Four Understated Looks of the Met Gala 2026

By Valentina Cauchi '28

The Met Gala, fashion’s biggest night of the year, took place on the first Monday of May at the Upper East Side’s beloved Metropolitan Museum of Art. The night was overwhelmed with Met debuts, iconic celebrity sightings, and of course, extravagance. With this year’s theme of Costume Art, the media heavily focused on the “showstoppers” of the night, such as Kendall Jenner’s Gap Studio Greek Goddess-inspired look and Hudson William's long-awaited Balenciaga ensemble –I am here to emphasize the understated looks of the night. 

 Daisy Edgar-Jones by Alexander McQueen: 

The English actress, Daisy Edgar-Jones, attended her third Met Gala in an artistic but nothing short of elegant gown by McQueen. Her sculpted dress was made of ivory silk georgette, which is a semi-sheer fabric carrying a crinkly finish as well as heritage floral lace for a feminine touch. Her custom look was adorned with three-dimensional lace and shredded-tulle embroidery. The “undone” look intentionally implies the theme with the message that less is more. 

Alexa Chung in Dior:

The former British model, Alexa Chung, stunned in a custom Dior gown by fashion’s current biggest name, Jonathan Anderson. Her gown was inspired by the French painter Claude Monet’s water lilies series. Her lime green gown, featuring a single-blooming water lily was elegantly accessorized by voluminous white hydrangea flower earrings, creating a contrasting look. Her look implies the theme by sharing a simple look symbolizing enlightenment and purity. 

Gracie Abrams in Chanel:

One of pop music’s favorite current artists, Gracie Abrams, made her second Met Gala appearance wearing full custom Chanel. Her inspiration originated from Gustav Klimt’s gold-leaf portrait and was nothing short of exceptional. Her delicate accessorizing habits that we’ve seen on her all award season followed through her Met Gala presence as she was wearing dangling yellow-gold and diamond earrings as well as two diamond rings. Her all-gold look implies an artistic theme by representing high value, and great beauty while remaining simplistic. 

Sarah Pidgeon by Loewe:

After her breakout role of playing Carolyn Bessette Kennedy in the hit series Love Story, Sarah Pidgeon made her Met Gala debut dressed by Loewe. Her look, leaning into CBK’s minimal sense of style, was inspired by classical and Renaissance sculptural art pieces. With her quiet luxury statement of wearing no jewelry, her gown’s loud green essence with an oversized bow was gorgeous. 

All Photos Courtesy of Instagram and Vogue.

Sources: instyle.com, vogue.com, vogue.com, elle.com, people.com

Edited by: Catherine Grace Polatidis '26, Kiana Mehran '29 and Ms. Brilliant

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