Black designers helped shape one of fashion’s biggest nights last year, but will their creations get the same red carpet treatment again?
The highly anticipated 2026 Met Gala takes place May 4 and is co-chaired by iconic Black women such as Beyoncé and Venus Williams. Misty Copeland, Doja Cat, Teyana Taylor, A’ja Wilson, and Angela Bassett, Amy Sherald and Zoë Kravitz are part of the host committee.
Designers are ready to show off their latest pieces, rocking a “Costume Art,” dress code during this year’s theme of “Fashion is Art.” Last year’s theme, “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style” — a nod to Black dandyism and a celebration of Black menswear in the 20th century — marked the first exhibit in the institute’s history to center Blackness by exclusively focusing on Black designers.
The real test this year is whether this eclectic mix of Black women and others co-chairing and on the host committee have any real influence over how much Black designers will get to represent their cultures once again.
Following the celebrity-filled event, the annual Costume Art exhibition is set to open at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 10.
“I wanted to focus on the centrality of the dressed body within the Museum, connecting artistic representations of the body with fashion as an embodied art form,” said Andrew Bolton, the museum curator, in a statement earlier this year.
Bolton went on to say that costume art and its materials create an “indivisible connection” between bodies and clothes, hinting that the art displayed will be more centered on the body.
As the night unfolds, attention will turn to which designers’ looks will take center stage. Have the creators of Black style stayed in fashion’s inner circle or will there be a new lineup of Black fashion royalty’s imprints throughout this year’s gala. As the countdown starts to a night of couture, wearable art and pure fabulousness, check out these five Black designers who could make an impact.
Thebe Magugu
Thebe Magugu made his Met Gala debut last year, styling Aurora James, another designer known for U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s “tax the rich” dress, and model Ivy Getty.
Magugu, originally from South Africa, said the styling was last-minute. Still, the designer said he drew on African tapestry and textiles to create James’ chiffon gown, which took more than 120 hours, according to News24.
“Across the diaspora, Black fashion draws from a tapestry of references: ancestral textiles, streetwear ingenuity, church elegance, Afrofuturist visions, diasporic remixing, and gender-fluid experimentation. From the flowing robes of West African royalty to the generous silhouette of Nigerian Obas, black African style is not just about formality — it’s about freedom, identity, and a continuation of generations of storytelling,” Magugu said in a caption on an Instagram post last year.
Teni-ola “Tia” Adeola
Teni-ola “Tia” Adeola is a Nigerian-born, London-raised fashion designer with a more contemporary look. Adeola’s aesthetic, as seen on her Instagram account, lends itself naturally to the “Costume Art” theme.
Some of her most recent designs include a feather, ruffles, sheer, and multicolored disc dress, all complementing the model’s figure. Earlier designs from New York Fashion Week 2020 could potentially already fit the theme with sheer designs coated in florals, while other designs look like they could go straight to some of your favorite pop stars.
At just 18 years old, she started designing for her now self-titled clothing brand, Tia Adeola. Her designs quickly caught the attention of SZA, the seven-time Grammy Award-winning artist, and model Bella Hadid.
Bishme Cromartie
Bishme Cromartie, 35, is a self-taught designer from East Baltimore. Cromartie is most known for his two appearances on Project Runway, including his appearance on season 20 of Project Runway All-Stars in 2023.
He returned after losing his sister, Chimere Faye Didley, who died of cancer, according to Baltimore magazine, and took home the $250,000 cash prize. Since his first appearance on the Bravo show, Cromartie has designed looks worn by big names such as Chloë Bailey, Lizzo, and Tyra Banks. Cromartie and his designs in some ways already mirror the “Costume Art” theme.
Zuri Hall wore a custom Cromartie look at the 2025 Met Gala. In one of his recent looks worn by Banks, he designed a fitted green and black pantsuit with a sculptural silhouette
Ruth E. Carter
From the Academy Awards to the Met Gala, two-time Oscar winner Ruth E. Carter is no stranger to the red carpet. At last year’s celebration, she created two distinct designs inspired by Harlem’s culture and fashion.
Carter brought to life a modern-day Harlem zoot suit for Harlem, New York, native Teyana Taylor, who received critical acclaim for her role in One Battle After Another. She brought the striped suit to life with bold, high shoulders, oversized red roses, and a do-rag that draped down Taylor’s back, transforming into a long train. She also styled model Jasmine Tookes in an all-white, two-piece suit with a cape attached, a nod to the film Harlem Nights.
Carter’s brilliance shines in every film project she takes, from Spike Lee’s Do the Right Thing to Ryan Coogler’s Sinners. She previously won Academy Awards in Best Costume Design, which makes her work especially aligned with this year’s theme. With Carter’s keen eye to detail, she’ll serve up something fierce on fashion’s biggest night if she shows up to this year’s event.
LaQuan Smith
LaQuan Smith started his own eponymous luxury fashion brand at just age 21. Originally from Queens, New York, his grandmother taught him to sew and create patterns, his site says.
Now at 37, Smith has nearly perfected — because there’s always room to stun audiences — his glamorous style, capturing the flashy aesthetic of New Yorkers.
Just last year, his sensual designs hugged the curves of Halle Berry in a striped dress with a half-suit jacket. His other designs were seen on singer Ciara and songwriter-producer Babyface. He also dressed theatrical producer Jordan Roth in 2025 and model Adut Akech in 2024.
With his quick rise, there’s no doubt his 2026 Met Gala looks will be a frequent repost on your social media timelines.
