Kim Kardashian's bold Met Gala 2026 look has rather controversial history
Topics: Met Gala, Kim Kardashian, US News, Fashion, Celebrity
Rhianna Benson
Featured Image Credit: Mike Coppola/Getty Images
Topics: Met Gala, Kim Kardashian, US News, Fashion, Celebrity
Kim Kardashian has long been considered Met Gala royalty, having churned out front-page-worthy get-ups for the last 13 years.
Unfortunately for the 45-year-old, however, her latest red carpet look seemed to fall rather flat.
The theme of the evening was 'Costume Art', inviting attendees to explore the 'centrality of the dressed body' through depictions of the human form.
The reality TV star rocked up to New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art on Monday (4 Mar) wearing a sturdy bronze breastplate with a vibrant orange open leather-look skirt, the unusual shape of which showed off her sun-kissed legs.
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For the first time, Kim was also totally free from any accessories, opting not to chuck on any necklaces, bracelets or earrings, and pairing the look with a simple set of nude heels. She also styled her usually jet-black tresses in a voluminous down-do, bleaching it a golden shade of blonde.
The simplistic look seemingly surprised a number of spectators tuning in from home, who claimed they'd expected more from the yearly regular.
"She looks like an action figure doll. Overall, it’s meh for me," one Reddit user hit out.
Another penned: "I love the top half and the hair and makeup. The skirt looks like random fabric they slapped on her because there was an emergency with the original bottom. And the shoes?!"
Others, however, insisted they enjoyed watching Kim walk the red carpet, even if they didn't understand the concept behind the outfit.
"Is it the best of the night or one of the tops? No," one wrote. "But I'm curious to see what their idea behind this look was. I like that it's colourful, artsy and a bit eccentric."
"Absolutely love it from the top. The skirt is such a major miss," another added.
It turns out, however, that every aspect of Kim's 2026 outfit had been long thought through by the mother-of-four's team.
Her dress had been crafted by British artist Allen Jones, who'd collaborated with fashion design duo Patrick Whitaker and Keir Malem (who go by 'Whitaker Malem' in a professional capacity, and are famed for their leather work), as well as creative director Nadia Lee Cohen.
Speaking to Vogue about her obscure gown on the night, The Kardashians star explained that she'd been inspired by the 'Fashion is Art' section of the Met's Costume Institute's 2026 exhibition.
"This is an artist, one of my favourite artists, Allen Jones," she gushed.
A press release shared by Whitaker Malen confirmed that the unique upper part of the dress had been made from a mould of a model, taken in the 1960s.
This sculpted segment supposedly represented a nod from Kim to one of Jones' works from the late 1970s pop art movement within the UK, one of which centred on 'Body Armour'.
The breastplate had been originally crafted for an unreleased film, but was first seen in 2013 on British model Kate Moss. The skirt, meanwhile, had been made of pure leather.
Addressing why so many critics have compared the look to that traditionally worn by a female superhero from a Marvel movie, one fashion-forward TikTok explained that Whitaker Malem are behind some of Hollywood's most iconic hero costumes.
In fact, they're the designers behind over 100 armour costumes, including those worn in Wonder Woman (2017), and the 'Batsuit' for The Dark Knight.
The same user, however, who goes by the username @mammamiaaus, explained that the outfit has also been deemed rather controversial because of Jones' involvement, accusing his art of 'turning women's bodies into hyper-sexualised sculptures - even furniture'.
"Feminists have argued for decades for [Jones] being objectifying," the TikToker explained.