When I first started covering red carpet trends for the year, it seemed like feathers were all the rage. At the Oscars, they were everywhere. Thus, as I started combing through the hundreds of photos pouring in from the Met Gala, I was hardly surprised to see them on more than one attendee (including one of this year's co-chairs, Nicole Kidman). However, that trend was quickly usurped by a more surprising—and, at times disturbing—motif that I felt nailed the 2026 gala dress code of "Fashion Is Art." As it turns out, hands are everywhere.
Having lived in Paris for a year and a half, I'm a sucker for a good hand motif, since they grace many a doorknob in the city. But on the Met Gala red carpet, they manifested as sculptural art pieces that feel lifted straight from the world of Surrealism, a period of art that lasted between 1924 and the 1960s, counting among its members Salvador Dalí, Méret Oppenheim and Alberto Giacometti.
The winner of the night was by far the designer Robert Wun, who was responsible for three of the looks. The London-based designer is known for his Surrealist influences with a haunting quality. I can only hope the celebrities keep the hand motifs coming, as this is my favorite trend ever to hit the red carpet.
