This year's Met Gala theme , “Costume Art: Fashion Is Art,” turned the Metropolitan Museum of Art's red carpet into a performance. While critics dissected the couture outfits, we peered into the details . We tell you about the most spectacular manicures of the evening, which will become the main trends of the season.
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Couture at your fingertips
If earlier the manicure at the Met Gala was only a backdrop for luxurious looks, then in 2026 it became a full-fledged exhibit. Stars and their masters abandoned minimalism in favor of textures that imitate marble, oil painting and liquid metal.
Pearl duo: inheritance of generations
Co-chair Nicole Kidman proved that classics can be triumphant. Her appearance with daughter Sunday Rose was a manifesto of elegance. Both chose a long almond-shaped shape and a pearly off-white shade. It's a return to the 90s aesthetic, but in a couture interpretation – a soft glow reminiscent of the inside of a seashell.
Oil painting and 3D floristry
Flowers at the Met Gala are a tradition, but this year they became voluminous. Naomi Watts showed off a manicure where each petal was sculpted by hand. Such “living” still lifes on the nails echoed the embroidery on her dress and created the illusion that the garden was literally growing through the fabric and body.
Metal anatomy
Futurism and Art Deco met in Rihanna's look. Metallic nails, reminiscent of molten silver, emphasized the intricate designs of the outfit. This is not just a rub-in, but a mirror chrome that perfectly reflected the flashes of cameras and added an alien sophistication to the look.
Radical red
Against the backdrop of pastel canvases, Naomi Osaka's manicure became a bright accent. The stiletto shape in a deep, almost bloody shade of red became a tribute to expressionism. This is the choice for those who consider manicure as the main accessory, not requiring additional decorations.
“Crystal Reflection” by Lisa (Blackpink)
Louis Vuitton ambassador and K-pop star Lisa transformed her hands into a jeweled masterpiece. Her manicure was part of a large-scale installation: icy rhinestones on her nails smoothly transitioned into a scattering of crushed sequins on her hands themselves.
- Why it's important: This is a trend in manicure extension , where the design extends beyond the nail plate, creating the illusion of shining dust on the skin.
“Watercolor Ephemerality” by Emma Chamberlain
Emma Chamberlain chose a manicure that imitated blurred watercolor stains. The colors – from lavender to soft yellow – perfectly repeated the print of her dress, creating the effect of a soft gradient, as if the paint had just touched the canvas. The watercolor nails technique was used – applying color on a wet surface to achieve an artistic blur.
“Blank Canvas” by Hailey Bieber
Hailey stayed true to her style, but with an upgrade for the evening's theme. Her Clean Canvas manicure is a perfectly nude base with a barely noticeable gold edging along the very edge of the free edge of the nail. This manicure is like an expensive frame for a minimalist painting.
