NEW YORK, NEW YORK – MAY 04: Imaan Hammam attends the Saint Laurent Met Gala after party at People’s Bar on May 04, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by Ilya S. Savenok/Getty Images for Saint Laurent)
I know everyone is talking about the art-inspired gowns worn up the glorious steps at the Metropolitan Museum’s annual fundraiser for the Costume Institute, but I think we should be zeroing in on the fun after-party looks as well. They are just as noteworthy, fabulous, and easy to recreate during your next night out.
These are the looks that might not be in the highlight reels, but absolutely should. The ones that are actually wearable, actually shoppable, and honestly? Way more fun to copy. From bold color to goth girl black, here are the after-party outfits we’re still thinking about.
Margot Robbie
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – MAY 04: Margot Robbie attends the Saint Laurent Met Gala after party at People’s Bar on May 04, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by Ilya S. Savenok/Getty Images for Saint Laurent)
Leave it to Robbie to show up to the most glamorous fête in fashion wearing jeans and still somehow be the best-dressed person in the room. It’s proof that the tried-and-true “jeans and a cute top” combo will never let you down. Here she paired a sequin jacket over a classic tank top and jeans and used metallic sandals to solidify her winning look.
Laura Harrier
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – MAY 04: (L-R) Vittoria Ceretti and Laura Harrier attend the Saint Laurent Met Gala after party at People’s Bar on May 04, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by Ilya S. Savenok/Getty Images for Saint Laurent)
You can never go wrong with a little black dress. Harrier went full dark romance in a sheer lace number. The deep V-neckline, thigh slit, and strappy kitten heels kept things undeniably sultry, while the dark motif grounded it enough to feel intentional rather than costume-y. It’s the kind of dress that looks complicated to pull off but really only requires confidence. Pair it with a sleek bag, and you’re good to go.
Annabelle Wallis
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – MAY 04: Annabelle Wallis attends the Saint Laurent Met Gala after party at People’s Bar on May 04, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by Ilya S. Savenok/Getty Images for Saint Laurent)
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – MAY 4: Simone Ashley is seen arriving at the hotel during the 2026 Met Gala celebrating “Costume Art”on May 4, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by Adrian Edwards/GC Images)
Simone Ashley took black-on-black and made it anything but basic with a halterneck top and asymmetric skirt, all anchored with knee-high boots that immediately elevate the entire situation. It’s an outfit that walks the line between edgy and polished. If you’ve been waiting for permission to wear boots throughout the spring and summer, consider this your green light.
Imaan Hammam
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – MAY 04: Imaan Hammam attends the Saint Laurent Met Gala after party at People’s Bar on May 04, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by Ilya S. Savenok/Getty Images for Saint Laurent)
The trendiest moment of them all? Lace-trimmed silk shorts paired with a windbreaker. Hammam showed us how it’s done in Saint Laurent, but you can recreate the look at a fraction of the price, thanks to brands like Intimissimi and Zella.
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Every year, the Met Gala asks celebrities to dress to a theme. Most of the time, "dressing to a theme" means a mood board and a willing designer. But this year's "Fashion is Art" dress code — tied to the Met's Costume Art exhibition — demanded something more literal: an actual artistic reference, executed with enough intent to hold up to scrutiny. Luckily, a lot of them delivered.
From Harlem Renaissance paintings to 17th-century Baroque masters, the 2026 carpet became a crash course in art history. We've rounded up the looks that genuinely earned their references, explained what they're actually pointing to, and let the art speak for itself.
Madonna
Wearing a custom Saint Laurent look inspired by Leonora Carrington’s painting The Temptation of St. Anthony, Fragment II (1945).Photo: Courtesy of Theo Wargo / Getty Images
Gracie Abrams
Wearing custom Chanel by Matthieu Blazy inspired by Klimt’s “Portrait of Adele Block-Bauer I” (1907).Photo: Courtesy of Jamie McCarthy / Getty Images
Hunter Schafer
In a custom Prada look inspired by Gustav Klimt’s 1912 painting “Mäda Primavesi.”Photo: Courtesy of Dimitrios Kambouris / Getty Images
Venus Williams
In a custom Swarovski gown directly referencing Robert Pruitt's "Venus Williams, Double Portrait" (2022), commissioned by the National Portrait Gallery.Photo: Courtesy of Michael Loccisano / Getty Images
Mona Patel
Wearing a custom Dolce & Gabanna Alta Moda design inspired by Leonardo da Vinci’s “Vitruvian Man” (1490) and the Renaissance philosophy of fusing art and science.Photo: Courtesy of Mona Patel / Instagram
Angela Bassett
Wears a custom Prabal Gurung gown inspired by Harlem Renaissance artist, Laura Wheeler Waring’s "Girl in Pink Dress" (1927).Photo: Courtesy of Dimitrios Kambouris / Getty Images
Rachel Zegler
Wearing custom Prabal Gurung referencing "The Execution of Lady Jane Grey" (1833).Photo: Courtesy of Dimitrios Kambouris / Getty Images
Anne Hathaway
In custom Michael Kors Collection, hand-painted by artist Peter McGough and inspired by ancient Greek pottery, with John Keats' "Ode on a Grecian Urn" (1819) as a starting point.Photo: Courtesy of Kevin Mazur / Getty Images
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The first Monday in May is here, and the Hollywood and fashion elite are gearing up for one of the biggest nights in entertainment: the Met Gala. But, like every year, the backlash to the world’s rich and famous flaunting their wealth while the world is on fire has been swift and passionate. Protestors have been making their dissent known throughout New York City since February, when Amazon founder and noted evil billionaire, Jeff Bezos, and his wife, Lauren Sanchez Bezos, were announced as the event’s honorary co-chairs and lead sponsors of the fundraiser for the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute.
But the calls to boycott the annual, invitation-only gala are nothing new. There’s a long history of organizers and activists pushing against the event, which sees tables going for upwards of $100,000. When people can barely afford to buy eggs or basic healthcare, and gas prices are astronomical, it’s understandable why this egregious display of excess is off-putting. Critics of Bezos’ involvement with the gala cite a long list of concerns, as per The New York Times, which includes major layoffs and editorial decisions at The Washington Post, which he owns; Amazon’s donations to President Donald Trump’s inauguration fund; and Amazon’s backing of a $40 million documentary about the first lady Melania Trump.
Bezos reportedly contributed $10 million dollars to the Met Gala, which does ultimately serve to fund the Costume Institute, but aside from a general surge in anti-billionaire sentiment (imagine supporting billionaires in this economy?!), people are upset because of Amazon’s treatment of its workers and its ties to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Amazon workers have said they’ve had to skip bathroom breaks and urinate in bottles. To shed light on these horrific workplace conditions, a guerrilla activist group called Everyone Hates Elon(yes, as in Musk) has been leading boycott calls by plastering posters on New York subway cars and bus stops and projecting slogans on buildings. On Friday, the group placed 300 bottles of fake urine inside the Museum.
And this morning, while stylists have been steaming, makeup artists have been primping, and hairspray has been spraying, Mamdani made a point to highlight the people behind the scenes — six local industry garment workers are featured in a new portrait series by Kara McCurdy, including former Amazon delivery employees. (This morning, a group of organizations, including the Service Employees International Union, the Strategic Organizing Center, and the Amazon Labor Union staged a Ball Without Billionaires in which workers for Amazon, Uber, and Starbucks served as models).
A red carpet with this much global attention could be used to challenge power… If the night is going to center excess and spectacle, it might as well also reflect the realities people are protesting outside those museum steps.
kathleen newman-bremang
“The fashion industry is made possible by the thousands of workers behind the scenes — seamstresses, tailors, retail workers, delivery drivers — whose immense talent and dedication deserves to be celebrated,” Mamdani told i-D. This is a great point, and it’s also why I can’t do away with the Met Gala completely. There may be better ways to highlight the workers behind the scenes, but this event is one of the ways, and at its core, the Met Gala is a fundraising event for a museum that needs money to survive (although, it may be financially independent soon). Plus, this night employs hundreds of artists, stylists, fashion workers, and working-class people in New York.
As for the celebrities, Zendaya is also reportedly skipping the Met Gala and Meryl Streep, who has actually never been, is also likely not attending. It is not confirmed if any celebs skipping the night are doing so in solidarity with the protestors, but if they are, it would be nice to actually hear that stance from them. I know there was backlash when Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez showed up to the Met wearing a “Tax the Rich” dress, but I do think this is a perfect platform for celebrities to use fashion as messaging. The Met Gala is literally about the intersection of art and culture, so why not lean into that? Clothes have always been political, whether people want them to be or not, and a red carpet with this much global attention could be used to challenge power, spark conversation, and make a statement that goes beyond aesthetics. If the night is going to center excess and spectacle, it might as well also reflect the realities people are protesting outside those museum steps.
In the words of Miranda Priestly in The Devil Wears Prada 2, the Bezoses are not visionaries, they are vendors — and the fact that they are two of the faces of an event that is supposed to be a celebration of art makes very little sense. On the surface, The Devil Wears Prada 2 is an entertaining sequel, full of glossy fashion moments and sharp one-liners, but underneath all that, it’s poking at something deeper: who actually gets to shape fashion and culture, and at what cost? When money becomes the loudest voice in the room, creativity risks becoming just another commodity (see: Emily).
The satire hits a little too close to home when you look at what’s happening around the Met Gala right now. Billionaires underwriting culture isn’t new, but the growing discomfort with that reality is. The movie frames it as absurd — editors bending to sponsors, art bending to capital — but outside the theater, it’s playing out in real time. What’s being protested isn’t just one event, but a broader system where wealth doesn’t just fund art, it influences it. And increasingly, people are asking whether that influence is something we should keep accepting as the price of admission. I don’t think we should.
“The Met Gala is now giving Bezos exactly the kind of reputation laundering and cultural rocket fuel he needs to keep destroying America,” Cynthia Nixon, Gilded Age actress and activist who ran for New York governor in 2018, said to The New York Times. She’s not wrong, and it’s through these protests (and notable people refusing to show up), that public pressure starts to chip away at the gloss. It shifts the narrative from spectacle to scrutiny, forcing a closer look at who benefits from these cultural moments. And if that attention keeps building, it could push institutions to rethink who they align with — and why.
What’s being protested isn’t just one event, but a broader system where wealth doesn’t just fund art, it influences it. And increasingly, people are asking whether that influence is something we should keep accepting as the price of admission. I don’t think we should.
kathleen newman-bremang
Potentially one day, The Costume Institute won’t need Vogue or billionaires to continue their important work. Until then, I think it’s important to be having these conversations. The activists doing the work of protesting and organizing to send a message to Bezos and the world about class inequality and ICE terrorizing U.S. neighborhoods is necessary. The spectacle that is the Met Gala will go on, but pressure being applied outside its iconic steps is what will force a broader reckoning about who gets to fund culture, who it serves, and whose voices are too often not given seats at $100,000 tables.
Ultimately, it’s up to us, the consumers, if we want to engage in any of it. I completely understand the decision to opt out. For us here at Refinery29, we have jobs to do. We cover Amazon in our shopping stories, because many working-class people depend on its low prices, but that’s what makes their practices even more egregious. We follow culture. We cover fashion, entertainment, and pop culture, and this — for better and for worse — is a massive cultural event. Personally, I’ll be looking out for celebs who use their Met Gala look to prove that art is political and who aren’t afraid to say it with their full chests, in a room with the man responsible for so much oppression and, increasingly, attacks on press freedom. I want to see them demonstrate that fashion can speak louder than hollow donations and that art can never be bought.
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Don’t feel bad if you have no idea what Mother’s Day gift you’re going to buy this year. Your secret is safe with us. Plus, I’m a professional shopper (hi, it’s me the Shopping Director at Refinery29), and I live for a challenge.
The safest way to ensure your present arrives on time is to opt for a reliable place that can guarantee your order is there before she wakes up on May 10. Hate it or love it, Amazon has yet to fail in the speediness department. That two-day shipping (sometimes even less) always shows up right on time, and it’s free for Prime members.
Of course, the only headache is searching through the seemingly endless amount of options at the everything store. My pro tip is to stick to the holy trinity of Mother’s Day gifting: fashion, wellness, or beauty. One of those categories is bound to have something that will put a smile on her face. Whether she’s a fashionista who has particular taste or a self-care queen who starts every morning with red light therapy, you’re bound to find a perfect present when you zoom in on those sections.
See for yourself below.
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Fashion Gifts For Stylish Moms
Whether your mom is the type to never leave the house without the perfect accessory or she lives for a coordinated lounge set, this section is for the woman who treats every hallway like a runway. From statement-making Jenny Bird earrings to a timeless Marc Jacobs mini bag, these picks are designed to elevate her daily uniform. If she’s more about that “off-duty” look, treat her to some premium Eberjey pajamas or a breezy Free People set that makes sleeping in feel like a five-star event.
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Wellness Gifts For Radiant Moms
For the mom who prioritizes her peace and vitality, we’ve rounded up the ultimate tools for a home-spa transformation. Give her that gift of a glow-up with high-tech essentials like an infrared sauna or a red light therapy panel that brings professional-grade recovery right to her living room. If she prefers a more low-key approach to self-care, a copper hammered water pitcher or a curated set of infused olive oils offers a touch of luxury to her daily rituals.
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Beauty Gifts For Pampered Moms
If her vanity is her sanctuary, these beauty heavy-hitters are guaranteed to earn you “favorite child” status. We’re talking about the gold standard of hair tools — the Dyson Airwrap — and cult-favorite skincare sets from Caudalie and Pyunkang Yul that deliver that “just-had-a-facial” radiance. These are the little luxuries that make her feel celebrated every single day.
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