Every Outfit Podcast: Episode 272 – On the 2026 Met Gala
Date: May 8, 2026
Hosts: Chelsea Fairless & Lauren Groney
Summary by Section with Timestamps
Episode Overview
In their signature irreverent, obsessive style, Chelsea and Lauren deliver the fifth annual Every Outfit audio-only Met Gala red carpet review. The 2026 event, themed "Fashion is Art," skewered the tech billionaires underwriting the gala, dissected trends and misses on the red carpet, and provided a best-and-worst-dressed rundown peppered with authentic, hilarious commentary, substantive cultural criticism, and the hosts’ encyclopedic knowledge of both art history and fashion.
I. Met Gala Context & Sponsor Discourse
[01:25–05:34]
- Chelsea and Lauren open by acknowledging that, despite ongoing controversy over the event's increasingly problematic sponsors (Amazon, Meta, OpenAI, etc.), they remain "Met Gala historians" who can't quite quit their annual coverage.
- They highlight activist protests—including clever stunts like fake "Met Gala VIP toilet" signage referencing Amazon worker conditions.
- Annual funds raised by the Met Gala have hit record highs: "$31 million last year, $42 million this year" (Lauren, [05:10]), suggesting that tech billionaire sponsorship is a grating, but likely unshakable, fixture.
Memorable Quotes:
- "Maybe we'll protest when it's like the Sackler Monsanto year." (Chelsea, [03:09])
- "This might be our most toxic trait, but we love the Met Gala." (Lauren, [02:51])
II. First Impressions: The 2026 "Fashion is Art" Theme
[05:37–07:56]
- The guest list felt less overwhelming and more tightly curated, with fewer “who’s that?” attendees.
- While the theme seemed to call for boundary-pushing, avant-garde designer tributes (Schiaparelli, Hussein Chalayan), most looks leaned into literal art history or florals rather than fashion as high art.
- Art references felt increasingly obscure, skipping over obvious nods like the Mondrian dress for more esoteric allusions.
Memorable Quotes:
- "I guess, foolishly, I assumed people would be wearing outfits that were a nod to fashion designers who push the boundaries...but mostly, it felt like an art history class." (Lauren, [05:59])
- "There were a lot of statue people... referencing classical marble statues." (Chelsea, [07:48])
III. Standout Looks: Best Dressed Picks
[08:31–25:37]
Heidi Klum – Statue Prosthetics by Mike Morito
[08:31–10:51]
- Wore a full marble-statue ensemble, “not even a yassified statue,” but “adding 100 pounds of solid marble.”
- Artistry praised; admired for embracing unrecognizability and anti-hotness.
- "At the Met Gala, everyone's number one goal is looking hot, and this bitch rocks up dressed as a statue..." (Chelsea, [09:24])
- “This is up there with the worm” (Chelsea, [10:35], referencing Klum’s legendary past costumes).
Kim Kardashian – Custom Allen Jones by Whitaker Malem
[12:37–17:59]
- "MVP" for her Alan Jones original, surpassing her own camp look.
- Look’s provenance/meaning detailed: crafted by artists for McQueen, tied to pop art/fetish iconography, and situated in personal rivalry with Bianca Censori.
- "No, bitch. Like, I am a one of one Alan Jones original and you are a bootleg." (Chelsea, [14:54])
- Behind-the-scenes notes: Alan Jones wanted Kim to dye her hair black ("He wanted it to be the jet-black Alan Jones girl hair" – Chelsea, [16:55]).
Sarah Paulson – Fecal Matter/Tulle and Dollar Bill Mask
[18:01–20:55]
- From “The 1%” collection; ball gown with wearable dollar-bill eye mask—nod to “eat the rich” discourse.
- Sparked controversy but praised for honest engagement with the art/politics/fashion nexus.
- "If you're going to wear an outfit where the subtext is eat the rich, you probably shouldn't go to the Met Gala..." (Chelsea, [18:35])
Other Notable Favorites:
- Zoe Kravitz in Saint Laurent: "No one does a naked dress better than Zoe Kravitz." (Lauren, [22:59])
- Paloma Elsesser in Bureau of Imagination for eBay: Gown built from vintage 1920-40s dresses, painted to resemble a canvas—a compelling retrofit of wearable art. ([23:28])
- Kendall Jenner in Gap Studio by Zac Posen: Nike statue inspiration, coined "model as art," appreciated for wit and restraint. (Lauren, [24:48])
IV. Art History and Iconic References
[27:03–37:57]
Madame X – Multiple Homages
- Lauren Sánchez Bezos and Claire Foy, both in Schiaparelli: Differentiated approaches and speculation about exclusivity deals.
- Lauren Sánchez’s blue dress critiqued: "If you're going to reference the Madame X painting...why is the dress blue, and why isn't your hair in an updo?" (Lauren, [27:56])
Other Art Inspirations:
- Hunter Schafer in Prada: Interpreted the child in a Gustav Klimt painting ("Most faithful interpretation of a piece of art" – Lauren [30:52])
- Tessa Thompson & Alexi Ashe: Yves Klein blue references; the latter in Phoebe Philo-era Céline.
- Hailey Bieber in Saint Laurent: YSL’s 1969 collection with Claude Lalanne breastplate—modernized in Klein blue.
- Rachel Ziegler in Prabal Gurung: Referenced “The Execution of Lady Jane Grey” painting.
- Sabrina Carpenter in Dior by Jonathan Anderson: Dress of literal film strips, referencing the 1954 film “Sabrina.”
V. Menswear Highlights & Other Standouts
[39:01–46:05]
- Troye Sivan (Mapplethorpe reference), Patrick Schwarzenegger, Bill Skarsgård, Luke Evans (Tom of Finland/Peter Marino): Multiple Mapplethorpe/leather allusions, pushing boundaries.
- Jeremy Pope in vintage Vivienne Westwood (styled by Law Roach): "Holy Grail vintage item," pearl-muscled corset, voted best-dressed menswear.
- Hudson Williams (Balenciaga): Periwinkle matador suit debated as bold yet flawed.
Notable Quote:
- "The matador is so central to the Balenciaga DNA and it’s like one of the few things Demna never fucked with." (Chelsea, [43:24])
VI. The Most Insane Gimmicks at the Met Gala
[48:06–55:39]
- Madonna in Saint Laurent: Referenced Leonora Carrington’s “Temptation of St. Anthony,” featuring an elaborate ship hat (crafted by Gaultier). Chelsea questions if Saint Laurent was best-suited to realize Madonna's theatrical vision.
- Bad Bunny in Zara: Transformed into an old man with "aging body" makeup (Lauren: "You have to put on old makeup." [51:14])
- Katy Perry: Packed look including fencing mask, grill, six fingers (AI reference), tarot cards, singed train; described as "a lot of look" but lacking overall focus.
- Janelle Monáe (Christian Siriano): Unanimously deemed "not sparking joy" for her mechanical dress.
- Charli XCX (YSL), Naomi Watts (Dior): Critiqued for bland, theme-adjacent attire.
VII. The Divas & Icon Moments
[54:37–65:27]
- Stevie Nicks in Galliano for Zara: "There is always a woman of a certain age that you don’t expect to be there... I'll take what I can get." (Chelsea, [55:01])
- Nicole Kidman (Chanel, co-chair): Justifies red as an art statement ("...embrace the way in which red has been used in art..." [56:30]); Chelsea: "Whatever, Nicole, who cares? You look major." [56:34]
- Margot Robbie (Chanel), Lena Dunham (Valentino), Cardi B (Marc Jacobs), Rihanna (Margiela), Cher (Burberry), Beyoncé (Robert Wun inside, Balmain outside), Teyana Taylor (Tom Ford/Heider Ackermann): All thoroughly appraised.
- Rihanna: "Her level of fashion literacy is unmatched... she's always a step above." (Lauren, [61:10])
VIII. The It Girls: Theme Resistance & Style Consistency
[65:27–71:55]
- It girls "never care about the theme"—an emblem of effortlessness and trendsetting aloofness.
- Marc Jacobs was the unofficial it-girl designer: Anna Wyant, Rachel Sennott (John Baldessari reference), Kate Moss, Zoe Kravitz, Imaan Hammam, Alexa Chung (Jonathan Anderson water lily dress for Dior, Monet vibes).
- Lily-Rose Depp (Chanel): "Edwardian painting with Instagram face." (Lauren, [70:38])
- Anok Yai (Balenciaga): Best glam of the night; Madonna painting–esque “crying statue.”
IX. Worst Dressed Picks & Philosophy
[72:32–80:16]
- Blake Lively in archival Versace: "A 2006-era dress is an archival dress?...Up there with 'I just settled my lawsuit.'" (Lauren, [73:03])
- Odessa A'zion (Valentino): Over-the-top; the perils of showing "tits out" and no pants identified as a festering red carpet pitfall.
- Hudson Williams (Balenciaga): Ambitious but a "matador meets Black Swan" experiment gone awry.
- Alyssa Liu (Louis Vuitton): "I don't think we need to be making her look more girly and palatable. I think we should lean into the fact that she's like a little freak. And that’s cool." (Chelsea, [76:13])
- Emily Blunt (Ashy Studio): Criticized so harshly even her fan accounts refused to post.
- Doja Cat (Saint Laurent): Victim of the "sketch fucked" phenomenon; failed to deliver her usual memorable Met flair.
Philosophy:
- "The worst dressed isn't the worst dressed. It is an honor... It's better to be worst dressed than to be so boring that we don't even think to talk about you." (Chelsea, [75:23])
X. Closing Thoughts & Notable Quotes
[80:16–81:03]
- Lauren prepares to recover from her ill-timed laser procedure; Chelsea jokes: "Is your baby just, like, crying uncontrollably? Like, who is this monster? That's not my mommy. Not the mama." (Chelsea, [80:35])
- Anticipation for next year’s first video episode.
- Final take: Despite its problematic undercurrents, the Met Gala remains a rich vein for fashion critique, pop culture moments, and the kind of chaotic, referential, and deeply subjective commentary that Chelsea and Lauren have perfected over the years.
Notable Quotes and Highs/Lows
- "If you're going to wear an outfit where the subtext is eat the rich, you probably shouldn't go to the Met Gala..." (Chelsea on Sarah Paulson, [18:35])
- "No, bitch. I am a one of one Alan Jones original and you are a bootleg." (Chelsea on Kim Kardashian vs. Bianca Censori, [14:54])
- "There is always a woman of a certain age that you don't expect to be there at the Met Gala... I'll take what I can get." (Chelsea, [55:01])
- "It's better to be worst dressed than to be so boring that we don't even think to talk about you." (Chelsea, [75:23])
- "To be cool is to not care." (Lauren on it girls, [65:53])
- "She is someone that has modified her body in extreme ways. And I think it's cool that she has a sense of humor and is down to clown and wear this insane outfit." (Chelsea on Cardi B, [60:40])
- “We love the Met Gala. This might be our most toxic trait.” (Lauren, [02:51])
XI. Structure:
Best Dressed rundown (Heidi Klum, Kim Kardashian, Sarah Paulson, and more)
Art/Reference Deep-Dive (Madame X, Mapplethorpe, Erté, Monet, etc.)
Menswear Standouts (Jeremy Pope lauded, others critiqued)
Most “Insane Gimmicks” (Madonna, Katy Perry, Janelle Monae—theatrical attempts)
The Divas (Stevie Nicks, Nicole Kidman, Cher, Rihanna, Beyoncé, et al.)
It Girls (statement that “being off-theme IS the point!”)
Worst Dressed (with meta-commentary about why being worst dressed can become iconic)
For Further Listening
The podcast is a goldmine for fans who relish fashion critique, cultural context, and sly humor. While Chelsea and Lauren’s preferences—and dislikes—are highly personal, their analysis always grounds itself in deep knowledge of the past, unpredictable taste, and delight in the spectacle, the questionable choices, and the rare flashes of true originality on fashion's biggest stage.
