Kim Kardashian Embraces '60s Art Style at Met Gala 2026 | Vanity Fair

Since making her Met Gala debut 12 years ago, Kim Kardashian has remained a highly anticipated arrival at the annual event, with viewers eager to see what she’ll wear next. The Met Gala 2026 was no different, as Kardashian arrived on the red carpet dressed in body plates crafted in the 1960s. Leaning into this year’s dress code of Fashion Is Art, Kardashian worked with British artist Allen Jones to create the bright orange look.

When she first showed up at the Met Gala in 2013 as Kanye West’s plus-one, Kardashian donned a custom Givenchy by Riccardo Tisci jersey dress that drew eyes to her baby bump (at the time, Kardashian was pregnant with the then couple’s first child, North West). The look gave way to seemingly countless memes and was later dubbed the “couch dress” due to its similarities to a patterned sofa. The bad publicity made Kardashian emotional—and in the years since, the Skims cofounder has opted to show off more provocative looks.

Kardashian has never shied away from the spotlight. In 2016 she matched West for the theme “Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology” by dressing like a self-proclaimed “blingy sexy robot,” as she told E! News. And few can forget her 2019 look for “Camp: Notes on Fashion,” which featured an exaggerated corset that made breathing nearly impossible and left indentations in her skin. Kardashian turned heads in the figure-skimming look, which was custom-made by Thierry Mugler. Kardashian told Vogue that for her look, the designer envisioned her as “this California girl stepping out of the ocean, wet, dripping.”

In 2021, Kardashian opted for full coverage…mostly. The superstar clothed herself in a spandex-like black ensemble that masked her face, head, and feet, only showing her long ponytail. While it was later revealed that she was wearing a full face of makeup under the Balenciaga disguise, it was all in vain—the tight bodysuit covered her completely. Her silhouette, of course, was still recognizable to photographers stationed on the Met Gala red carpet.

In 2022, Kardashian appeared with then-boyfriend Pete Davidson in a dress Marilyn Monroe wore when she sang “Happy Birthday” to John F. Kennedy in 1962 for the theme “In America: An Anthology of Fashion.” Kardashian had to slim down to fit into the dress—but that wasn’t an issue for the businesswoman, who is no stranger to altering her body or pushing herself to extremes to make a fashion statement. The following year, she wore a custom Schiaparelli design weighted with 50,000 freshwater pearls and 16,000 crystals. And in 2024, she slipped into a Maison Margiela by John Galliano dress that was so tight she could barely breathe in it: “It’s an art form, but I got it,” she told Vogue at the time. “I’ll feel so snatched, I won’t even be able to communicate to you how snatched I feel.”

Kardashian’s form-fitting gowns, controversial near nudity, and sultry appearances have all cemented her as a pioneer of experimental looks. This year, some may say she took it to the next level—but perhaps others might think it’s a nod to Barbarella.

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