Irina Shayk may have been channeling Dali at the 2026 Met Gala, but that doesn’t mean she wasn’t ready to walk the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show runway at the same time.
The Russian supermodel appeared on the steps outside the Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 4 wearing a halter bra encrusted with tiny jewels by Alexander Wang and a floor-length black skirt that exposed her hipbones, pooling picturesquely at her feet. She accessorized with a variety of form-fitting jewelry, including a choker and a metal watch that served as an armlet, and what appeared to be a watch was clipped to her bra.
According to the designer, the look, which celebrates the evening’s theme of “costume art” and its complementary “fashion is art” dress code, was conceived as a wearable archive, drawing on surrealist principles to recontextualize functional objects as fashion. (See more walking art at the 2026 MET Gala.)
As explained, what would normally correspond to a bra seam was replaced with a chain, stitching was replaced with a clasp, and the watch anchored the body as both a clasp and a focal point. (And the metal and diamond nipple plates helped avoid wardrobe malfunctions.)
What’s more, this haute couture look took over 200 hours of handcrafting.
