Met Gala 2026: Fashion is Art

Sometimes, the most powerful thing about an artwork is not what you can see, but the story behind it - and in this case, the craft within it.

Since 2001, Stella McCartney has treated sustainability as an art form – harnessing it to prove that beautiful, consciously crafted fashion is not only possible for brands, but the obvious choice.

For the Met Gala 2026, Stella presents four looks - each one spotlighting a creative and sustainable solution; from deadstock materials and repurposed embellishment, to next-generation innovations and extractive fabric alternatives.

Over 1 billion birds are killed every year for their feathers and down, often plucked alive. Stella McCartney wears a FEVVERS dress – debuted on her Summer 2026 runway, now making its first appearance at the MET.

Unlike conventional faux feathers, which are often synthetic and petroleum-based, FEVVERS is plant-based – avoiding harm to animals while also reducing impact on land and ecosystems. Her look is paired with MiaDonna fine jewellery – thoughtfully crafted, refined lab-grown diamonds.

Greta Gerwig wears a satin gown with a stole in Italian envers satin, woven from forest-friendly viscose. Viscose is a man-made fibre, traditionally derived from wood pulp – often linked to deforestation, harmful chemical processing and the loss of vital forest ecosystems. Forest-friendly viscose is fully traceable, responsibly sourced and never from ancient or endangered forests.

Simone Ashley wears a draped chain gown. Metal is one of the most recyclable materials in the world, with the ability to be reprocessed indefinitely without compromising quality. Constructed from 70% repurposed Falabella chains and thread from the brand’s London atelier, each element of the garment is assembled by hand.

Every year, over 100 billion pieces of clothing are produced, and every second, a truckload of textiles ends up in landfill. Katy Perry wears a satin gown and train cut from Italian deadstock duchess satin in forest-friendly viscose, also repurposed from surplus tailoring fabrics.