Rihanna, Cardi B, Bad Bunny And More Caribbean Roots Stars Steal The Show At Met Gala 2026 

NEWS AMERICAS, NEW YORK, NY, Tues. May 5, 2026: Caribbean roots stars turned the Met Gala 2026 into a diaspora showcase Monday night, with some of the biggest names in music and entertainment commanding fashion’s most prestigious red carpet under the evening’s “Fashion Is Art” dress code tied to the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s spring exhibition, “Costume Art.”

Barbados’ own Rihanna cemented her status as the undisputed queen of the Met Gala, arriving in a shimmering sculptural gown by Maison Margiela Couture designed by Glenn Martens. The show-stopping look combined art and technology, featuring a liquid metal fabric woven with silk and recycled metal wiring, an intricate jewel-encrusted long-sleeve bodice in gold and silver, and a dramatic fabric structure that framed her body in what critics immediately dubbed a “sculptural beauty” moment. She completed the look with frosty eyeshadow and a hairstyle adorned with gold hardware.

By her side, A$AP Rocky wore a custom pink Chanel robe-style jacket with black satin lapels, black trousers, and a white shirt – solidifying pink as one of the night’s dominant trends.

Puerto Rican superstar Bad Bunny – born Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio – delivered one of the night’s most shocking and viral moments, appearing as a hyper-realistic version of himself 50 years into the future. Using extensive prosthetic makeup created by Mike Marino — the artist behind Heidi Klum’s most elaborate Halloween transformations – he transformed into an elderly man complete with deep wrinkles, age spots, white hair, and a walking cane.

His custom all-black tuxedo, co-designed with Zara, featured an oversized pussy bow necktie directly referencing designer Charles James’s 1947 “Bustle” gown housed in the museum’s permanent collection. The look was widely praised for highlighting the “Costume Art” exhibition’s exploration of the aging body — a stage of life often ignored by the youth-centric fashion industry.

Cardi B, whose roots extend to the Dominican Republic and Trinidad and Tobago, made a late-night entrance alongside designer Marc Jacobs despite battling a fever — and the internet noticed. Her custom Marc Jacobs gown leaned heavily into surrealism, featuring a sheer black lace ruffle dress layered over a color-blocked bodysuit, with massive padded sculptural forms around the shoulders and hem inspired by the work of Surrealist artist Hans Bellmer. She navigated the carpet in her signature 9.5-inch platform boots.

Actress and entertainer Teyana Taylor, 35, who carries Caribbean roots and served as a 2026 host committee member, turned heads in a silver fringed Tom Ford gown with a matching fringed headdress that draped dramatically over half her face — one of the night’s most visually striking silhouettes.

SNL breakout star Marcello Hernández paid direct homage to his Cuban and Dominican heritage through a custom ensemble by Willy Chavarria titled “The Caribbean Canvas.” The structured architectural jacket mimicked the movement of tropical flora, while the lining of his cape featured hand-painted imagery inspired by the streets of Havana and Santo Domingo. Custom boots incorporating traditional Dominican embroidery techniques and a vintage Cartier brooch completed the look.

Zoë Kravitz, who carries Bahamian and African American heritage, served on the 2026 host committee and interpreted the “Fashion Is Art” dress code through a lens of dark Victorian romance. Her custom Saint Laurent by Anthony Vaccarello gown – constructed from dense graphic black guipure lace worn unlined – featured a basque waist and structured exaggerated hip panniers nodding to historical Rococo art. Green stone drop earrings and a large ivory sculptural ring by Jessica McCormack completed the ensemble.

Puerto Rican superstar Rauw Alejandro arrived in an ultra-modern Saint Laurent look that fashion critics described as Blade Runner-esque — a custom black slick-textured suit with a draped leather top and the night’s most talked-about accessory: silver bridge jewelry across his nose and face created by Ida Lajevardi’s Yaaqee Studio. He also debuted a fresh new hairstyle specifically for the event.

From Barbados to Puerto Rico, Trinidad and Tobago to the Dominican Republic, the Bahamas to Cuba – the 2026 Met Gala made clear that Caribbean heritage is not just present at the intersection of fashion and culture. It is leading it.

The 2026 Met Gala was held Monday, May 4th at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City.