Photo: Getty Images
Blake Lively kept her children close on fashion's biggest night.
The A Simple Favor actress, 38, walked the red carpet in an archival Atelier Versace gown from spring 2006 for the dress code "Fashion Is Art" at the 2026 Met Gala on Monday (May 4), her first time attending the event since 2022, per Vogue. The stunning ensemble also featured a "special" hidden nod to her four kids with husband Ryan Reynolds: daughters James, 11, Inez, 9, and Betty, 6, and son Olin, 3.
Looking as if she stepped out of a watercolor painting of a sunset, Lively modeled the halter neck gown in pastels of yellow, pink and purple, with a bodice embroidered with gemstones and a voluminous skirt that stretched into a 13-foot-long train.
She paired the look with custom Lorraine Schwartz jewelry as well as a custom Judith Leiber Couture bag that was crafted with artwork made by her four kids, People reports. The It Ends with Us star opened up about the process while speaking with Vogue on the red carpet.
1 of 2 Photo: Getty Images
2 of 2 Photo: Getty Images
"We were trying to find a piece of famous, iconic art to put on and make it look like it was in a frame. And then I said, 'Would you, actually, if you're gonna make it custom, would you do my kids?'" she said.
And that's exactly what they did.
"My kids each painted a watercolor painting. Each of my four kids did this, so I have them with me, because I'm shy too, so I just like to have the kids with me. Isn't that special?" she said, before joking, "I probably could have fit them under my dress, to be honest. I should have snuck them under there."
Jana Matheson, chief creative officer of Judith Leiber Couture explained to Vogue that the team enjoyed working with Lively on the "meaningful" piece.
"The team and I always enjoy it when Blake reaches out with special projects. Her love of sparkle and touch of whimsy make her a dream client," Matheson said. "This season's clutch, featuring her children's artwork, is an especially meaningful touch. We used a new minaudière shape with four sides, so each of her children's drawings could be included. What better way to bring your four little ones to a black-tie event than by carrying them with you on your clutch?"
1 of 2 Photo: Getty Images
2 of 2 Photo: Getty Images
The theme for the 2026 Met Gala was "Costume Art," coinciding with the Costume Institute's spring 2026 exhibition, which "explores depictions of the dressed body across The Met's vast collection, pairing garments with artworks to reveal the inherent relationship between clothing and the body," according to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Guests were invited to follow the dress code "Fashion is Art," which The Met stated allows them to "express their own relationship to fashion as an embodied art form and celebrate the countless depictions of the dressed body throughout art history."
This year's event, which is a charity event and fundraiser for the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute, was co-chaired by Beyoncé, Nicole Kidman, Venus Williams and former Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour. Check out the best looks from the garden-inspired red carpet.