Monday night at the Metropolitan Museum of Art was a big deal for Korean entertainment. Not in a “oh look, a K-pop star showed up” kind of way. More like, an entire section of the guest list felt like it belonged to Korean artists, and nobody questioned it.
All BLACKPINK members showed up together for the first time ever at this event. aespa’s Karina and Ningning became the first fourth-generation K-pop idols to walk those famous steps. Ahn Hyo Seop quietly slipped in as one of the few Korean actors to ever attend.
Here’s how the night played out, what everyone wore, who designed it, and how they handled this year’s “Fashion Is Art” theme.
The Met Gala 2026 Theme: What “Fashion Is Art” Actually Meant
This year’s Met Gala happened on May 4, pegged to the Costume Institute’s new exhibition called Costume Art. The dress code was “Fashion is Art,” which sounds vague until you see what people did with it. The idea was to explore how clothing relates to the human body and artistic expression across different eras.
Inside the museum, the exhibition spreads across 12,000 square feet of new gallery space and pulls nearly 400 pieces from The Met’s collection. It has sections like the “Naked Body,” the “Classical Body,” and the “Aging Body,” each look at how fashion has shaped (and been shaped by) how we see the human form.
Beyoncé co-chaired the event for the first time in a decade, alongside Venus Williams, Nicole Kidman, and Anna Wintour.
BLACKPINK Reunites on the 2026 Met Gala Red Carpet
All four BLACKPINK members, Jennie, Jisoo, Lisa, and Rosé, attended the Met Gala in the same year. They have all been before, but never together. Lisa has gone. Jennie’s gone. Rosé has gone. Jisoo made her debut this year. All four of them walked the same carpet but posed individually.
Jennie in Custom Chanel
Jennie walked her fourth consecutive Met Gala in a custom Chanel column dress, and genuinely, this might be her most intricate red carpet look yet.
The dress was built around a bustier bodice covered in layer after layer of blue sequin leaves, all in slightly different shades. It shimmered when she moved, not in a flashy way but like sunlight hitting water. Chanel said the whole thing took 540 hours to make and involved over 15,000 individually embroidered elements.
She kept her hair pinned up with a single kiss curl at the forehead. The “Zen” singer wore Chanel High Jewelry in gold and white diamonds. Her makeup was pale pink, barely there.
Looking back at her Met Gala history, you can see the arc. 2023 was the white satin mini for Lagerfeld. 2024 was the royal blue Alaïa. 2025 was the black off-shoulder Chanel tuxedo gown with detachable skirt. This year felt more mature, more sculptural.
Lisa in Robert Wun
Lisa was on the official hosting committee, and she walked in looking like a piece of surrealist sculpture. The rapper and singer wore a custom Robert Wun creation, and it became the most talked-about look of the night.
The dress itself was constructed from mist-light white tulle. It was adorned with nearly 67,000 Swarovski crystals that caught the light with every movement.
The thing everyone lost their mind over was the upper half: sculptural hand structure extending from her shoulders and neck.
The hands were created by 3D-scanning Lisa’s own hands. Then Robert Wun’s team reimagined them as a floating veil-like arrangement. The whole concept took inspiration from traditional Thai dance hand gestures.
For jewelry, she went with BVLGARI. The centerpiece was a sapphire and diamond necklace with a 50-carat oval cabochon sapphire that popped blue against all that white tulle. They even put diamond rings and bracelets on the sculptural hands.
Jisoo in Custom Dior
This was Jisoo’s Met Gala debut, and she went all in.
The strapless, backless dress was entirely embroidered with an elaborate floral garden scene. Flowers were sprawling across the bodice and down the skirt. Three-dimensional fabric bouquets bloomed outward from the dress.
She completed the look with a matching headpiece decorated with fabric flower embroidery. For jewelry, she wore a Cartier Collection necklace from 1905.
Rosé in Saint Laurent
Rosé, who has been a Saint Laurent ambassador for several years, chose a custom black gown by the house’s creative director, Anthony Vaccarello. The look was sleek, sophisticated, and unmistakably YSL.
Anthony Vaccarello designed the custom black gown. On the carpet, Rosé explained what went into the decision. She and her stylist dug into Yves Saint Laurent’s personal history and discovered his fascination with birds. It turns out the ceiling of the Louvre is painted with birds.
She finished the look with Tiffany & Co. platinum and diamond pieces, necklace, earrings, and ring. Nothing distracting. Just enough sparkle against the black.
aespa Karina and Ningning’s First Met Gala
Fourth-generation K-pop finally got its Met Gala moment. aespa’s Karina and Ningning became the first idols from their generation to attend, and they wore custom designs from Prada and Gucci. But their looks couldn’t have been more different.
Ningning, newly named a Gucci brand ambassador, wore a black custom gown. It was dripping with pleated silk organza ruffles and rhinestone embroidery. The dress had a sculptural, 3D quality, almost as if she were emerging from a blooming dark flower. Her eye makeup was deliberately intense, and paired with matching black nail polish.
Karina’s look was one of the most talked-about of the night for its cultural significance. Her Prada gown was a modern interpretation of traditional Korean hanbok, executed in white satin with pearl flower embroidery. A black cape, also inspired by hanbok silhouettes draped over her shoulders.
Ahn Hyo Seop
Ahn Hyo Seop came fresh off KPop Demon Hunters and wore a Valentino suit, a golden blazer over a classic satin shirt. The red scarf added a striking pop of color to the warm, burnished palette. His hair was styled in relaxed, loose waves resting naturally on his forehead.
One of the sweetest moments of the night was seeing him pose with Jisoo, both making their debuts.
Others
KPop Demon Hunters singing voices EJAE and Audrey Nuna also arrived in statement dresses. Squid Game actress Jung Ho Yeon also joined the list of Korean artists at the Met Gala 2026. Other A-list celebrities included Madonna, Rihanna with A$AP Rocky, Nicole Kidman with daughter Sunday Rose, Kylie Jenner, Kim Kardashian, Kendall Jenner, Hailey Bieber, Gigi Hadid, and more were in attendance.