Olivia Rodrigo has had a busy few weeks, so I couldn’t be too shocked when I didn't see her on the 2026 Met Gala red carpet. Fresh off a double-duty gig hosting and performing on Saturday Night Live, releasing her new single, performing it at Coachella, and announcing a brand new album, my girl could use some rest.
If that's why she ditched fashion's biggest night altogether, I completely understand. As she would say: It's brutal out here!
I would have loved to see what the “Good 4 U” singer would have worn on the Met Gala steps. The theme in 2026 is Costume Art, in celebration of the relationship between fashion and the bodies that wear it. The coordinating dress code is Fashion Is Art, which is broad enough that I just know the singer would have put her own spin on it. And, considering she just filmed the music video for her new single, "Drop Dead," in the Palace of Versailles, I thought there would be an easy artsy tie-in.
Would her look have been pink, the shade she’s been wearing non-stop since she began teasing her new album, You Seem Pretty Sad for a Girl So in Love? Or, would she have opted for something punky and fun, like she’s worn in previous years? I have so many questions—and I’ll have to wait another year for answers.
Speaking of her past Met Gala looks, Rodrigo has shown every facet of her sartorial personality over the years. Her first-ever Met appearance came in 2021, at the first iteration of the fundraiser that did not take place on the first Monday in May.
Allow me to set the scene: It was September, the theme that year was "In America: A Lexicon of Fashion," and Rodrigo was fresh off the success of "Driver's License" and the release of her first solo album, Sour. Up until then, her red carpet style had leaned more sweet than, well, sour—which is why I loved her lacy black Saint Laurent catsuit. It took the naked dress trend to a new, cool girl-approved level.
The "In America" theme was split into two separate galas due to the pandemic, and at its next iteration—which took place back on schedule, in May 2022—Rodrigo did a stylistic 180. She swapped black for a shimmering violet Versace number.
Rodrigo had become synonymous with this very specific shade of purple by this point, and the punky, feminine take felt perfect for the moment. Smudgy purple eye makeup and matching butterfly hairpins from Jennifer Behr completed the look, giving it an almost Disney-princess-inspired feel.
Rodrigo's 2023 Met Gala appearance proved her to be the ultimate red carpet chameleon. The event, that year, posthumously honored design legend Karl Lagerfeld with a theme dedicated entirely to his legacy—"Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty."
To celebrate his life in style, Rodrigo arrived in a stunning Thom Browne number crafted in Lagerfeld's classic black-and-white color combination, adorned with flowers. Audrey Hepburn-inspired hair and a soft red lip kept the look feeling classy and timeless—the epitome of a Lagerfeld creation.
There will be more Olivia Rodrigo moments where her recent performances came from, with her next tour on the horizon. That said, if Rodrigo skips a Met Gala red carpet dress again in 2027, I might actually drop dead.
