Fashion Is Art: This Year’s Met Gala Was Gay As Hell – That’s All

The Met Gala is, at its core, a fundraiser. A very serious, very important night for art, culture, and… whatever the hell happens when celebrities, fashion icons, and a wildly broad dress code collide.

This year’s theme, “Fashion Is Art,” basically gave everyone permission to either serve oil painting masterpiece or absolute nonsense. I’ve been bored by the Met Gala — particularly the fellas rocking up in basic suits (genuinely like… why fuckin’ bother?) — in recent years, so this year has delighted me. I’m no art nerd so forgive any and all missing references, but I’m very thankful for the theme: it certainly inspired the girls, gays and theys, and that is literally the only thing that matters to me.

Let’s get into it.

Chloe’s Very Silly And Definitively Correct Met Gala Opinions

 

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Luke Evans said: what if Tom of Finland go to Met Gala? Head-to-toe leather, sculpted, hyper-masculine — ugh, I am HORNY. The look was explicitly inspired by Tom of Finland’s iconic homoerotic art, and honestly, we need more of that energy at black-tie events. Less boring black suits, more gay leather fantasy. My Welsh king – what I would give for him to lavender marry me.

LADY GAGA x #MetGala 2026 pic.twitter.com/MkAFKo0fmw

— Lady Gaga Charts (@charts_lady) May 4, 2026

Then, Lady Gaga — our regal patron saint of doing the most. The flaming red hair and the wings on the headpiece, she’s giving phoenix vibes, or the chestplate and scales are screaming dragon. It’s a little gauche-y with the sequins for my personal taste, like a costume for the stage rather than the red carpet (sorry to all drag queens, I love it when you and Gaga do it!!) but regardless the colours are beautiful and she looks stunning – Gaga always understands the assignment. That being said, if she showed up in a bin bag, she’d still look gorgina and it would somehow still be some kind of avant garde thesis on post-capitalist glamour.

 

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Then there’s Hunter Schafer — god, just impossibly beautiful, innocence ripped to shreds, with a majestic-yet-shredded train and all. My admittedly lacking art knowledge managed to pick this one’s inspiration: Gustav Klimt’s Mäda Primavesi. Our ethereal trans angel hitting the brief!! No notes. Actually, one note: how dare she be that beautiful? Jesus.

Troye Sivan’s #MetGala look is inspired by Robert Mapplethorpe and 80s NYC.

(📷: Getty) pic.twitter.com/Oqh2JJZJzN

— Pop Base (@PopBase) May 4, 2026

Now, Troye Sivan rocked up in… jeans. Distressed Prada jeans, yes, but still — denim at the Met Gala is a chaotic choice, that is exceptionally risky in front of fashion critics far more experienced and brutal than moi. However, it’s less chaotic when you realise the look was a nod to queer artist Robert Mapplethorpe, which is pretty fabulous. Jeans at the Met Gala… honestly I applaud the bravery.

Doechii attends the 2026 Met Gala.#MetGala #MetGala2026 pic.twitter.com/d41hiYrQE9

— Pvssy Tight (@pvssytightt) May 4, 2026

Doechii embraced some strong dark feminine power in this sculptural and dramatic Marc Jacobs wrap dress. And no shoes at the Met Gala? She’s really sticking with her bohemian vibes right now, I adore it. Queer queen doing whatever the fuck she wants.

Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie at the 2026 Met Gala pic.twitter.com/mWNeJto1Cj

— Male Central (@TheMale_Central) May 4, 2026

Then we had stars of the gay hockey show, Connor Storrie and Hudson Williams. I’m not a huuuge fan of Storrie’s fit, it’s a little rich bitch for my personal taste – but holy fuck @ his arms? PHWOAR, mama. I really like the colours and the structure and the skin from Williams though – giving matador with clean lines. Makeup is not my favourite, but honestly men’s use of makeup at the Gala is usually so boring that I deeply appreciate he went big with it.

Also, I lost my mind laughing at someone comparing Storrie’s outfit to the Canadian loon, which if you’ve seen Heated Rivalry, is so fucking funny. I hope that was genuinely his inspiration. 

 

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Hahahhahahhahahhahahhahhahahaahhhahahhahhaa.

 

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Colman Domingo continues his reign as one of the best-dressed men alive. Patchwork Maison Valentino, rich colours, big energy — he is one of the few people (particularly men) who has always dresses for the Met Gala like someone who actually enjoys fucking around with fashion, which is sadly rarer than you’d think at this event.

Sarah Paulson attends the 2026 Met Gala. pic.twitter.com/ZnE3dYBEtk

— 21 (@21metgala) May 5, 2026

Sarah Paulson rocked up wearing a stunningly massive heather grey Matières Fécales gown. It’s gorgeous, but it’s hard to focus on the fit because she was wearing eyewear that I can only assume was a not-so-subtle nod to the billionaire money swirling around the night. Imagine climbing those Met steps while functionally blind, just to say “this whole thing is a bit cooked, actually.” But tbh the lesbian icon can do whatever the fuck she wants, because she’s the perfect woman who has no flaws. The fact that I am in love with her is not biasing this review at all, kindly fuck off.

Sam Smith has arrived at the #MetGala.

(📷: Getty) pic.twitter.com/9ArOJGQDlJ

— Pop Base (@PopBase) May 4, 2026

Sam Smith leaned into their whole “I am the moment” thing, and look — it worked. The silhouettes were big as fuck, covered in sequins. Fuck it, go big or go home – give them a foam wig and the outfit coulda walked rifht out of in The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, and I love that for them. God, that mermaid tail-style bottom would’ve been SO hard to walk up those stairs though.

Janelle Monáe teases the message of her #MetGala outfit:

“Balance must be restored.” pic.twitter.com/qJgqHoDpiZ

— Variety (@Variety) May 4, 2026

What is the technology-vs-nature nightmare is this shit, Janelle Monae? This is insane, and I can’t quite figure out if I love this or hate it with the fire of a thousand suns. The butterflies are robots and they move?!! I feel like I’m having one of those like, covered-in-cold-sweat terrifying dreams you have when you’ve proper got the flu.

Alex Cosani vestindo Gucci chega no #MetGala #SintonizaNoMet pic.twitter.com/DGCY79THyO

— Sintoniza (@ssintoniza) May 4, 2026

Then, the models. Alex Consani floated in looking like a feathery angel, and Cara Delevingne, on the other hand, was giving a conservative kind of Gothic beauty in Ralph Lauren. Both were gorgeous and they of course looked stunning, but honestly compared the camp and nonsense delivered by their fellow queers, it just felt a little… I dunno, boring?

Can we get a little commotion for Cara Delevingne and her Ralph Lauren dress?! 🤩 #MetGala pic.twitter.com/6AeGebGako

— Entertainment Tonight (@etnow) May 4, 2026

And that’s kind of the whole point, ain’t it? The Met Gala isn’t about looking nice, or even glam (shoutout to Heidi Klum for getting that note – her marble statue look will forever now be the shape that my nightmare paralysis demon takes).

It’s about taking a big, weird swing — sometimes landing it, sometimes absolutely eating shit, and most importantly, doing it so the entire internet can judge them from their couches.

But in general, this year’s Met Gala red carpet was so much more interesting than previous years — brava and bravo. What can I say – the Met Gala is better when the gays and the queers get weird with it. So says me, a person on the other side of the world, who is writing this from their couch, while wearing trackies and a hoodie with the Guinness logo on it.

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