Met Gala 2026: How Zara and Gap went couture - from Kendall Jenner to Bad Bunny
Dubai: For years, the Met Gala carpet has been shorthand for high fashion, luxury and heritage couture houses.
This year's 'Costume Art' theme opened the door to reinterpretation and Zara and Gap walked straight through it.
With the right collaborators and a clear concept, both brands proved they could hold their own, no archive gown required.
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Gap’s big swing: Kendall Jenner
One of the most dissected look of the night came from Kendall Jenner, who wore a custom GapStudio gown designed by Zac Posen.
On paper, it sounds simple: a white dress. In execution, it was anything but. Inspired by the Winged Victory of Samothrace and built from what started as a basic Gap T-shirt, draped into a sculptural, almost “wet-look” silhouette with a structured leather bodice.
The result? A high-fashion illusion built from everyday fabric, turning Gap’s core identity into conceptual couture.
The internet was also quick to clock the resemblance to Schiaparelli’s signature body-contouring, illusion-heavy gowns. Add to that the fact that her sister, Kylie Jenner wore a similar Schiaparelli silhouette to the Gala as well.
Zara’s theatrical turn
If Gap went minimal and conceptual, Zara went full drama.
Stevie Nicks made her Met debut in a custom Zara look designed by John Galliano, and it felt like a moment. Think: layered tulle, dark romantic tones, floral appliqué, and her signature top hat. Very her, but elevated in a way people don’t typically associate with Zara.
Galliano was recently appointed as the creative director of Zara in a two year partnership, he has previously served as a creative director for his eponymous label John Galliano, along with major French fashion houses like Maison Margiela, Givenchy and Dior.
Then came Bad Bunny, who arguably gave Zara its most talked-about moment of the night.
His look leaned heavily into transformation. Alongside his custom Zara outfit, he incorporated facial prosthetics that subtly altered his features, adding a uncanny old-age look.
The prosthetics were created by the same special effects artist known for crafting The Weeknd’s dramatic, bandaged and surgically exaggerated era visuals.
This hints at a shift in the fashion industry. Luxury houses are becoming more selective about Met spending, while high-street brands are getting smarter about cultural relevance.
Bring in designers like Zac Posen or John Galliano, give them a concept, and suddenly a “mall brand” can produce something that holds up visually next to couture.
