Anne Hathaway’s Hand-Painted 2026 Met Gala Dress Was Inspired by a Poem
Anne Hathaway attends the 2026 Met Gala.Photo: Getty Images
As a regular attendee (nine times now!), Anne Hathaway was one of the most highly anticipated A-listers at the 2026 Met Gala—and the star certainly did not disappoint with her artful look.
Fresh off of her whirlwind press tours for The Devil Wears Prada 2 and Mother Mary, Hathaway made time to hit the steps of the Met wearing a custom Michael Kors Collection dress, designed in collaboration with the prominent American artist Peter McGough (a close friend of Kors). To closely consider the evening’s dress code—Fashion Is Art—the duo worked together on an elegant, hand-painted dress that was right on theme.
The strapless black Mikado silk ball gown, complete with a plunging neckline and high-leg slit, served as a sleek canvas for McGough’s intricate hand-painting work. The inspiration for his peaceful visuals? A poem. “We used ‘Ode on a Grecian Urn’ by John Keats as a starting point,” Kors says. “We loved collaborating with Anne to tell a story that is as old as time: a wish for peace, beauty, and harmony.”
In the famous 1819 poem, Keats riffs on the relationship between art, beauty, and truth, using the Grecian urn as a form of symbolism. “Heard melodies are sweet, but those unheard / Are sweeter,” he wrote. McGough then painted the Kors gown with black and white scenes reminiscent of ancient urns (much like those displayed inside of the Met’s collection). Imagery of doves and floral flourishes are seen along the borders, while a goddess of peace is depicted on the back train.
“This dress, to me, is about the goddess of a Grecian urn, and what I love about the dress is that it turns the person into an object of art,” says McGough. “It’s moving art—fashion and art, they go together for me: Fashion is wearable art.”
The end result, punctuated with jewels by Bulgari, may have made for a striking red-carpet moment, but it also had an imaginative and skillful touch that was indeed worthy of being hung up in the Met itself.
This article was originally published on Vogue.com.
Frequently Asked Questions
Anne Hathaway’s gown was designed to align with the 2026 Met Gala’s theme, “Costume Art,” which examined the intersection of fashion and the human body.
The custom black silk and mikado ball gown was designed by Michael Kors in collaboration with the prominent American artist Peter McGough.
The design was inspired by John Keats’s 1819 poem, “Ode on a Grecian Urn.” The gown served as a canvas for hand-painted illustrations of doves, floral flourishes, and classical portraiture, echoing the aesthetic of ancient Grecian pottery.
While specific construction times for this gown were not detailed in the same way as other archival pieces, the intricate hand-painting by Peter McGough transformed the dress into a piece of “moving art,” fitting the evening’s theme.
Hathaway’s styling remained minimal to ensure the artwork on the dress remained the focal point. She accessorized with elegant Bvlgari jewelry and Roger Vivier sandals, opting for a clean aesthetic that allowed the narrative-driven illustrations to stand out.