Getting Ready for Met Gala 2026

For her first Met Gala, Tate McRae worked with designer Ludovic de Saint Sernin on a golden gown that was inspired by the gilded statues adorning La Réale, the ceremonial boat of Louis XIV, preserved at the Musée National de la Marine near where Sernin grew up.

“Since the theme is ‘Fashion Is Art,’ we really wanted to blur the line between a garment and a sculpture. This dress is crafted to make me look like a living gold statue,” McRae says. “The corset is so structured and powerful, then you have these soft feathers and the most delicate French gold lace layered in….It’s dramatic, it’s glowing, it’s literally everything I could’ve dreamed of and more. I’ve never worn anything that feels this special, it is like a piece of history that’s been brought into 2026. I’m so beyond grateful to be here, wearing a piece of art like this for my very first Met.”

The gown is constructed around a maille bloquée corset with boning, and overlaid in delicate French gold lace, woven on traditional Leavers looms in Calais-Caudry. 

The “hand-applied gold feathers on the bra” are McRae’s favorite detail of the piece. “They’re so intricate. When you look closely, they almost look like armor, but they still feel light,” she says. “It creates this crazy texture that plays with the light every time I move.” 

“Ludovic is such an amazing designer and he gets women’s body,” she adds. “The fit is always perfect and blends chic and sexy. Wearing his work makes me feel powerful and confident. He’s a genius.”

As for how she feels around her first Met Gala? “It’s such a pinch-me moment,” McRae says. “I’m trying to soak in every second.”