Swarovski returned to the Met Gala red carpet for its third year with three one-of-a-kind couture looks envisioned by Global Creative Director, Giovanna Engelbert. Alongside Met Gala co-host Venus Williams, who turned to Swarovski for her ensemble, Engelbert and Friend of the House, EJAE, attended the event to celebrate the Costume Institute’s Spring exhibition, ‘Costume Art’. Cher wore Swarovski jewellery to illuminate her Met Gala looks, and designers Robert Wun and Di Petsa integrated Swarovski Crystal embellishments into their Met Gala designs.
Following past Met Gala presentations which placed House codes and colours into central focus, Engelbert’s response to the 2026 dress code, ‘Fashion is Art’, galvanized the idea of crystal as art itself. The resulting designs honour Swarovski’s role in the world of pop culture through a study of crystal creativity, identity, and savoir-faire. Nodding to the distinct relationships between the artist, the muse, and the finished work of art, Engelbert struck a balance between tradition and modernity, between canvas and result, between creator and creation.
Giovanna Engelbert, Global Creative Director, Swarovski, said: “This year I was inspired by the concept of crystals as art - and how their brilliance can serve as a thread between old world traditions and modern couture innovation. I wanted each garment to feel deeply connected to the identity of the individual – celebrating Swarovski Crystal as a medium for self-expression. It’s been a joy to collaborate with EJAE and Venus for the Met Gala and to celebrate Swarovski at one of the most important fashion moments of the year.”
Venus Williams
For tennis icon, entrepreneur and Met Gala co-host Venus Williams, the starting point for her look was Robert Pruitt’s famed Venus Williams, Double Portrait displayed at the National Portrait Gallery at the Smithsonian, transforming the painting into a wearable work of crystal art. In the piece, Venus is depicted wearing a highly symbolic Wimbledon plate-inspired necklace which highlights portraits of her parents, sports achievements, and reference to her roots in Compton.
The necklace, faithfully recreated in sterling silver, featured 3,800 hand-set stones and took more than 700 hours to create. Its inset lines of stones draw on the precision of Swarovski’s Matrix and Millenia families to achieve the final effect.
Williams’s crystal-encrusted gown was designed in sleek black with a structured corset and built hips to project her authority and stature as Met Gala co-chair. Fully embellished with 52,500 crystals, the dress transformed that authority into a field of light across the body.
“For Venus, we wanted to create something powerful, and regal rooted in her own story. The dress is built with couture construction to sculpt the body and carry both strength and symbolism.” Giovanna Engelbert
EJAE
Acclaimed actress, singer-songwriter behind ‘Golden’, and rising global cultural voice EJAE stunned in a look inspired by neoclassical references like marble statues, with crystal integrations that created a chiaroscuro of clarity, shade, and reflection across the body.
Celebrating Swarovski’s first crystal cut, Article One, and crystal as an artistic expression, EJAE’s look featured an iridescent Crystal Fine Mesh skirt embellished with 630,000 Swarovski Crystals that required 84 hours of work to complete. Her corset was encrusted using a technique that merged jewellery craftsmanship with fine embroidery, 60,000 Swarovski Crystals and 1,000 Crystal Pearls, each hand embroidered. EJAE’s ensemble also featured a shoulder piece inspired by Swarovski’s Constella and Una Angelic families, with a belt made up of both Una Angelic and Millenia strands. The look was finished with a headpiece inspired by Binyeo, traditional Korean ornamental hairpins, reinterpreted with Swarovski savoir-faire.
“For EJAE, I wanted to create a crystal sculpture - something that merges classical beauty with her own cultural identity, using crystal to sculpt the body - almost like light on marble” Engelbert commented.
Giovanna Engelbert
Rather than focusing on a finished dress, Engelbert’s own look embodied the artist behind the work and expressed the process itself. Conceived as a visible couture underpinning, the structured corset in nude silk duchesse with external construction lines was complemented by a layered organza foundation skirt. To link the act of making with the final artwork, her ensemble featured an artist’s apron made of Swarovski Crystal Mesh, using Swarovski Hyperbola jewellery to create the apron strap alongside Matrix embellishments. To complete the ensemble, Engelbert's wore a monochrome headpiece developed by Stephen Jones. Merging the Swarovski Swan emblem with the artists' palette, exploring the theme of transformation.
“I wanted to pay tribute to the artist and the craftsmanship behind creation—so instead of the finished piece, I chose to wear the process”, Engelbert explains of her look.
Swarovski Jewellery and Embellishments
Cher turned to Swarovski jewellery to create an amplified vision of her Met Gala look with a Matrix necklace, Vienna Collection earrings, and Vienna Collection and Matrix rings. Designers Robert Wun and Di Petsa integrated Swarovski into their couture presentations. Harnessing the power of crystals, Robert Wun dressed LISA and Naomi Osaka in gowns inlaid with over one million Swarovski Crystals, while Di Pesta created a crystal-embellished look for Laura Harrier.
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About Swarovski
Masters of Light Since 1895
Swarovski creates beautiful products of impeccable quality and craftsmanship, celebrating joyful extravagance and self-expression.
Founded in 1895 in Austria by Daniel Swarovski, Swarovski creates the world's finest crystals, Swarovski Created Diamonds, Swarovski Crystal Pearls and Swarovski Zirconia, jewellery, and accessories, as well as home décor and crystals for the automotive industry.
Swarovski Crystal Business operates in more than 140 countries worldwide, with 2,200 boutiques complemented by a network of selected multibrand partners and employs approximately 18,300 people globally. Together with its sister companies, Swarovski Optik and Tyrolit, it forms the Swarovski Group. Rooted in the company’s heritage, Swarovski strives to make a positive impact on people, society, and the planet. Today, sustainability measures are implemented throughout the value chain, with a focus on circular innovation, championing diversity and inclusion, and encouraging self-expression. This includes the philanthropic work of the Swarovski Foundation, which supports charitable organizations bringing positive environmental and social impact.
