Surprise! Blake Lively made her grand return to the 2026 Met Gala on Monday night. (The star, who last attended the event in 2022, had been a regular fixture on the Met steps over the years, attending 10 times before tonight.)
To mark her spirited entrance to this year’s red carpet, the star chose an archival Atelier Versace number from spring 2006. Two decades later, the glamorous dress clearly still seems relevant.
“It’s an honor to assist with Donatella, something I don’t take lightly,” Lively says. Fashion. “I haven’t done it since I gave birth to my fourth child. Every year I am a different version of myself than the last, so being able to hold on to the version of myself I am today (and all the experiences I’ve had) with strength and confidence is important to me. So is staying home on the couch with my kids in their pajamas. Being able to do both is an honor that I will never stop being grateful for.”
“Blake looks spectacular in the Atelier Versace archive,” adds Donatella Versace. “There have been so many iconic Versace moments at The Met, and tonight is no exception.”
Photo: Getty Images
Inspired by the “Fashion is Art” dress code, Lively chose a pastel Atelier Versace dress that featured three-dimensional architectural elements, all inspired by 18th-century Venetian Rococo paintings. “Because the theme is based on art, I wanted to use an archival piece,” Lively says. “Clothing is truly a canvas and tells a story, so being able to create a piece that has its own story and has stood the test of time made me feel special.”
The draped bodice, which clung to the body with an almost liquid construction, was embroidered with gemstones in shades of dusty pinks, yellows, corals, peaches and lilacs. At the hips, four three-dimensional structures, which acted as “bays,” evoked the architecture of a baroque church. Meanwhile, the sweeping four-metre skirt featured fabric that dissolved into a painted sky that resembled a sunset.
