Connor Storrie tops Met Gala rankings

The Met Gala this year turned into a fight over what the event even is anymore. On one level, it worked exactly as designed — celebrities showed up, stylists swung big, and a few looks clearly broke through the noise. On another, the whole thing got tangled in protests, boycott talk, and a broader disgust with billionaire influence around cultural institutions. So the real story is not just who won the carpet. It’s why a night built to celebrate fashion ended up arguing about power. ### Who actually won the carpet? The cleanest answer is Connor Storrie. Hollywood Reporter’s post-Gala power rankings put him at the top, alongside Jennie and Sabrina Carpenter as the standout names of the night, and framed the winners around measurable red-carpet impact rather than just taste. Storrie’s debut mattered because he wasn’t just “well dressed” — he was the kind of breakout face who can turn one appearance into a star-making moment. ### Why was Connor Storrie such a big deal? Because his look was specific, legible, and a little risky — which is exactly what the Met Gala rewards when it works. Coverage around his debut focused on a Saint Laurent outfit that played with tailoring, exposed shoulders, and a more theatrical silhouette than the standard men’s black suit formula. That made him feel new on a carpet that often flattens men into background scenery. (hollywoodreporter.com) ### Where do Jennie and Sabrina Carpenter fit in? They landed in the same winner’s circle for a reason. Jennie arrived with the built-in force of Blackpink visibility, and this year’s Gala marked the first time all four members attended in the same year — a pop-culture event inside the fashion event. Sabrina Carpenter, meanwhile, kept building her image as someone who understands how to turn a reference into a meme-ready fashion moment, with a look tied to Audrey Hepburn’s *Sabrina*. (vanityfair.com) ### What made the rankings feel bigger than usual? The numbers. Hollywood Reporter said the stars and brands on this year’s carpet drove the highest total yet for earned engagement tied to this kind of red-carpet impact measurement. Basically, the Gala still knows how to command attention at industrial scale. Even if people are fighting about the event, they are still looking — and looking a lot. (hollywoodreporter.com) ### So why was everyone mad? Because the fashion story got swallowed by the money story. This year’s Gala drew boycott calls and street protests tied to Jeff Bezos’ involvement, with critics arguing that a museum fundraiser built around glamour looked especially ugly when linked to one of the world’s richest men. That criticism didn’t stay outside the building — it became part of the event’s public meaning. (hollywoodreporter.com) ### Was this just social media snark? Not really. Social media always dunks on the Met Gala, but this time the backlash had a clearer target and a stronger moral tone. The complaints weren’t only “these outfits are bad.” They were also “why is this institution so comfortable wrapping itself in billionaire prestige?” That shifts the argument from taste to legitimacy — a much harder problem to style your way out of. (usatoday.com) ### Did the event still succeed? Financially and attention-wise, yes. One report said the Gala raised a record $42 million, which is the kind of result the museum actually cares about most. But the catch is that success now comes with reputational drag. The event can still dominate the culture, but it no longer controls what the culture says back. (independent.co.uk) ### What’s the bottom line? The 2026 Met Gala proved two things at once. Fashion spectacle still works — Connor Storrie, Jennie, and Sabrina Carpenter gave people real red-carpet winners to talk about. But the Gala’s old magic trick, where glamour floats above politics and money, looks a lot shakier now. (hollywoodreporter.com) (msn.com)