K-Pop Powerhouses Blackpink and Aespa Shine at Met Gala Red Carpet

K-pop’s influence at the Met Gala continues to expand, and this year’s event was no exception.

Renowned South Korean icons, including members from girl groups like Blackpink and the cast of Kpop Demon Hunters, dazzled in an array of crystals and gemstones at The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City on Monday.

Marking her first appearance at the Met Gala, Karina from the girl group Aespa donned an elegant white satin dress adorned with floral crystal detailing along the straps and a square neckline.

At 26, the Prada ambassador added a dramatic touch with an oversized black coat that gracefully slipped off her shoulders.

Karina completed her sophisticated look by styling her black hair into a sleek bun and choosing purple gemstone earrings as her accessory of choice.

Blackpink members Roseanne ‘Rosé’ Park and Lalisa ‘Lisa’ Manobal returned to the Met Gala after both attending last year’s ceremony.

Karina from the South Korean girl group Aespa made her Met Gala debut in a simple white satin gown on Monday

The Prada ambassador, 26, draped herself in an oversized black coat, which fell off her slender shoulders

Lisa, 29, went for a more daring style in a sparkling white skin-tight dress and matching veil.

Both the frock and the veil were adorned in crystals, along with Lisa’s hands and parts of her face.

Rosé went for a much safer look in yet another black Saint Laurent dress, which has now become her signature style.

The garment featured a structured lower half that came out to create a voluptuous silhouette along with a thigh-high split and a large sparkly bird on the hip.

Her Blackpink bandmate Kim Jisoo, 31, was the epitome of ladylike glamour in strapless floral dress in shades of soft pink and purple.

The longtime Dior ambassador added a matching collar and had her hair slicked back with two long squiggly strands falling down to frame her face.

Last but not least was Blackpink’s Jennie Kim, who stood out in a strapless blue sequin gown and silver pumps.

The 30-year-old is a longtime ambassador for Chanel, but she appeared to buck the brand this year for something different. 

Blackpink’s Kim Jisoo was the epitome of ladylike glamour in strapless floral dress in shades of soft pink and purple 

The 31-year-old singer and actress made her Met Gala debut this year

Jisoo posed with Canadian-Korean actor Ahn Hyo-seop from Kpop Demon Hunters

Never one to miss a red carpet, Kpop Demon Hunters star Ejae arrived in yet another crystalized look.

Despite being known for her hit Golden, the singer sparkled in a silver column gown from Swarovski.

Speaking to Vogue about her look, Ejae explained that it was partially inspired by the female courtesans of the Joseon dynasty.

‘I wanted to represent elements of Korean culture on fashion’s biggest night,’ she said.

It turns out that Karina wasn’t the only Aespa member invited, with Ningning also walking the red carpet later in the day.

The Chinese-born beauty, 23, wowed in a custom black Gucci gown featuring dramatic black ruffles with subtle crystal embellishments.

Ningning’s Met Gala debut comes just days after she was announced as Gucci’s latest global ambassador. 

Blackpink’s Lalisa ‘Lisa’ Manobal shocked in a crystalized sheer white dress and matching veil

The pop star and White Lotus actress had one of the more daring looks of the night

Rosé went for a much safer look in yet another black Saint Laurent dress, which has now become her signature style

The garment featured a structured lower half that came out to create a voluptuous silhouette

The Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute Benefit, also known as the Met Gala, falls on the first Monday in May every year.

The theme of this year’s event – widely considered the Super Bowl of celebrity red carpets – is ‘Costume Art’, while the dress code is ‘Fashion Is Art.’ 

The dress code calls on the A-list attendees to explore how designers use the human body as a blank canvas. 

Leading the charge is a powerhouse trio of co-chairs, with Beyonce, Nicole Kidman and Venus Williams joining forces with Vogue’s global editorial director Anna Wintour to oversee fashion’s biggest night. 

It’s the first time tennis superstar Williams has co-chaired the gala. Kidman previously co-chaired the star-studded event in 2003 as well as 2005, and Beyonce was an honorary chair in 2013.

The New York City museum will pair historical and contemporary garments from the Costume Institute for the exhibition, which will be loosely divided into three categories, including the classical and the nude body, aging and pregnant bodies, and the anatomical body.  

The exhibit – set to unveil the Met’s sprawling new Conde M. Nast Galleries – has been made possible by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and his wife Lauren Sanchez, who are the lead sponsors and honorary co-chairs. 

Blackpink’s Jennie Kim wore a blue sequin dress that was worlds away from her usual style

Jennie was beaming as she posed for photos on the red carpet

Aespa’s Ningning wore a dramatic ruffled gown with subtle crystal embellishments

The Chinese-born beauty was recently named Gucci’s new global brand ambassador 

‘The title “Costume Art” refers to the history of the costume institute,’ Andrew Bolton, the Costume Institute’s curator, said at a press conference.

Bolton, who selects the theme, said fashion has ‘the status of art because of, and not in spite of, its relation to the body.’

French luxury fashion house Yves Saint Laurent is also sponsoring the exhibit.

The 2026 Met Gala will also have a host committee that includes committee co-chairs Anthony Vaccarello and Zoe Kravitz, along with members Sabrina Carpenter, Doja Cat, Angela Bassett, Gwendoline Christie, Misty Copeland, Elizabeth Debicki, Lena Dunham, Sam Smith, Teyana Taylor and more. 

Costume Art will run from May 10, 2026 through January 10, 2027, following the Met Gala on Monday, May 4.

Never one to miss a red carpet, Kpop Demon Hunters star Ejae arrived in yet another crystalized look

Despite being known for her hit Golden, the singer sparkled in a silver column gown from Swarovski

The Met Gala is a huge money-maker for the museum, and provides the Costume Institute with its main source of funding.

The 2026 Met Gala marks a major moment because it’s the first one since Wintour technically stepped back from one of her famed roles at Vogue.  

In June 2025, Wintour announced she was stepping down as the editor-in-chief of American Vogue after 37 years.

The global director for Vogue and global chief content officer at Conde Nast hired Chloe Malle as the new head of editorial content at Vogue.

Wintour has famously been incredibly hands-on with the Met Gala over the years, and is credited with making it the splashy A-list affair it has become, beloved by celebrities like Rihanna, the Kardashians, Blake Lively, Zendaya and more.

Last year, many stars did not attend the Met Gala, and some people thought it was to avoid making a faux pas because of the theme, Superfine: Tailoring Black Style, which was centered around the political and aesthetic constructs of Black dandyism.