Anne Hathaway turns heads in hand-painted couture look at Met Gala 2026
The design featured symbolic artwork of a dove and the Goddess of Peace
Anne Hathaway brought a striking artistic edge to the Met Gala 2026 in New York, arriving in a hand-painted gown that blurred the line between couture and fine art following a busy promotional run for The Devil Wears Prada 2.
The 43-year-old actress walked the red carpet at the Metropolitan Museum of Art wearing a black-and-white creation from Michael Kors Collection, designed in collaboration with artist Peter McGough.
The gown featured intricate hand-painted imagery, including a dove being reached toward by a hand on the front, while the back displayed a detailed depiction of the Goddess of Peace flowing across the fabric.
The look aligned with this year’s theme, Costume Art, which explores fashion as a form of artistic expression.
Hathaway told Vogue she had little rest ahead of the event, following a whirlwind press tour for The Devil Wears Prada 2, but still managed a few hours of sleep before stepping onto fashion’s biggest stage.
“Who’s luckier than us?” she said on the red carpet, reflecting on the demanding schedule. “When you get a little bit tired, I’m like, ‘Do you like the reason that you’re tired?’”
She added that while exhaustion comes with the territory, she embraces it when it is tied to work she values, saying she prefers being tired for meaningful reasons rather than regretful ones.
The 2026 Met Gala theme, Costume Art, is tied to the Vogue-curated exhibition at the museum, which explores the relationship between clothing and the human body across 5,000 years of art history.
According to curator Andrew Bolton, the exhibition pairs historical garments with paintings and sculptures to highlight how fashion interacts with artistic representation of the body.
Hathaway is no stranger to the Met Gala spotlight, having delivered several memorable looks over the years.
She made her debut in 2010 in a champagne-toned gown and later embraced bold statements, including a gold hooded look in 2015 and a sculptural white Versace ensemble in 2023.
Last year, she attended the gala’s “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style” theme in a tailored Carolina Herrera look featuring a crisp shirt, striped skirt, and statement jewellery, paired with a voluminous ponytail.