The Mark is a fixture in the Met Gala ecosystem—both for pre-red carpet glam and for some of the buzziest after-party scenes around. But the historic hotel is also the backdrop for Meta’s annual class photo, which takes place each year just before the VIPs make their way to the museum five blocks north. This portrait serves as a high-fashion memento for the celebrity guests who have been invited to sit at Meta’s table at the fundraiser. The 2026 lineup? A compelling tableau of actors, athletes, and musicians.

This year, one of the hotel’s suites was transformed into a still life painting resembling something by the Dutch Masters. White calla lilies, a delicate candle snuffer, and cream linens all created the perfect backdrop for this modern-day homage to the classical table. Each celebrity posed for the photographer individually, and the images were then artfully stitched together into a single composition worthy of a museum gallery.

First up is Naomi Osaka. Scratch that—Naomi Osaka’s feathers. We spot her buoyant red plumes flounce into the room before she appears in the doorframe, ready to take her turn on set. The Grand Slam champion is wearing a custom two-piece set by couturier Robert Wun, with a sculptural chapeau up top to complete the moment.

Moments later, “We’re here! Another year!” calls out from the doorframe. Eva Chen, Instagram’s head of fashion partnerships and industry darling, has arrived for her portrait. She’s dressed in a custom Proenza Schouler gown in Klein Blue plissé silk. The scene-stealing look is hand-grommeted and fringed and features a sweeping asymmetric train. All of this is the handiwork of newly minted creative director Rachel Scott, who observes with a smile from behind the set.

Next to step in front of the camera is head of Instagram Adam Mosseri, who has chosen a floral pantsuit by Kartik Research for his red carpet moment. “Ooh, Adam, okay!” his wife, Monica, says playfully as she steps into the room in a pale blue gown with tonal corsetry throughout. After a few more snaps, she joins him in front of the camera for a couple’s shot.

There’s a brief lull at this point, a fleeting moment for a few French fries and sparkling water, but it’s not long before a hush falls over the room: Maluma has arrived. The Colombian singer, songwriter, and actor steps onto set in a note-perfect Tom Ford sequined tuxedo and gleaming Bvlgari jewelry. Maluma has been tasked with “folding” the napkins at the dinner table, a duty he conquers with utter finesse for the photographer’s crew. “Listo?” he asks his team with a million-dollar smile, and off he heads to the red carpet.

Shortly after, Alysa Liu trots into the room in a strapless Louis Vuitton gown and a pair of Uggs. (Don’t worry: her stylist is following close behind with heels to change into.) The figure skater who charmed the world at this year’s winter Olympics is equally enchanting on set in her crimson-hued gown. Just ask Hudson Williams, who arrives as Liu is snapping her portraits. “Oh my girl! You look so pretty!” he shouts from the sidelines. The Heated Rivalry star is wearing a custom Balenciaga look designed by Pierpaolo Piccioli. The powdery blue suit was inspired by a 1947 bolero jacket from house founder Cristóbal Balenciaga. “It’s also amazing to have a dramatic train that mimics the traditional matador,” his stylist Anastasia Walker says on set. As for the shoes? “A little opera pump moment,” she adds.

A sea of shimmery crystals floats into the room, and it’s none other than Lisa. The global superstar is wearing custom Robert Wun, and the designer has accompanied her to the shoot. “This dress has 40,000 Swarovski crystals and took 3,800 hours to make,” he shares with Vogue. Just then, another sequined showstopper waltzes into the room. “Lisa, you look so fab!” Chase Infiniti declares from the sidelines. She’s in a trompe l’oeil Thom Browne dress inspired by Alexandros of Antioch’s second-century-BC Venus de Milo statue. Her stylists, Wayman Bannerman and Micah McDonald, have joined the actress, sharing that Infiniti’s rainbow-hued gown features over 1.5 million sequins and 600 different colors. “The fringe on the dress is meant to appear as brush strokes when she walks up the stairs,” McDonald adds.

As the evening comes to a close—though really, it’s just getting started—two magnetic personalities arrive: Alex Consani and Sarah Paulson (the pair are set to appear in American Horror Story Season 13, which just began filming in New York City). Paulson is wearing a grey tulle debutante gown by Matières Fécales, while Consani is in a Gucci gown featuring a nude corset that extends into a long train covered in an abundance of dark feathers. (Such a stylish abundance, in fact, that it requires a team of four to navigate the train from room to room.) Consani attended her first Met Gala in 2025, and this year she returns as a member of the host committee. “It’s a really special moment for me being the first trans woman to co-chair the Met,” the model says.

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