The possibilities for interpreting the “Fashion Is Art” dress code at the Met Gala 2026 were endless, but for some guests, classicism was the focus on the red carpet. Among the eight subsections of the “Costume Art” exhibition, the “classic body” division, centered on Hellenistic and Roman art, proved to be a popular starting point for celebrities and creators.
Unsurprisingly, guests favored drapes that seemed to be cut from marble: Laura Harrier embraced the wet look in a draped Di Petsa dress, and Lindsey Vonna’s trompe-l’oeil pearls by Thom Browne imitated swirling black and white marble. However, participants demonstrated that it was still possible to be creative with classic art. Like Kendall Jenner and Zac Posen who pushed the boundaries of the humble white T-shirt, turning the basic GapStudio into an eloquent version of the Winged Victory of Samothrace, while Chase Infiniti – in Thom Browne – gave the Venus de Milo a colorful update.
And, of course, Heidi Klum took the exercise to its extreme by embodying the Veiled Vestal of Raffaele Monti, with the help of prosthetics. In Rome, as the saying goes… Here is an overview of the Met Gala 2026 guests who were inspired by the classic body.
