The Met Gala is inarguably fashion's biggest night of the year. The first Monday of May, entertainment's brightest gather on the Metropolitan Museum of Art's steps to celebrate fashion, art, and our most-lauded designers of the moment. And while the larger houses often have the biggest tables and presence, once in a while, someone else will cut through the noise with their designs alone. This year, that someone was Robert Wun, the Hong Kong born couturier responsible for countless best-dressed moments on the 2026 Met Gala red carpet.

In honor of Wun's incredible red carpet sweep—and that Met curator Andrew Bolton has added three of Wun’s works to the exhibition’s permanent collection—here are five things to know about the designer who won this year's Met Gala.

1. He Made His Runway Debut On The Paris Couture Calendar

Back in 2023, Robert Wun recieved a unanimous vote from the Fédération de la Haute Couture et de la Mode, which fast-tracked the London-based designer to show his first-ever runway show on the official Haute Couture calendar at Paris Fashion Week. After graduating from the London College of Fashion and launching his namesake brand in 2014, Wun's career changed overnight after mentorship from Bruno Pavlovsky, Chanel’s President of Fashion, and glowing endorsements from other high-profile fashion industry folks.

2. He's Behind Naomi Osaka's Viral Australian Open Look

Naomi Osaka has always had a strong tie to fashion, but when she arrived at the 2026 Australian Open in January, her veiled on-court look caused quite a stir. Collaborating with Wun, the tennis player wore a tiered, pleated mini skirt layered over wide-legged trousers, topped with a gauzy veil that floated from a white wide-brimmed hat. She accessorized with a parasol, which was adorned with butterflies (as was the hat).

3. His First Met Gala Was In 2023

One thing about Robert Wun is that his ties to female athletes is strong. In 2023, the designer's first foray into a Met look was with Eileen Gu, the skier and Olympic medalist who wore a white satin wine stained wedding gown designed by the couturier.

4. This Year, He Focused On Sculpture

For this year's Met Gala, Wun undertook the massive task of creating custom looks for eight attendees, including Lisa Manoban, Naomi Osaka, and Jordan Roth. Across the multiple looks, a theme emerged of limbs and hands. For Manoban's look, Wun's team created 3D-scans of her arms, draping them in an embellished veil inspired by traditional Thai dance positions. For Roth, his high necked velvet gown was accompanied by a mannequin-like sculpture embracing him from behind. Thai consultant and editor Nichapat Suphap wore a black mermaid silhouette gown, which was reportedly inspired by Michelangelo’s The Creation of Adam fresco painting. Together with kinetic artist Casey Curran, the artist created the moving hands that were pinned across the bodice. 

5. Naomi Osaka's Look Was A Meditation On Anatomy, Exposed

Building on his Spring 2023 couture language for Osaka's 2026 Met Gala look, Wun returned to the exploration of garments that appear sliced open to reveal what sits beneath. On the carpet, Osaka arrived in a structured white coat with feathered details erupting from the openings to mimic blood. At the top of the steps, Osaka then removed her coat, revealing a red, sequin dress in an abstract interpretation of human anatomy, aligning with the exhibition ideas of “The Naked Body” and “The Classic Body.”

Through iconic red carpet moments and designs that demonstrate true artistry, our concept of naked-dressing is constantly expanding. Months ago, the trend and term would've perhaps been limited to just entirely sheer dresses—now, the category has expanded to include illusions and insinuations of nudity, major cutouts and more. More or less, a naked dress is whatever you want it to be.

While some red carpets have banned naked-dressing altogether, the Met Gala is yet to set rules or limitations—and, therefore, creativity is embraced and the it-girls are showing off their bodies. Team Coveteur consists of true naked dress aficionados who stand firmly in the belief that it might just be the ultimate power move. With this Met Gala's theme being "Costume Art" and the dress code being "Fashion As Art," designers, stylists, and stars used the body as a canvas and explored how we dress ourselves.

Ahead, the naked dresses that defined the 2026 Met Gala red carpet.

Kate Moss

Kate Moss wore a black sheer lace Saint Laurent gown with a tie detail at the waist.

Zoë Kravitz

Zoë Kravitz walked the carpet in another black sheer lace look by Saint Laurent. This dress featured wide structured hips, long sleeves, and a bit of a plunging neckline.

Doechii

Doechii arrived in deep plum Marc Jacobs wrap dress that left a lot of skin exposed. And, she notably arrived barefoot with Henna adorned feet.

Simone Ashley

Simone Ashley wore a draped Stella McCartney dress constructed out of nothing but silver chains.

Gigi Hadid

Gigi Hadid's custom sheer Miu Miu dress drew inspiration from the house's Spring 1999 and 2011 collections. The hotfix crystal embellished base featured flame patches in a few spots to prevent this from being an entirely naked dress.

Tyla

Tyla wore a custom Valentino look: a top made out of diamond chains and a turquoise drop waist skirt.

Alex Consani

Alex Consani's Gucci look consisted of a black feathery skirt and nude sheer corset bodice.

Kylie Jenner

Kylie Jenner wore a custom Schiaparelli look designed to appear like a dress coming undone. The corset top was nude and featured faux nipples underneath as well as a belly button detail.

Yesterday evening, Tessa Thompson stepped onto the Met Gala red carpet with a major case of the blues—a royal-blue custom Valentino gown with swirly cutouts, to be more specific. Her structural dress was a work of art, her hair was sleek and glossy in a wet look by Lacy Redway, the fingers on her left her hand were intentionally dipped in a blue pigment by manicurist Mei Kawaljiri, and the glam, courtesy of Michael Anthony, tied everything—the dress, the theme, and everything that fashion's biggest night calls for—together.

Hours before, the vibes in her hotel room were high, with jazz music setting the tone. "The energy is always lovely and warm [as we're getting ready]," Anthony says. "Very classy, lots of laughs, but we’re definitely focused and we’re being meticulous because Met Gala is so public and so photographed." For her makeup look, he used a vinyl lid to nod at using paint as a medium for expression: "The texture of the eyelids reminds me of oil paint before it dries," he says.

When it comes to creating a look, Anthony and Thompson have gotten it down to an easy flow—they both have an appreciation for tones, textures, and general artistry, so the process tends to begin with a conversation, followed by reference photos and sketches. "I think one of the biggest pieces of the puzzle is staying super open and not having an ego about making changes or pivoting to different ideas," Anthony says.

All of the creatives behind this look seemed to have paint on the mind. "Tessa’s dress reminded of a splash of paint or dripping Klein blue paint, so I wanted there to be an element of wetness, which is why I used that effect on the eyelids and kept everything else toasty and bronze," Anthony says. He achieved the notable bronzy glow through the use of the Spike Valentino Buttery Matte Lipstick in the shade 'put a spike on it' and a good amount of buffing with two shades of Valentino's Eye2Cheek powder. "I get in the zone when I’m painting, and I love this type of red carpet buttery, sculpted look," Anthony says. "I’ve been doing this particular type of makeup for so long now and I love how it’s evolved."

As for products or tools that this look would've been impossible to achieve, the Very Valentino Concealer (two shades, MR1 and DN1, mixed for the perfect coverage) was essential for a glowy base and the Spike Valentino Disco Balm in 'Rose In The Woods' provided a glowy lip, but the Valentino Brow Trio Eyebrow Liner in taupe and brown were no-brainers for Anthony. "They came in clutch for this look!" he says. "I love the flat thin blade to draw in and fill the brow shape, and I become very fond of the very fine tip liquid marker on the other end for individual flicks of hair." Because for an event as iconic as the Met Gala, all of the seemingly small details matter—including individual strands of brow hair.

The 2026 Met Gala has come and gone, leaving us with enough artful beauty inspo to last until at least the first Monday in May, 2027. While the Met Gala red carpet was resplendent with elevated fashion looks, the accompanying glam was nothing to scoff at. Amidst the seasonal, cyclical spring makeup trends and red carpet beauty staples—lookin’ at you, smokey halo eyes—we were treated to some standout beauty trend resurgences we’re hoping to emulate all summer long. As is often the case, Black women led the charge, serving up high contrast lip-lined looks and textured metallics that evoked glam from decades past. 

It’s no secret that women of color, particularly Black women, are tastemakers when it comes to fashion and beauty. It is also no secret that their innovations tend to be overlooked, scorned, or ignored until picked up and repackaged for and by white women. Did we mention this has been going on since before TikTok influencers “discovered” beauty hacks BIPOC women have been doing for decades? Full lips, glossy skin, no-makeup makeup, as well as the bold lip looks that dominated last night’s Met Gala red carpet are just a few beauty trends that can trace their origins back to women of color. 

Many of these trends began not simply through innovation, but due to necessity. Sure, 40+ shades of foundation is now the industry standard, but it wasn’t so long ago that Black women could not chase beauty trends because makeup for their skin tones simply did not exist. But there is something inherently magical about Black women’s ability to turn a lack of access into a thing of beauty. It is even more affirming to see these Black beauty staples appear on, arguably, fashion’s most opulent, famed, and trendsetting red carpet. 

This isn’t to say that folks of all skin tones can’t serve in brown liner or a frosty metallic lip, but it is vital to remember that these showstopping Met Gala beauty moments were brought to us first and foremost by Black women who stepped onto red carpets 30 years ago with their heads held high, despite not having access to makeup made for them. Nevertheless, they persisted. And so, it turned out, did their makeup looks.

Ahead, the latest iterations and throwback origins of the brightest and boldest 2026 Met Gala beauty looks.

Brown Lip Liner

Buckle up, babes. We’re heading back to the '90s, an era when trendsetting Black women like Lil’ Kim, Naomi Campbell, Brandy, and their makeup artists made do with limited shade ranges by using brown and black eyeliner to line their lips. Decades later, the dual-toned lip kit rose to prominence as part of the baking, crease-cutting, brow-filling more-is-more beauty trends of 2018 and beyond. It’s been seen on red carpets and runways ever since. 

On the 2026 Met Gala red carpet, Laura Harrier and Teyana Taylor captured the high contrast magic of a pale nude lip paired with bold brown liner, while Coco Jones’ makeup artist Diana Shin opted for a softly resplendent nearly nude lip that emphasized Jones’ natural lip color for a look that felt a little vibey, a little retro, and a lot like a reclamation.

Ombre Lips

SZA and Keke Palmer brought the drama to the 2026 Met Gala with high-impact ombre lips. Palmer’s vivid red look, created by makeup artist Kenya Alexis using Danessa Myricks' namesake brand (herself a champion of and for women of color in the beauty industry), started scarlet in the center before blending into a deep mauve for a flawless, yet soft focus look with polished and vampy vibes.

Sophie Sinot dipped into a different, though no less impactful, color palette to create a glossy and glittering cool-toned ombre on SZA in shades of purple and pink. It was reminiscent of '90s-era Brandy, with a dash of late ‘90s and Y2K girlishness. Much like unblended brown lip liner, the ombre lip trend can trace its roots beyond its 2018 more-is-more resurgence, when we all collectively agreed that 45 minutes was not too much time to spend on a bold lip look.

Metallic Textures

The richly-frosted metallic lips spotted on Doechii, Anok Yai, and Rihanna at the Met Gala can trace their roots back to the '90s hip-hop scene. Much like bold, brown lip liner, frosted and shimmery lip looks came from a lack of access to “nude” toned lip products that matched deep skin tones (If you’ve ever tried a too-pale-for-you nude lip color, you know what we’re talking about) and undertones. While Rihanna’s own Fenty Beauty helped turn the tide towards more inclusive color cosmetics, there were decades before when "nude" meant beige and pink. 

Without true nude options that could blend into the natural lip colors of Black and brown women, stars of the time worked with what they had, leaning into the contrast instead of trying to conceal it. The result was a frosted look that leaned more towards metallic shine than pop girlie shimmer, which seemed to suit the edgier vibes of music’s leading ladies at the time.

Fast forward to the 2026 Met Gala and the metallic tradition took on new levels of glam, featuring tonal shifts and gilded textures that elevated metallics from a trend to an art. Ever the boundary-pushing beauty innovator, Anok Yai went for a metallic makeup look, crafted by makeup artist Sheika Daley, who added a diffused gold pigment from Yai's cupid’s bow all the way up to her hairline and down her décolletage, blending into bronze and taking on new tones until Yai was transformed into a living work of art.  Meanwhile, Doechii arrived at the Met Gala in another softly-shining and luminous look, created by celebrity makeup artist Chelsea Uchenna, who used subtle shades of rose-gold to highlight Doechii’s natural lip shape and color. 

While the very nature of trends is cyclical—what once trends will return again and again…and again—there’s a unique joy in seeing beauty looks created in defiance and out of necessity come roaring back onto the scene, created with products designed to celebrate Black women, who are so often the true, but not cited, source of mainstream beauty trends. Seeing these Black women-led trends take center stage on fashion’s biggest night out was nothing short of a triumph and reminder that our culture is, always, the moment.

Amelia Gray is the epitome of Anthony Vaccarello's Saint Laurent girl: sexy, sultry, and the life of the party. She gets ready to the soundtrack of Lana Del Rey, Hannah Montana, Addison Rae, and the H2O theme song (IYKYK) before slipping into none other than custom Saint Laurent for the biggest fashion night of the year—for this year's Met Gala, the dress was black and sheer in all the right places. "The body is the medium, not the outfit. This look lives in the tension of in-between: reveal and conceal, softness and strength. It allows my body to exist as both the accessory and the art," Gray said ahead of the red carpet. "There’s a fragility to it, but also a quiet power. Light femininity meets something darker, more emotional. To me, this is what femininity really is the coexistence of all our versions at once. This is my interpretation of a modern goddess."

For makeup artist Sam Visser, balancing what he knows and loves about Vaccarello's Saint Laurent with soft ethereal elements was top of mind. The inspiration for this years Met Gala look began with Botticelli paintings. "A lot of our mood board was paintings and a lot of renaissance art," Visser says. "Botticelli paintings and very ethereal references. We were really inspired by the way water looked in paintings and the colors that were used." The goal was simple: to make Amelia Gray look like a mermaid on land, while providing a synergy between Saint Laurent and YSL beauty. "I'm a huge fan of what Anthony does for Saint Laurent," Visser says."So I was kind of taking the aspects of my insight of the ready-to-wear brand and mixing it together with what YSL Beauty is about and trying to make that as organic of a synergy as possible." So, for this glam, it was all about reflection and highlights on her eyes, lips, and cheeks. First, YSL's soon to be released Skin Affair foundation provided a glowy base. Then, the All Hours Hyper Bronzer and All Hours Luminize Highlighter really went to work. On the lips, the Candy Glaze Lip Gloss Stick in scenic brown and Loveshine Lip Oil Gloss worked together to plump, define, and offer a glassy finish.

For a bit of extra ethereal energy, Visser whipped up what he refers to as the 'reverse smoky eye': "On her eyes, I used all the palest, lightest tones to kind of reflect the light and bring brightness to the face and the body," he says.

In terms of collaboration, Visser and Gray have the special type of relationship where photos are constantly texted back and forth. For this look for example, photos of abalone shells were shared through text—there was no confusion, but rather an immediate understanding and mutual willingness to experiment and play. "I can send a picture of shell to her and she'll be like 'yes, that's the reference,'" Visser says. "Abalone shells and the color variations within those were one of our biggest references for the makeup tonight."

The look would not have been complete without a good, defined lash curl—and a little touch of YSL's Lash Latex for definition purposes. The end result was a character the duo created together through art and nature references, and listened to music to get into the mindset of before sending Amelia on her way: regal, mermaid-esque, sexy, and ultra feminine.