Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson is shedding light on his decision to don a skirt for the 2026 Met Gala on Monday. The Moana actor made his debut at fashion's grandest night, wearing a custom all-black Thom Browne ensemble that featured a mohair tailcoat, white vest, and a pleated skirt over trousers. He walked the carpet alongside his wife, Lauren Hashian, who was wearing a white halter-neck dress by the designer.
When asked about his look by reporters, Johnson explained that it was partially inspired by his Polynesian culture, where "the most masculine men wear skirts." "I feel great!" he exclaimed. "First, [Thom Browne's team] sent the illustrations over and [asked], 'Hey, is DJ going to be cool with this pleated skirt?' And I was like, 'Look, in our culture, Polynesian culture, we rock lavalavas, we rock skirts.' The most masculine men, not that I'm one of them, but the most masculine men wear lavalavas and skirts."
Elsewhere on the carpet, the Jumanji actor was asked by The Hollywood Reporter if he was the art or the artist, as this year's theme was "Costume Art." He responded that he was chatting with his friend and fellow actor Coleman Domingo, who was also in attendance at New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art, about "what this is—the beauty of art. Sometimes it's a walking expression of art, and I could feel that. So am I the art or the artist? I think I'm both, and maybe that's a cool place to be in."
The dress code for the 2026 Met Gala was "Fashion Is Art," while this year's exhibition, "Costume Art," explored "the centrality of the dressed body throughout time and culture, juxtaposing garments and works of art from across the Museum's vast collection to create pairings that highlight the indivisible connection between clothing and the body," according to the official descriptions.
Beyoncé, Nicole Kidman, Venus Williams, and Anna Wintour served as this year's co-chairs, while Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez Bezos were the honorary chairs.
