Anne Hathaway attended the 2026 [1] Met Gala wearing a hand-painted black-and-white gown designed by Michael Kors.
The appearance highlights the intersection of high fashion and fine art, using the global platform of the Metropolitan Museum of Art to convey a specific social message.
The gown was hand-painted to symbolize a wish for peace, beauty, and harmony [2]. According to the designer, the garment was inspired by a poem [1]. The collaboration aimed to translate these timeless themes into a visual medium on the red carpet.
"We loved collaborating to tell a story that is as old as time: a wish for peace, beauty and harmony," Kors said.
Hathaway noted her personal connection to the artistic process of the garment. She said she has always been inspired by art and collaborated with Peter McGough, a former schoolmate.
"I’ve always been very inspired by art, and I went to school with Peter McGough—we collaborated," Hathaway said.
The event took place in New York City, where the actor's choice of a monochromatic, hand-painted palette stood out among the gala's diverse fashion entries [1, 3].
“a wish for peace, beauty and harmony”
By blending poetic inspiration with hand-painted couture, Hathaway and Kors utilized the Met Gala's tradition of thematic dressing to move beyond aesthetics. The choice to focus on peace and harmony suggests a strategic use of celebrity visibility to promote humanitarian ideals through the medium of art.
