What Was on Madonna’s Head at the 2026 Met Gala?

The journey to get it on her head was a stylish sprint. Madonna spied a similar wig by Dearman while filming her cameo in season two of The Studio. She immediately wanted it. While she wasn’t allowed to take the piece from the set, the hair department head advised her to call the wig’s maker, Merria Dearman. Madonna was thrilled: Dearman made the wigs for her Madame X and Celebration tour. She very much already had that number.
Dearman, with direction from Madonna’s hairstylist Eugene Souleiman, got to work creating a similar custom work for the singer, which she estimated took 60 hours to make. (More, if you include Dearman having to fly to London for fewer than 48 hours to fit the wig on Madonna herself.)
Wigs have often been the subtle outfit makers of the Met Gala. What would Kylie Jenner’s 2019 purple feathered gown by Versace have been without her matching purple hair, or Cardi B’s 2024 black and white Chen Peng look without her long silver strands? Then there’s the queen of wigs, Nicole Kidman: last year, she wore a faux blonde pixie cut to “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style.” Talk about hair-raising.
For more from the Met Gala 2026 red carpet, follow along with Vanity Fair’s live blog for live updates, breaking news, and all the designer details. Brush up on what the dress code really means, see who made VF’s list of the 100 best Met Gala looks of all time, and read our after-party guide.




