Hands Were Everywhere at the Met Gala

Anything goes at the Met Gala. Heidi Klum in head-to-toe prosthetics mimicking a marble figurine? Sure. Bad Bunny transforming into a senior citizen? Totally within bounds. Katy Perry emerging in a face-covering metal mask? A tripping hazard, but we’ll allow it. During fashion’s biggest night, we’ve learned to accept what comes and not to ask questions. But at the 2026 Met Gala, a defining motif is shrouded with symbolism that must be discussed: hands.

This year, the theme was “Fashion is Art,” which led many stars to pull from famous oil paintings and abstract sculptures. (Hunter Schafer referenced Gustav Klimt; Cardi B evoked a distorted Hans Bellmer image.) But some attendees took the theme more literally and adorned themselves in the utilitarian body part that creates the very art we consume.

Jewellery designer Sabine Getty showed up in an Ashi Studio naked dress with a trompe l’oeil design that emphasized the power of palms. The skin-hugging gown featured intricately painted-on hands, one atop her breast and the other resting on her midsection.

Thai fashion editor Nichapat Suphap took this visual storytelling to new extremes in a custom Robert Wun creation. Her black corset gown was embellished by two sets of three-dimensional silver hands with automated fingers slowly tapping her body as she ascended the steps. The look, which was inspired by “The Creation of Adam” by Michelangelo, took one of the oldest depictions of handiwork and transformed it into a slightly freaky statement on robotic sentience. How fitting.

Elsewhere, the idea of helping hands emerged, with prosthetic fingers and forearms crafted to complete intricate ensembles. In lieu of a top, Léna Mahfouf’s Burc Akyol look featured floating silver hands covering her breasts. Instead of a typical headpiece, Lisa had bent, moulded arms coming out of her shoulders, holding up her Robert Wun veil.

Aside from surrealist statements, there seemed to be an overall emphasis on hands at the Met Gala, with many stars’ fingers dyed to match their dresses, as seen with Ashley Graham’s frosty tips, Noami Osaka’s red knuckles and Tessa Thompson’s blue-dipped digits.

Why the five-finger fixation? In the age of automation and AI, hands—one of the oldest body parts depicted and one of the most crucial to making art—take on a pressing significance. Whether they’re sketching, sewing or typing on a screen, hands remain central to the act of creation. (At least, for now.) All in all, these ensembles deserve a hand.