With reports of a single ticket to the 2026 Met Gala costing $100,000 and tables priced at $350,000, the annual fête has become an increasingly difficult event for independent designers to be part of. At such astronomical costs, only major fashion labels with hefty corporate backing can typically afford to have a presence. But this year, a handful of New York’s best indie creatives were given the opportunity to have their designs spotlighted on the carpet as well attend. Such was the case for emerging talent Grace Ling.
“I’m very honored that Google invited me to the Met Gala this year. It’s actually my first time at the Met Gala [with my work] on the carpet and I’m also dressing myself,” Ling told Fashionista while getting ready on Monday. “Designing a piece for yourself is actually interesting because it’s more mentally taxing than creating something for a client. But I was very fortunate because my team was helping me with it and they were also passionate and all-hands-on-deck about it.”
Related: Indie Designers Had a Strong Showing on the 2026 Met Gala Red Carpet
For the milestone moment, Ling wore a 3D-printed bodice made from aero aluminum plated in chrome. “I wanted to sort of look like I was battered by the weather, standing there on the carpet and a bunch of thorns and flowers just flew into my face, but in a very chic way.” With her team’s help, Ling crafted the full look in just three weeks.
“It was absolutely insane. We were flying people to go pick it up because DHL would not make it in time,” she said. “I was going to be really chill about it…and probably just [wear] something that I already had on the runway. But we just started ideating and then we spiraled and made a whole dress…it became a whole thing.”
Ahead of her Met Gala debut, we caught up with the Singaporean-born designer as she prepared for fashion’s biggest night. Below, Ling welcomes Fashionista into her getting-ready process, explains why her custom Charles & Keith shoes made for a “full circle moment” and discusses how this year’s “Fashion is Art” theme aligns with her eponymous brand’s DNA.
