Dwayne Johnson embraced a lavalava-inspired wardrobe choice at the Met Gala, explaining how Polynesian tradition informed his look and reflecting on art and identity on the carpet
The 2026 Met Gala drew attention not only for its star-studded guest list but for moments that mixed fashion with cultural meaning. On May 4, 2026, Dwayne Johnson arrived in a striking custom ensemble by Thom Browne: a black mohair tailcoat, a white vest and a pleated skirt layered over trousers. Johnson walked the carpet with his wife, Lauren Hashian, who wore a white halter-neck design by the same house. The pairing combined classic couture references with a deliberate nod to tradition, creating an image that many outlets and attendees immediately discussed.
When reporters asked about the outfit, Johnson pointed directly to his roots. He explained that the concept had been reviewed with the designer’s team and that the pleated skirt echoed garments common in his home culture. He referenced Polynesian culture and the practice of wearing an ie or lavalava, using the term lavalava to describe a wrap cloth traditionally worn across many Pacific islands. By invoking this lineage, Johnson framed the skirt not as a novelty but as an expression of continuity: clothing that carries social meaning and a long history of masculine wear in his community.
On the carpet Johnson offered a memorable line: ‘the most masculine men wear lavalavas and skirts,’ a remark that both referenced custom and challenged some contemporary assumptions about gendered clothing. He also reflected on the performative aspect of the evening, telling reporters he felt comfortable and confident in the look. The exchange showed how a single outfit can prompt broader questions—about what society deems masculine, how traditions translate on global stages, and how celebrity choices can spark discussion. Through his words and presence, Johnson moved the conversation beyond novelty to cultural reference.
The 2026 gala’s dress code, billed as Fashion Is Art, accompanied the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s exhibition titled Costume Art, which explored the relationship between garments and the body across time and culture. Asked whether he saw himself as the art or the artist at an event centered on that idea, Johnson replied that he felt like both, emphasizing the dual role of wearer and canvas. That answer fit the evening’s premise: clothing functioning as both creative statement and lived identity, where celebrities become moving installations that interpret curatorial themes in real time.
The gala was co-chaired by prominent cultural figures including Beyoncé, Nicole Kidman, Venus Williams and Anna Wintour, while Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez Bezos served as honorary chairs. These leadership choices positioned the event at the intersection of entertainment, fashion and institutional patronage. Within that framework, Johnson’s appearance acted as a bridge between tradition and spectacle, prompting media outlets and critics to interpret the look against both the exhibition’s curatorial goals and the broader cultural conversations the co-chairs and guests helped to shape.
Beyond headlines, the outfit mattered because it connected a global red-carpet platform to specific Pacific Islander practices. Johnson has previously acknowledged his Samoan heritage and familial influences — including references to his grandfather, High Chief Peter Maivia, in past public appearances — and the Met Gala moment built on that history. The choice prompted remarks about representation, visibility and the ways public figures translate ancestral garments for international audiences. By centering a lavalava-inspired piece, Johnson opened a space for people to discuss how fashion can carry cultural memory.
Media coverage of the look varied from celebratory to analytical, with commentators debating fashion rhetoric, authenticity and the politics of cultural borrowing. For many viewers the image of a Hollywood star wearing a skirt over trousers on May 4, 2026, became shorthand for a broader shift: mainstream fashion events increasingly serve as platforms for cross-cultural statements. Whether interpreted as personal homage, sartorial experimentation or both, Johnson’s Met Gala appearance functioned as a prompt for conversations that extend beyond one night and into ongoing discussions about identity and style.