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Who Will Be Met Gala 2026 Best Dressed?
Every year, the first Monday in May delivers the most talked-about red carpet in the world. The Met Gala is, at its core, a fundraiser for the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute — something that gets lost the moment the cameras start rolling. But before the chaos unfolds, here are my honest predictions for who will own the carpet, who will miss the mark, and who the British contingent should be watching.
Read: Met Gala 2026 Theme and Met Gala 2026 Dress Code.
Kim Kardashian: Dramatic Entrance, Whatever It Takes
If there is one certainty about this year’s Met Gala, it is that Kim Kardashian will command the room. Not because she always gets the theme right — but because she understands spectacle better than almost anyone on that carpet.
This year feels different though. The real talking point won’t necessarily be the dress. With her relationship with Lewis Hamilton now firmly in the public eye, the question the whole internet is asking is whether she walks the carpet alone and takes centre stage entirely on her own terms, or whether this becomes their official red carpet debut together. Either way, expect something deliberately dramatic. Kim rarely does anything by accident.
Anne Hathaway: Effortless, or Extremely Well-Managed?
Since The Devil Wears Prada press tour reminded the world that Anne Hathaway was always this good, her every appearance has felt carefully considered. And I mean that as a genuine compliment — she has a strong team, a clear aesthetic, and the self-awareness to know exactly what works on her frame.
Off-the-shoulder consistently delivers for her, and she has the kind of posture and presence that makes structured, sculptural dressing look completely natural. I would not be surprised if she lands in the top five conversations by the end of the night. Whether that’s genuine fashion instinct or expert management, the result is usually the same: she looks the part.
Rihanna: When She Shows Up, She Gets It Right
Guest list dependent — but Rihanna has an almost unmatched record of actually reading the brief. Not just wearing something extraordinary, but understanding the assignment, the theme, the cultural moment. She brings fashion intelligence to the carpet in a way that very few can. If she attends, she is immediately a best dressed contender.
Doja Cat: Spectacle Over Substance
I want to be fair here. Doja Cat clearly commits, and commitment deserves credit. But for me, commitment to drama is not the same as commitment to the brief. Year after year, it feels more constructed for the cameras than genuinely connected to the theme. More performance than fashion. Best dressed requires both.
The British Contingent Worth Watching
This is where my genuine excitement sits. Simone Ashley has quietly become one of the most elegant women on any red carpet — she has taste, she has restraint, and she makes considered choices that hold up long after the night is over. I cannot wait to see who she is wearing.
Cara Delevingne is always worth watching for different reasons. She brings an unpredictability that is genuinely her own, which in a sea of carefully managed appearances, is refreshing.
What Best Dressed Actually Means
Not the most talked about. Not the most photographed. Not the most outrageous. Best dressed, to me, is the woman who looks the most beautiful — dress, accessories, hair, makeup — and who has understood the theme well enough to make it feel like her own. The two things are not mutually exclusive, but they are both required.
The Met Gala is at its best when fashion and concept meet. When someone walks out and you think: that is exactly right, and no one else could have done it quite like that. We will find out Monday night.
Come back to CSC Monday evening — we will be updating this piece with the full best and worst dressed verdict as the carpet drops.
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