Dubai Designers Interpret Met Gala 2026 'Costume Art' Theme

As the Met Gala takes over its iconic steps in New York tonight, all eyes are on this year's dress code: 'Costume Art'. The annual fundraiser for The Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute has long been a stage where designers push beyond trends, creating looks that live somewhere between storytelling and spectacle.

This year's theme, tied to the Costume Institute's spring exhibition, invites designers and attendees to treat the body as a canvas and the red carpet as a gallery. Sculptural silhouettes, archival references, handwork that borders on installation art - all of it is fair game. And while the guest list gathers in Manhattan today, designers from all across the globe are very much in conversation with that idea.

So, how would Dubai designers interpret this year's theme? We asked two designers to share their take.

For Dubai-based fashion house Lili Blanc, 'Costume Art' is less a slogan and more a starting point for dialogue.“'Costume Art' is a conversation between cultures,” says founder Sabrina Mouhieddine.“In Dubai, we naturally infuse global craftsmanship with subtle regional codes. Architectural lines, fluid draping and heritage detailing ground the piece in identity. The result would feel internationally relevant yet unmistakably rooted.”

Founded in 2020 by the Lebanese designer and known for strong tailoring and empowering design, the brand has shown at Arab Fashion Week and featured collections such as 'Dream in a City' and 'Flamme Femme', which spotlight confident, modern women through sharp silhouettes.

Her imagined Met Gala piece for tonight would not“shout to be seen”, she says, but command attention in its restraint.“The story would embody understated authority and intelligent femininity,” Mouhieddine adds.“A presence like Zendaya, Amal Clooney, Anne Hathaway or Meryl Streep... women who wear fashion not just as style, but as a statement,” would make for her ideal muse.

In recent years, some of the most talked-about appearances at Met Gala have also been those that balance concept and craftsmanship with a sense of character - gowns that could almost stand alone in a museum, yet still move, breathe and belong to the woman wearing them.

If the Met steps are considered the world's most influential runway for a night, Shamma Majjan, Emirati founder of Asjad, sees Dubai as a parallel stage in its own right.

“Dubai and the Met Gala both represent global stages where fashion becomes a cultural expression,” she says.“One is rooted in New York's artistic legacy, the other in a city that has redefined modern luxury in just a few decades. Both are powerful. Both are influential.”

Her interpretation of 'Costume Art' this year is rooted in her sense of 'home'.“As an Emirati designer, my interpretation of 'Costume Art' would come from the foundation of who we are. We're a nation that stands for heritage and ambition,” she adds.“Our craftsmanship, our architectural silhouettes, our love for intricate detail are not just regional touches, these are global contributions. And when a design carries authentic identity, it doesn't need to compete for space.”

So, for her hypothetical Met Gala look, Majjan imagines a silhouette that mirrors the city's skyline.“The story would reflect a modern version of power and authority,” she says.“The design would showcase that ethos with Emirati precision through architectural structure and meticulous craftsmanship. I would love to have Zendaya as my muse for her ability to carry couture with strength.”

Part of what makes tonight's event so closely watched is the way it turns ideas into living exhibitions. Each year, the Met Gala's dress code nods to the central exhibition inside the museum, which historically has explored everything from designers' archives to the relationship between technology and dressing.

With 'Costume Art', the 2026 edition will dive deeper into what the gala has long been in practice: a moving 'museum' of fashion history, bold style and strong experimentation.

While cameras today may be fixated on the steps of Fifth Avenue, the conversation extends far beyond it. Because the Met Gala has never just been a New York moment, but the culmination of a wider ecosystem shaping how the world reimagines the future of fashion.

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