A veteran designer for the Met Gala under his own namesake brand and Loewe, in 2024 he designed a custom tulip-strewn cloak for former Vogue Editor in Chief Anna Wintour, this is Anderson’s first time commanding the carpet as the sole Creative Director of one of the world’s biggest fashion houses.
Despite the glare and heat of the spotlight on his designs, the Derry native’s custom creations have cinched glowing reviews across the board for their innovation and cohesiveness to the theme and dress code ‘Fashion is Art’.
Making her long-awaited debut to the mossy brick carpet was Jisoo Kim, one quarter of the biggest girlgroup in the world Blackpink. Having been an ambassador and muse with the brand for over five years, her collaboration with the luxury house reigns as one of the most beneficial partnerships in the industry.
The K-Pop star was ranked the number one Global Fashion Ambassador in 2024, generating an estimated €105 million in Media Impact Value for Dior, with her appearance at Paris Fashion Week trending in the number one spot globally each time.
Jisoo poses during the Met Gala, an annual fundraising gala held for the benefit of the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute with this year’s theme ‘Costume Art’ in New York City, New York, U.S., May 4, 2026. REUTERS/Daniel Cole
As well as staying true to his signature radical chic aesthetic, Anderson also made reference to Jisoo’s record breaking song Flower in his designs.
Her shimmering strapless and backless pink dress was expertly crafted from silk gazar – known for its stiff texture, smooth matte finish, and excellent shape retention and thus making it perfect for architectural fashion pieces.
Featuring an intricate embroidery of a garden scene, it was heavily embellished with white, pink and pearl sequins, complemented by a three dimensional floral corsage and an asymmetrical peplum overskirt.
Sabrina Carpenter poses during the Met Gala, an annual fundraising gala held for the benefit of the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute with this year’s theme ‘Costume Art’ in New York City, New York, U.S., May 4, 2026. REUTERS/Daniel Cole
His custom look for Sabrina Carpenter was on theme and witty, playing homage to an Audrey Hepburn film entitled fittingly as Sabrina.
The 1954 romantic comedy centres on the naive daughter of a chauffeur who returns from Paris transformed into a sophisticated woman.
The dress was made almost entirely of authentic film strips from the classic film with some of the celluloid frames featuring clear images of Hepburn’s co-stars Humphrey Bogart and William Holden.
A conceptual piece that merged cinema and fashion, the gown features a halter-neck wrap that extends into an architectural bustle and oversized bow at the hip.
A well-placed dramatic flair was added in the addition of bejewelled strands that drape from the dress down to her fingers and a headpiece with a pendant that displays the original movie poster art.
Tom Sturridge and Alexa Chung pose during the Met Gala, an annual fundraising gala held for the benefit of the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute with this year’s theme ‘Costume Art’ in New York City, New York, U.S., May 4, 2026. REUTERS/Daniel Cole
For Alexa Chung, Jonathan designed a chartreuse-green Dior gown which featured sculpted lily pads at the hips and a single water lily embellishment that punctuated a well-placed hip slit.
Anderson famously made waves earlier this year when he turned the Tuileries Gardens outside the Louvre into a custom-built, greenhouse-style runway adorned with artificial water lilies to evoke a Monet-inspired atmosphere.
Naomi Watts poses during the Met Gala, an annual fundraising gala held for the benefit of the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute with this year’s theme ‘Costume Art’ in New York City, New York, U.S., May 4, 2026. REUTERS/Daniel Cole
Continuing his reign in all things floral, his custom look for actress Naomi Watts drew inspiration from 17th-century Dutch still-life paintings, and in particular the floral works of Rachel Ruysch.
The strapless black gown featured a structured projecting skirt covered in a constellation of stitched silk flowers.
Miranda Kerr attending the Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute Benefit Gala 2026 in New York, USA. Picture date: Monday May 4, 2026. PA Photo. Photo credit should read: Matt Crossick/PA Wire
For Miranda Kerr, the designer took inspiration from the brand’s archives in a more classical interpretation of the night’s theme.
Adorned in an all-white ensemble with small and delicate embellishments, the piece was inspired by Dior’s 1949 “Camaïeu” dress.
Karlie Kloss attending the Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute Benefit Gala 2026 in New York, USA. Picture date: Monday May 4, 2026. PA Photo. Photo credit should read: Matt Crossick/PA Wire
For model Karlie Kloss, who famously ‘looked camp in the eye’ back in 2019, he dressed her in a pleated, white silk cocoon gown from his debut Dior Haute Couture collection SS 2026.
Sunday Rose Kidman Urban poses during the Met Gala, an annual fundraising gala held for the benefit of the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute with this year’s theme ‘Costume Art’ in New York City, New York, U.S., May 4, 2026. REUTERS/Daniel Cole
Rounding out his womenswear pieces was Sunday Rose wearing an embellished bodice that flowed into a sheer length skirt as she joined her mother Nicole Kidman on the runway.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – MAY 04: Paul Anthony Kelly attends the 2026 Met Gala Celebrating “Costume Art” at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 04, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by Michael Loccisano/GA/The Hollywood Reporter via Getty Images)
As the Creative Director for Womenswear, Menswear, and Couture, a first in the brand’s history since its establishment by founder Christian Dior, he also dressed rising actor Paul Anthony Kelly who starred as John F Kennedy in FX’s Love Story.
Dressed in a custom velvet tailcoat, the suit was a departure from the 90s style suits he wore in the hit series.