For the 2026 Met Gala on May 4, Charli XCX arrived in a custom Saint Laurent gown by Anthony Vaccarello, and one resin flower at the bodice changes the read entirely.
Notice the iris first. Everything else on this Saint Laurent gown is built around it – the resin flower at the center of the bodice, climbing up like it grew there. Charli XCX at the Met Gala 2026 wore Anthony Vaccarello’s custom design on May 4, and the construction earns close attention.
The gown is strapless, sculpted close through the torso, then released into a long sweeping train that pools behind her on the carpet. The bodice reads as ruched black fabric with a slight matte finish, while the skirt shifts to a sheerer, more fluid layer that catches motion as she moves. That contrast between the firm corseted top and the lighter, almost weightless lower half is what makes the dress details worth lingering on.
Then there’s the iris itself. Stem, leaves, and bloom rendered in beaded resin, sitting flat against the bodice like a botanical pin pressed into fabric. It’s a direct lift from Yves Saint Laurent’s archival vocabulary, and Vaccarello lets it carry the whole look without crowding it with extra ornament.
Jewelry stays in the same key. David Yurman Dianthus Climber Earrings trace the ear in diamonds, and a Floating Diamonds Dome Ring anchors her right hand against the dark fabric. Hair is pulled into a high half-up shape with lived-in waves falling past the shoulder, makeup kept translucent and quiet so nothing competes with the bodice work.
For the Costume Art dress code, this reads as a clean, considered answer – one motif, executed with discipline, and the iris does the rest.
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