IN BRIEF Heidi Klum made a splash at the 2026 Met Gala with a marble statue costume, following the theme “Fashion is Art.” Her costume was created by Mike Marino and took five hours to apply to the star. The special effects makeup artist is responsible for many of the former model’s Halloween costumes.
This is what it means to take a theme literally. Like Beyoncé, Rihanna, Sabrina Carpenter, as well as Bad Bunny and Madonna, Heidi Klum walked the red carpet of the most fashionable New York dinner, the Met Gala, on Tuesday, May 4th. And she did so in a quirky costume, a specialty of the queen of disguises.
The former supermodel appeared before photographers as a marble statue. Yes, the same kind of Greek or Roman sculptures you can find while wandering the halls of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, as the event’s dress code was linked to its upcoming fashion exhibition.
Titled “Costume Art,” the exhibition aims to explore the connections between clothing and the body in all its forms. Guests were tasked with dressing according to the theme “Fashion is Art.” “Fashion is art, art is fashion: yes, yes, yes,” exclaimed Heidi Klum on the red carpet.
Her costume draws inspiration from two works of art: “The Veiled Christ,” a marble funerary monument by Giuseppe Sanmartino from 1753; and “The Veiled Vestal Virgin,” a majestic sculpture by Raffaele Monti, which he sculpted himself in 1846. “I’m quite soft,” reassured Heidi Klum when questioned by Cara Delevingne and Ashley Graham. “But it’s a bit warm.”
It was Mike Marino who supplied her with this latex ensemble, securely adhered to her face. The American makeup artist, who also seemingly painted the star’s hands and feet in mineral-white under her veil, is no stranger: he is responsible for most of Heidi Klum’s Halloween disguises for her parties.
Nominated three times for Oscar for his work on several films (including “The Batman,” where he transformed Colin Farrell into Penguin), the makeup expert has, for instance, turned her into Medusa at his last “Heidiween.” Assembling the custom outfit for the Met Gala took him nearly five hours.
Subject of discussions, she was however not the only one to shine. If Bad Bunny, like her, put on makeup (as an old man), Beyoncé, Rihanna, Madonna, Sabrina Carpenter, and even the Kardashian clan reunited, honored the event with looks inspired by art history or the relationship to the body.
The stars gathered at the initiative of fashion leader Anna Wintour who, for this 2026 edition, also invited as guest of honor the very controversial Jeff Bezos, announced as the main financer of the charitable dinner at the side of his partner, Lauren Sánchez.
While their presence caused a stir before the festivities (even prompting an unprecedented call for boycott), the evening itself was devoid of any political message, unlike in previous years. From the outfits to the statements, absolutely nothing.
While a few protesters gathered around the museum, some waving banners with the message “Tax the Rich,” the billionaire close to Donald Trump carefully avoided photographers and the traditional red carpet entry.
