Gigi Hadid’s Dress Was Built on Her Body—Two Days Before the 2026 Met Gala

Image may contain Gigi Hadid Blonde Hair Person and Adult
Dimitris Giannetos

Gigi Hadid has officially arrived at the 2026 Met Gala.

To mark her 11th Met Gala red carpet, Hadid continued her Miu Miu streak for the second year running, this time in a custom black gown embellished with hotfix crystals, patchwork flames, and floral embroidery.

The dress is an amalgamation of Hadid’s favorite ideas drawn from past Miu Miu collections. Initially, the model planned an homage to spring 2011—“the floral and flame embroidery specifically,” she says. But days before the Met, “the patchwork really wasn’t sitting on my body in the way that I anticipated from the sketch,” she explains.

Sometimes, a little pressure can go a long way. “I think the most special moments come when you have to rush it a little bit,” Hadid adds.

NEW YORK NEW YORK  MAY 04 Gigi Hadid attends the 2026 Met Gala celebrating Costume Art at the Metropolitan Museum of Art...
Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images
Image may contain Gigi Hadid Clothing Dress Adult Person Formal Wear and Electronics
Mike Coppola/Getty Images
Image may contain Gigi Hadid Clothing Dress Formal Wear Fashion Gown Evening Dress Adult Person Art and Drawing
Courtesy of Miu Miu

Hadid dove back into the archives and stumbled upon Miu Miu’s spring 1998 collection. “I love how the body and the skin spoke through the material,” she says. A decision was made: Hadid and the Miu Miu design team would combine the two.

Starting with a sheer base à la spring 1998, the Miu Miu designers hand-placed patches inspired by spring 2011 on Hadid’s body. “We all sat in a hotel room two days ago, literally, and Scotch-taped the patches onto me in a way that felt celebratory,” she says. “It’s built on the body. The body is the canvas.”

Image may contain Clothing Apparel Gown Robe Fashion Evening Dress Human Person and Runway

Miu Miu spring 2011

Monica Feudi / GoRunway.com
Miu Miu spring 1998

Miu Miu spring 1998

Photo: Condé Nast Archive

On the beauty front, Hadid opted for a softer look. “I think the star tonight will be Maybelline New York’s Cloudtopia Cheek & Lip Mousse Blush,” she says. “It is something that really brings the story of romance. It’s like a girl running out of a romantic, foggy, moonlit garden where she just had an amazing night with the love of her life.”

For Hadid, the whole experience—from the custom gown to the glam—is an exercise in ingenuity: “The Met is my favorite night because it’s a creative collaboration based on a theme, which makes me feel like we’re all back in high school art class together.”

Below, Hadid takes Vogue behind the scenes as she gets ready for the 2026 Met Gala.

Image may contain Gigi Hadid Clothing Dress Lamp Adult Person Hat Formal Wear Footwear Shoe Art and Painting
Alana O’Herlihy
Image may contain Cosmetics Blade Razor Weapon and Window
Alana O’Herlihy
Image may contain Adult Person Baby Accessories Bag Handbag Clothing Dress Flower Plant Jewelry and Ring
Alana O’Herlihy
Image may contain Gigi Hadid David Morse Blonde Hair Person Face Head Photography Portrait Clothing and Dress
Alana O’Herlihy
Image may contain Gigi Hadid Partha Chatterjee Clothing Pants Dress Face Head Person Photography and Portrait
Alana O’Herlihy
Image may contain Raymond Tallis Hou Yifan Clothing Footwear Shoe Sword Weapon Pants Adult Person and High Heel
Alana O’Herlihy

Met Gala 2026: See Every Celebrity Arrival, Read the Latest Stories, and Get Exclusive Behind-the-Scenes Access Here