Today is the first Monday in May, otherwise known as the Met Gala — an important fundraiser for the Costume Institute at New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art. The rest of America knows it more generally for celebrities wearing high-end fashion.
This is also what I just said about Art Bash at SFMOMA: that it's less about the art and more about the people attending a very prominent party. It is still worth noting that this year, SFMOMA raised a record-breaking $4.2 million for its museum, making it their highest-grossing Art Bash to date.
Saul Sugarman
Make no mistake if you read my review: this party had its issues in 2026. Reflecting on it today, I think once you're at the top of your game, you either have to keep topping yourself or head back downward. The whole thing just gave me more Coachella than museum gala, but I digress:
Today I'm here to talk about our most fashionable Art Bash attendees — at least so sayeth SFMOMA and their selections from the Drew Altizer team.
Paradise the Poet rocked an Egyptian-themed look that would have done great in the Dolores Park Easter Bonnet contest. I actually own those gold shoes and can tell you they're fast fashion.
Pictured right is Becca Lim—my pseudo codename for her—in a floor-length Givenchy gown with black lace details and yellow underlay. It's worth ~$8,000, and when I asked her the designer, she said she didn't know. 😂
Here to also clock Stefan Aronsen, who I see annually at these parties alongside the Broke-Ass Stuart crew. This is a fabulous pink and gold brocade jacket, and my boyfriend and I own several colors of it from Amazon. But I didn't just tell you that.
Really though, I love his self-promotion tee underneath, hot pink pants, and the statement glasses.
Heath Morgan Owen really wore the hell out of this whole look. It was the perfect kind of gender fishy meets fashion. I love whatever this overall or ski pant with the white topstitch thing is happening on the front. If it's high-end label, fast fashion or thrift, who cares — it's doing everything for Heath.
Among the repeats from my prior review, Gabriel Mellan deserves the highest praise. I don't remember any look more distinctively than this DIY head-to-toe look in industrial tubing. Sure it's a little "I made this in my garage!" But also it is an art museum gala. High-fashion weird is exactly why we came.
I don't remember personally seeing her, but Rupy C. Tut is hard to miss in the photoset wearing head-to-toe suiting by Rajat Tangri. Rupy is an Indian-born American visual artist, so I love the solidarity in supporting an Indian designer. If I had just one note even though I love this ensemble! Wearing same blazer, same pants can give off a little pajama.
I keep threatening to have my own Charli XCX moment, but for Art Bash, Keiko Sakamoto was brat. I love the whole ensemble; the top actually looks like a bodysuit from Essentiel Antwerp. The shoes could be from a couple places. Giuseppe Zanotti platform sandals or one of my favorite brands for parties like these: Privileged Shoes. (Lol, I'm not kidding.)
Lisa and Alejandro Gibes de Gac really ate up the photo contest. But I suspect they always do. They both sported vintage finds from the Pickwick Vintage Show, with the skirt quilted from felt pieces by Comme des Garçons. In 2025 they were equally fabulous in some retro realness.
I admit I've been a little hard on Zac Posen previously, but I do think GapStudio is the right progression for him. Launching in 2025, GapStudio is a high-end sub-brand that uses expert tailoring, premium craftsmanship, and modern design. This is something we saw often in the 2000s when H&M partnered with luxury designers, creating limited collections that would then quickly sell out.
Pictured above, we see Connie Nielsen of Wonder Woman fame in tailored satin separates that were made to look like GAP denim. Of course I'm bored by it, and hate me for saying so! But I do think the top stitching and pocket shapes are in fact in line with both denim and GAP looks. And that makes this a win.
Admittedly I think I like these more as GAP concepts. Jane Birga sported what looks like a L'agence corset zip dress that I loved. Not sure the woman's name pictured above Jane, but I loved her casual button-up nip-slip paired with a sheer black face mask and pointy nails to match.
Saul Sugarman is editor-in-chief and owner of The Bold Italic.
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More photos from Art Bash 2026 at SF Moma
Photos are taken by Drew Altizer, Ando Caulfield, Kelly Keltos, Jessica Monroy, Devlin Shand and Dave Zahrobsky for Drew Altizer Photography.
Oh I'll note there was an absurd number of wigs, by the way. I asked a man in one and he said it was for someone's birthday. Pictured above is Ramya Ramachandran, Rachel Fall, and Florencia Hasen.
