Art Girlies at the Met
– 5 min read
The Met Gala happens inside a museum, which makes it 1) a great cover for a heist, as depicted in the documentary film Ocean’s 8, and 2) a place of preservation. Museums preserve everything from centuries of colonialism to a cool rock a guy named Doug found once on a hike (the best museums are roadside collections, of course). I do always like it when attendees of the Met Gala choose to reference a specific museum piece, bonus points if it is housed within the Met itself.
There were several of these so-called art girlies at the Met Gala last night, including Ciara and her husband, Russell Wilson, who turned up in coordinated, Egyptian-inspired looks referencing legendary queen Nefertiti and her husband, Akhenaten (father of Tutankhamun, though Nefertiti was his stepmother).
What I love about this look is that from the moment you see them, you know who and what they’re referencing. Nefertiti’s bust, housed in Berlin’s Neues Museum, is one of the single most recognizable pieces of sculpture in the world. Without looking like she’s ripping the look directly from antiquity, Ciara is clearly evoking the pharaoh-queen. Russell’s suit, meanwhile, is a clear riff on pharaonic symbology, notably the winged epaulets on his coat, which recall the winged sun disk, a prominent symbol of the god Horus.
Interestingly, Akhenaten and Nefertiti were monotheists who worshipped the sun god Aten and tried to move Egypt to a monotheistic religion. It didn’t work and was very unpopular and a huge reason Tutankhamen was venerated as a god in his (short) lifetime was because he restored the polytheistic pantheon after his dad—and maybe Nefertiti ruling for a spell after Akhenaten’s death—cleared off the throne. But that’s for museums.
Ciara and Russell Wilson are for style. And romance!
Another art girly is Hailey Bieber, who wore a custom Saint Laurent look with a sculpted gold bodice (made from 24k gold, in case the conspicuous consumption wasn’t already enough for you), with a sheer blue cape and skirt. It’s a striking, colorful look for sure.
It’s a bit Hellenistic, a bit Wonder Woman, it’s very evocative of classical statuary dedicated to goddesses. She could be Nike of Samothrace, except with her head and arms intact. I really like this look. Very strong showing from Hailey Beebs.
There were two more art girlies, both of whom referenced the same artist. Gracie Abrams and Hunter Schafer both wore gowns inspired by Gustav Klimt. Gracie Abrams’ Chanel dress is an obvious pull done in Klimt’s signature shade of gold with jeweled embellishments that recall Klimt’s most famous work, Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I.
I don’t love the bottom half of the dress—feels like they just gave up below the bodice—but the colors are striking with Gracie’s dark hair, and her makeup is great.
Hunter Schafer’s Klimt reference is less obvious, but she is pulling from a painting housed in the Met—bonus points. Hunter’s Prada dress is inspired by Mäda Primavesi, a portrait of a nine-year-old girl.
It’s not nearly as successful as Gracie’s dress, and not just because Hunter’s painting is less famous. The only clear reference is the floral detail under the bust on the dress, and kind of the color. Otherwise, Hunter’s dress has more in common with Laura Ashley wallpaper circa 1992 than Gustav Klimt. (Also, the dress is supposed to look like it was pulled, moth eaten, out of an attic.) Credit where it’s due, though, Hunter’s makeup is also very pretty. I just wish the dress was giving less wallpaper and more fine art.
Finally, the final boss of art girlies at the Met, it’s Anne Hathaway in Michael Kors. Riding high on the success of The Devil Wears Prada 2, she showed up in a gown with classical motifs, with hand-painted designs by artist Peter McGough.
This is especially fitting as Anne’s next film on the docket is Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey, in which she plays Odysseus’s famously faithful wife, Penelope. I especially like how the trim detail on the dress echoes embroidery, as Penelope spent years pretending to weave a shroud to slow down her suitors. I look forward to Nolan’s take on The Odyssey, a story in which cool women are constantly stymied by a group of men who don’t want to be alone with their wives.
Annie almost always kills it at the Met Gala, and while this is hardly the wildest or boldest look of the night, it is one of the most cohesive and directly references the history of decorative art as displayed within the museum. It also doesn’t look like your grandmother’s drapes, so all around good job, everyone.
Ciara (with Russell Wilson) and Hailey Bieber attend the 2026 Met Gala celebrating "Costume Art" at Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 04, 2026 in New York City
Gracie Abrams Hunter Schafer attend the 2026 Met Gala celebrating "Costume Art" at Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 04, 2026 in New York City
Anne Hathaway attends the 2026 Met Gala celebrating "Costume Art" at Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 04, 2026 in New York City
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