At the 2026 Met Gala, Anne Hathaway once again proved that fashion is a living archive of history and artistry. Her custom Michael Kors gown—a strapless silk-and-wool mikado confection with a cascade skirt—was hand-painted by artist Peter McGough, a former classmate of the designer. The motifs, inspired by Eirene, the Greek goddess of peace, and doves, echoed the evening’s theme, “Fashion Is Art.” Kors himself invoked John Keats’ “Ode on a Grecian Urn,” calling Hathaway his living urn. Yet beneath that flowing, floor-sweeping skirt lay a pair of Roger Vivier Viv’ Choc Platform Sandals in lustrous black satin, their 4.7-inch covered heels and crystal-encrusted platforms catching the flashbulbs. The sandals, with their signature mini Viv’ Choc buckle and heart-adorned insole, are a modern nod to the maison’s legacy: Roger Vivier, the master of the stiletto, revolutionized footwear in the 1950s by inventing the metal-tipped heel and crafting for Dior’s New Look. Hathaway’s history with the Met Gala is itself a curated timeline of fashion moments—from her 2009 Marc Jacobs bubble dress to her 2023 Versace homage to Gianni Versace and Karl Lagerfeld, and last year’s Carolina Herrera look. Her return this year, fresh from The Devil Wears Prada 2 press tour, reminds us that lingerie and footwear have long been the invisible scaffolding of haute couture. The 2026 gala, co-chaired by Beyoncé Knowles-Carter, Nicole Kidman, Venus Williams, and Anna Wintour, raised funds for the Costume Institute, where the art of dressing—from corsetry to crystal sandals—is preserved as cultural heritage.
Originally reported by WWD