Karina and Ningning at the 2026 Met Gala. Getty Images K-pop stars Karina and Ningning officially made their Met Gala debut Monday night.
The women, one-half of the wildly popular girl group aespa, attended separately; however, it’s safe to anticipate that at least one photo of the group members inside the gala together will surface later in the night. The night’s theme is “Costume Art” and the dress code is “fashion is art,” which is inspired by the Costume Institute exhibition on fashion as an art form throughout history.
Karina, aespa’s 26-year-old leader, wore a custom white satin Prada dress with a black cape atop. The ensemble was seemingly inspired by Korean hanbok, a traditional clothing item dating back to the nation’s Three Kingdoms period.
Related Stories
Lifestyle 'The Devil Wears Prada' Cast Stuns at 2026 Met Gala, But Miranda Priestly Fashionably Skips
Lifestyle The Blackpink Gals Reunite as Lisa, Rosé, Jennie and Jisoo All Attend Met Gala For the First Time
The singer and rapper’s entire ensemble was Prada, down to the jewelry, shoes and purse. Karina’s been an ambassador for the luxury fashion house since 2024. The brand previously described her as “one of the most talented female K-pop artists” when they announced their partnership.
Karina Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for The Met Museum/Vogue Her group member Ningning, on the other hand, opted for a Gucci look. The 23-year-old looked ethereal in a custom black Gucci gown. The structure and intricate ensemble was a pitch-perfect debut for the Chinese K-pop singer. She complemented the dress with Gucci shoes and Bvlgari jewelry.
Just last week, Gucci announced that Ningning had joined the luxury fashion house as a brand ambassador. “I grew up fascinated by Gucci and it doesn’t feel real that I get to help bring the house’s designs to new generations and tastes,” the K-pop star said in a release announcing the news.
Aespa is preparing to release their second full-length album, Lemonade, later this month. The 10-track album, set to drop May 29, “captures aespa at their boldest yet — pairing the group’s signature futuristic identity with sharper storytelling, elevated production, and a more confident, evolved sound,” according to a release from the group.
Ningning Theo Wargo/FilmMagic The four-member girl group, one of Korea’s most popular acts, is set to make their Lollapalooza U.S. debut in August. The group is no stranger to U.S. festivals, having performed at all the major festivals, including Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, Governors Ball and Outside Lands.
Following their Lollapalooza appearance, aespa is set to hit the road on a lengthy world tour, which kicks off in August in Seoul, South Korea. The group begins its North American leg in September with stops at Mexico’s Palacio de los Deportes and Toronto’s TD Coliseum. They’ll then play eight cities in the U.S., including the UBS Arena in New York and the Intuit Dome in L.A., before finishing the North American run in Vancouver, Canada.
The 2026 Met Gala is being co-chaired by Beyoncé, Nicole Kidman, Venus Williams and Anna Wintour. Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and his wife, Lauren Sánchez Bezos, are honorary chairs, which has caused a stir of controversy leading up to fashion’s biggest night.
This year’s host committee includes Anthony Vaccarello, Zoë Kravitz, Adut Akech, Angela Bassett, Sinéad Burke, Sabrina Carpenter, Doja Cat, Gwendoline Christie, Misty Copeland, Alex Consani, Elizabeth Debicki, Lena Dunham, Paloma Elsesser, Rebecca Hall, Blackpink’s Lisa, Chloe Malle, Aimee Mullins, Amy Sherald, Tschabalala Self, Sam Smith, Teyana Taylor, Anna Weyant, Lauren Wasser, A’ja Wilson, Chase Sui Wonders and Yseult.
The 2026 Met Gala was held on Monday at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. See what all the stars wore here, and catch up on all of The Hollywood Reporter‘s Met Gala coverage here.
THR Newsletters
Sign up for THR news straight to your inbox every day
Subscribe Sign Up
