For decades, the Met Gala has offered the most public stage for the tension between concealment and exposure—a dialogue that sits at the very heart of lingerie history. The 2026 edition, anchored by the exhibition “Costume Art” and a dress code simply stated as “Fashion Is Art,” invited designers to treat the dressed body as a canvas. The result was a red carpet that read like a masterclass in the art of revelation.
From the diaphanous chiffon of Gigi Hadid’s custom Miu Miu—a house that, since its founding in 1993, has often played with the youthful irreverence of visible undergarments—to Zoë Kravitz’s Saint Laurent gown, where sheer black lace echoed the boudoir elegance that Yves Saint Laurent himself pioneered in the 1960s, each look engaged with the body as both subject and object. Camila Mendes chose a gown by Manish Malhotra, whose work frequently references the rich textile traditions of India, while Ashley Graham’s DiPetsa gown, paired with Gianvito Rossi heels, offered a bold nod to the modern corsetry that defines the brand’s sculptural approach.
Notably, the evening’s sheer moments were not limited to the women’s roster. Tyriq Withers, in custom Louis Vuitton, and Isla Johnston, in Loewe, demonstrated that transparency is a universal language. Cara Delevingne’s Ralph Lauren look, with its entirely sheer back, recalled the designer’s long fascination with the interplay between equestrian structure and sensuality.
Co-chaired by Beyoncé Knowles-Carter, Nicole Kidman, Venus Williams, and Anna Wintour, with honorary chairs Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez Bezos, the gala raised funds for the Costume Institute. But beyond the philanthropy, the carpet offered a living exhibition of how lingerie’s core principles—support, suggestion, and silhouette—continue to shape the highest echelons of fashion.
Originally reported by WWD