2026 Met Gala Outfits: Which college would wear it?

Last week, we launched a poll on Instagram asking you which college would wear different outfits from the 2026 Met Gala. While the results saw a wide variety of answers, several clear favourites emerged.

First on the poll was Odessa A’zion’s bedazzled black Valentino corset, complimented by thigh-high boots. This was the actress’ first Met Gala appearance, and she committed to wearing Valentino after wearing it to the Oscars. In our poll, an overwhelming majority voted for Balliol College, with notes to the blue and red colouring, although Wadham College was an honourable mention.

By contrast, we then had Emma Chamberlain’s gown that drew inspiration from Van Gogh and Munch. The dress, which was painted by Anna Deller-Yee, took 40 hours to paint. Wadham won with a grand 75%, with Balliol stepping in to take second place on this one.

One of the most creative outfits at the Met Gala this year must be Heidi Klum’s marble statue outfit. This unique creation was said to be inspired by Giuseppe Sanmartino’s ‘Veiled Christ’ sculpture. This divided opinions amongst respondents, with colleges such as St. John’s College, Oriel College, Magdalen College and New College being mentioned. However, Christ Church dominated with the most votes.

A controversial outfit at this year’s Met Gala was worn by Indian model Bhavitha Mandava. At first glance, she seemed to wear Chanel jeans and a blouse. However, fashion critics later spotted that this wasn’t actually denim, but rather made of silk muslin, designed to resemble denim. This piece remained equally controversial in our poll, as both St. Hilda’s College and St. Anne’s College were deemed most likely to wear it.

Following that was Hudson Williams’ matador-inspired suit. However, it was his make-up that really elevated the outfit, inspired by the film ‘Black Swan’. Nonetheless, we were once again left with a tie as it was decided that both St. Hilda’s and St. Peter’s College were seen as suitable candidates for this outfit.

Another captivating outfit from this year’s range was American model Anok Yai’s. Deemed as the “black madonna”, she wore a black Balenciaga dress, which she explained was designed to inspire hope in the current political climate of America. We had no clear winner in this category, with Magdalen, University College and Regent’s Park College all being mentioned. Christ Church was also suggested due to the classiness of the outfit.

We then have Madonna herself, who turned up in a boat-shaped headpiece, with a long grey veil, requiring seven blindfolded models to help her down the carpet. This, once again, divided opinions amongst respondents, with Christ Church, Wadham and Magdalen all receiving votes.

Next, we have Janelle Monáe, who wore a gown by Christian Siriano that combined both technology and nature into one piece of art; she paraded cables, greenery, and mechanical butterflies. This was our most-voted and contentious outfit, with many colleges being mentioned. However, the winners were both St. Catherine’s College and Wadham. Lincoln College also deserves an honourable mention, as one respondent explained, “this is litro the exterior of Lincoln”.

Finally, we have Blue Ivy Carter, Beyoncé’s daughter, who broke the age rule by walking down the carpet at only age 14. However, she wore a cream Balenciaga dress with a matching jacket and sunglasses. Again, with no distinct winner, Trinity College and St. John’s walked away as the most likely to wear this outfit.

The outfits at the Met Gala this year were diverse and insightful, just as the votes from our respondents were. Out of all the colleges, Wadham was the most-voted for across the board, although there were some close contenders with Magdalen and Christ Church. Thank you to everyone who took the time to respond, and apologies if your college didn’t quite win any categories this time— there’s always next year!