For the 2026 Met Gala, the Costume Institute’s curator Andrew Bolton chose the theme “Fashion Is Art.” Like any year, the Met Gala’s theme is up to each attendee’s interpretation, and Bolton knows that can mean there are some misses amid the hits, especially for this outing.
“I do think some might be literal, and literally have a painting embroidered onto the back of their suit,” he told GQ’s Global Fashion Correspondent Sam Hine last month. “But I hope people will be more imaginative.”
So, in lieu of turning their outfits into blank canvases, a handful of men put the paint brushes to their face for a playful, whimsical effect that befits an event like the Met Gala—especially one that supports “Costume Art.”
For some celebrities, the makeup was subtle. Take Joe Alwyn for example. The Hamnet actor’s sartorial decisions have rarely skewed from classic British tailoring and, historically, his grooming choices leaned more safe than sexy. But for this year’s gala, celebrity makeup artist Holly Silius took Valentino Beauty lip products to the actor’s eyes to create shallow depth that would “keep the masculinity balanced whilst using color and texture throughout the makeup.” It drew attention to his eyes without straying too far from Alwyn’s personal style.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – MAY 04: Joe Alwyn attends the 2026 Met Gala celebrating “Costume Art” at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 04, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by John Shearer/WireImage)John Shearer
Meanwhile, Colman Domingo, clad in Valentino, subtly accented the blue in his harlequin-like getup with baby blue eyeliner that strategically framed his nose bridge, with “just enough definition to make his eyes pop without looking overdone,” his groomer Jamie Richmond says. “For The Met, we wanted to add some icy highlight.”
Colman Domingo at the 2026 Met Gala in New York.John Shearer / Getty Images
