Until tonight, Zendaya never skipped a Met Gala after-party. One red carpet moment just has never been enough from the queen of the Met—and she knows it. That's why it was so heartbreaking when Zendaya's 2026 Met Gala after-party look never came.
The tears started falling once Beyoncé and Rihanna graced the Met Gala red carpet, but not Zendaya. Reality set in right then and there: Z's three year Gala streak would end before she could interpret the "Fashion Is Art" dress code. Sometimes, celebrities who didn't score a Met Gala invite will join the festivities on the after-hours circuit. But something tells me the Challengers star is cuddled up to her husband, Tom Holland, right about now—not sitting for final touches in a New York City makeup chair.
I should've known as soon as Law Roach said, "for once, me going to the Met is about me," that Zendaya and her Christian Louboutin So Kates had other plans on the first Monday in May. At least two of my favorite Met Gala mainstays didn't RSVP "no." Beyoncé in custom Olivier Rousteing and Rihanna in Maison Margiela Fall 2025 Couture filled the Zendaya-shaped hole in my Met Gala-loving heart.
If an exhibition was made from Zendaya's Met Gala gowns, the Metropolitan Museum of Art would need an entirely new wing to hold her after-party looks. (This year's mannequin would be noticeably naked, though—and not in a naked dressing type of way.) The evolution of her second selects tracks Z's impressive transformation from Disney star to full-blown fashion icon. We all have to start somewhere, right?
For the Euphoria star, that was a surprisingly work-friendly suit skirt from Michael Kors, the same designer behind her 2016 after-Met Gala dress. A polka-dotted button-down and camel-colored blazer made it the opposite of her initial, high-low Fausto Puglisi gown. But the mini skirt's patchwork boasted the same sun motif atop her skirt, bracelet, and tiara.
Michael Kors dressed Zendaya for the 2016 Met Gala after-party, too. Her Fall 2016 mini dress was metallic gold, just like her first gown. Matching hoop rings connected the plunge top and knee-grazing midi skirt. Then, she accessorized with a double-breasted pea coat, matching knee-high boots, and the same sleek bob seen a few hours prior.
The Drama actor's after-party attire took a turn for the timeless at the 2024 Met Gala. For the "Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion" theme, she ended her four-look marathon in a custom gray gown from Loewe. What a surprise to see the archival connoisseur in something fresh-from-the-mannequin—especially after she switched into a Givenchy Spring 1996 Couture gown for her second step-and-repeat.
Loewe's satin, halter-neck slip fit the then-co-host like a glove, thanks to the corset beneath the bodice's vertical pleating. Then, a hip-high slit revealed her Christian Louboutin So Kates, of course.
Zendaya pulled off an all-white, Bianca Jagger-coded suit from Louis Vuitton on the 2025 Met Gala red carpet. Later, Roach sourced Patrick Kelly's archives for a sartorial 180: a ruby-red sequin dress, featuring an oversize floral print. Her fur shawl and matching Louboutins were a few shades darker, without entering garnet territory. To offset the grandeur of her after-party gown, Z only accessorized with diamond stud earrings and her east-west engagement ring from Jessica McCormack. What else did she need?
New 2026 after-party pics are surfacing left and right, but Zendaya's would've had top billing on Marie Claire's best-dressed list. Alas, she had enough post-Gala gowns in her repertoire to numb the pain a little bit. Maybe Z just wanted Beyoncé to have her moment. When asked about her favorite Bey song over a decade ago, she said, "I'm gonna have to go with everything. Everything she does. I mean, I'm a little biased...cause I'm obsessed with her." If that's the case, I retract my disappointment, Zendaya. I'd step aside for Beyoncé, too.
