Sam Smith Wears 52-Pound Gown at 2026 Met Gala

Sam Smith arrived at the 2026 Met Gala in a custom 52-pound black gown on Monday, May 4. Their partner, Christian Cowan, designed it. Fashion watchers and fans gave mixed reactions across social media.

The 33-year-old musician stepped into the Metropolitan Museum of Art wearing a black Erté showgirl-inspired mermaid dress with a fuzzy collar. The sleeves looked like wings with a mermaid train sweeping behind them. The GRAMMY winner topped it off with a tall, feathered headpiece that reached toward the ceiling.

Walking up the steps became a struggle because the gown weighed so much. Christian Cowan accompanied the performer on the red carpet in an all-black suit.

The Mirror reported strong, mixed reactions to the ensemble. 

"Sam Smith showed up to the 2026 Met Gala looking like a rejected extra from a budget Victorian drag queen funeral who got mugged by a Joann Fabrics explosion," one viewer wrote. Another commenter said, "This is Nonsense, Sam Smith looking like a budget RuPaul reject who lost a fight with a craft store."

Others praised it. Some thought it matched the night's theme. "That's Art and drama at the same time," one supporter wrote. Another fan agreed, saying, "This is actually tea."

The performer served on the host committee. Beyoncé, Nicole Kidman, Venus Williams, and Anna Wintour co-chaired the annual Costume Institute fundraiser. Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez served as honorary co-chairs.

This marked the musician's second Met Gala appearance. They debuted in 2024 wearing a Christian Cowan design inspired by that year's "The Garden of Time" theme. That creation featured a black tuxedo with a sheer chiffon skirt overlay and a gold rose pinning the jacket closed.

"I couldn't have dreamed of a better companion for the occasion," Sam Smith told Vogue at the 2024 event. "I think of the Gala as fashion Christmas — just as fabulous and just as serious, given the incredible work done at the Met."

The 2026 gala celebrated the Met's Costume Art exhibition with a "Fashion is Art" dress code.