Kim Kardashian, Kendall Jenner and Kylie Jenner arrived at the 2026 Met Gala in three very different looks, but they had one thing unmistakably in common: sculpted nipple accents built directly into their garment.
Kardashian, who was styled by Chloe and Chenelle Delgadillo, wore a custom orange-themed outfit made by Allen Jones and Whitaker Malem — the latter is known for creating sculptural bodysuits for pop stars including Doja Cat and Mariah Carey.
Kylie, styled by Alexandra Rosa and Mackenzie Grandquist, wore a Schiaparelli dress starring a strapless nude bodysuit with a sweetheart neckline that sits against the skin, creating a barely-there effect through the torso.
And Kendall wore a custom GapStudio dress designed by Zac Posen inspired by the Winged Victory of Samothrace, one of the rare Greek statues that are part of the Louvre collection.
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The sculpted nipple has a long history in fashion. Jean Paul Gaultier introduced his iconic conical bra in 1983, later immortalized when Madonna wore a custom version on her 1990 Blond Ambition tour, and returned to the motif throughout his career. Thierry Mugler explored similar territory in the 1980s and 1990s, building sculpted bodices in latex and molded fabric. More recently, designers including Ludovic de Saint Sernin and Di Petsa have revived the detail for a new generation.
The Kardashian-Jenner sisters have been among the most-discussed attendees at the Met Gala since their debuts in the mid-2010s. Kim Kardashian was the first member of her family to attend the event, when she arrived at the 2013 Met Gala, visibly pregnant, in a floral Givenchy dress for the “Punk: Chaos to Couture” theme. In the years since, she has produced a string of viral looks: a head-to-toe Balenciaga silhouette in 2021, Marilyn Monroe’s “Happy Birthday, Mr. President” Jean Louis-designed dress in 2022, a Schiaparelli Couture gown in 2023, a Maison Margiela corseted metallic look in 2024, and a custom Chrome Hearts gown in 2025.
The 2026 Met Gala took place on Monday at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. This year’s exhibition, “Costume Art,” celebrated fashion as an art form, with a dress code of “Fashion Is Art.” The event was co-chaired by Beyoncé Knowles-Carter, Nicole Kidman, Venus Williams, and Anna Wintour, with Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez Bezos serving as honorary chairs. The annual benefit raises funds for the Met’s Costume Institute.
