no?♬ original sound – Alex Consani

Archival pulls

“Someone will wear archival John Galliano – the 2003 collection inspired by Leigh Bowery. It hasn’t aged well but the vibe is ‘fashion is art’. At the very least, someone will reference the painted skin.” – Cait

“Rihanna will show up three hours late in archival Rei Kawakubo.” – Lara

“Charli xcx in archival Vivienne Westwood. Her work references Rococo art, so maybe Charli will be done up in that style with the hair and makeup.” – Cait

IRL performance art

“I’d love to see an Alexander McQueen live spray-painting moment for Adut Akech – reinforcing the fine line we walk with fashion and art, and the brutal savagery of AI and technology on the classical fashion canvas that is the model.” – Karinda

@ogmagazin3 In 1999, fashion witnessed one of its first true “AI-era” premonitions. Alexander McQueen ended his Spring/Summer show with supermodel Shalom Harlow spinning on a platform as two industrial robots sprayed her dress in real time. Using her Dress as a canvas, the design was created live, in front of the audience, like a performance piece mixed with a machine uprising. It became one of the most iconic runway moments ever, a glitch in the timeline where tech and couture collided years before the world was ready. Alexander McQueen Spring/Summer (1999) #alexandermcqueen #shalomharlow #fashion #highfashion ♬ Suffocation slowed Crystal Castles – I have no one to vent to

“This might be wishful thinking, but somebody will do an homage to the Shalom Harlow moment. At the very least, someone will have their gown painted on the carpet, surely Bella Hadid or Lady Gaga.” – Izzy

“Someone (Addison Rae?) will have body paint. Only their accessories and shoes will be from the designer, the rest will be body-as-canvas vibes.” – Cait

Nudes and body-as-canvas

“I assume naked dressing will be everywhere. Teyana Taylor is the perfect candidate. I also feel like Nicole Kidman might surprise everyone with a sheer or classically draped look. I’d love to see a reimagining of Boticelli’s The Birth of Venus.” – Karinda

“There’ll definitely be some designer like Maison Margiela doing a nude illusion moment.” – Holly Villagra, Fashion Journal’s branded content and production coordinator

“Demi Moore will have a Bianca Censori coat-drop moment.” – Lara Daly

Power couples, hard launches

“Kendall Jenner and Jacob Elordi won’t go together but will constantly be in close proximity.” — Daisy Henry, Fashion Journal‘s assistant editor

“Kim K and Lewis Hamilton will hard launch.” – Cait

“Justin and Hailey will embody the power couple. He’ll wear an oversized suit and beanie; she’ll wear all-black Saint Laurent.” – Daisy

“Beyoncé will announce her album that week.” – Zoe

Paying homage

“Grace Jones will show up in an ode to Keith Haring. There’ll be many odes to Frida Kahlo, surely one from Zoë Kravitz.” – Lara

“Someone will do an ode to female artists or designers, maybe something like what Natalie Portman did.” – Maggie Zhou, writer and podcast host

The C-Suite

“Hate to say it, but Zara will have its claws in some celebrity doing a version of a high-fashion moment.” – Holly

“There will be some kind of try-hard The Devil Wears Prada activation or moment.” – Zoe Walker-Ahwa, writer

“I predict weird vibes with Lauren Sánchez overlord energy and corporate machinations of The Devil Wears Prada hanging over it. ‘Fashion is art’ but our sponsors have requested no political statements pls.” – Rebecca Wadey, writer

“Mrs Bezos will arrive wearing Anna Wintour. A tight squeeze, perhaps, though Wintour seems to believe the Bezos fit seamlessly into Vogue’s world.” – Daniel Mizzi

For more on this year’s Met Gala theme, try this.