Cher, Queen of the Naked Dress, Revives the Look at the 2026 Met Gala
Cher attends the 2026 Met Gala in Burberry.Photo: Getty Images
Would it even be the 2026 Met Gala without an iconic diva sighting? Tonight, legendary singer Cher arrived at the event in grand style, marking her first time attending the Met in over a decade.
Her bold look was well worth the wait: Cher returned to the Met steps wearing a custom look by Burberry’s Daniel Lee. Created in close collaboration with her (also legendary) stylist Patti Wilson, they created a black silk-tulle twisted dress, complete with a leather corset and a cropped leather jacket with crystal embellishments. (It is Cher, after all.)
Does the design look a little familiar? That’s because Cher referenced herself. Her Burberry design nodded to an iconic Met dress that she wore back in 1974, designed by her close friend and frequent collaborator Bob Mackie.
A longtime champion of the naked dress, it only made sense that Cher would own the look tonight—particularly given that the new spring exhibition from the Met, “Costume Art,” explores the intersection of fashion and the human body.
Cher, of course, has a long history of delivering memorable (and totally glamorous) red carpet looks at the annual event. The iconic diva first attended the Met back in 1986 with Mackie, while in 2015, she attended “China: Through the Looking Glass” with Marc Jacobs as her date.
In 2019, Cher even served as the surprise performer for the “Camp”-themed year. While we wish we could have witnessed her sing “Believe” in the Met’s Temple of Dendur, seeing her shut down the step and repeat tonight came as a very close second.
This article was originally published on Vogue.com.
Frequently Asked Questions
Burberry’s creative director Daniel Lee designed Cher’s custom 2026 Met Gala gown, collaborating closely with her longtime stylist Patti Wilson on the black silk-tulle and leather ensemble.
Cher’s 2026 dress directly referenced her own iconic 1974 Met Gala naked dress, which was originally created by her close friend and legendary fashion designer Bob Mackie.
Cher last attended the Met Gala in 2015 prior to her 2026 return, making her appearance at the “Costume Art” exhibition her first in over a decade.
The spring 2026 Met Gala exhibition theme is “Costume Art,” a specialized curation that comprehensively explores the historical and modern intersection of fashion and the human body.
Cher performed as the headline surprise musical act at the 2019 Met Gala, delivering a memorable rendition of her hit song “Believe” inside the Temple of Dendur.