Feb 19, 2026 - Things to Do

Charlotte's very own Met Gala experience returns this spring

Alexis Clinton

Charlotte's met gala experience. A model walks down a runway wearing a white double-breasted blazer and dark pants at a fashion show with seated audience on both sides and a "SUPERFINE" sign in the background. — Superfine was Charlotte's first Met Gala-inspired event held at Harvey B. Gantt Center in 2025. Photo: Courtesy of Dre'gan Feaster Photography

A Met Gala-inspired event is bringing fashion designers, local artists and creatives back to Charlotte on May 1.

Why it matters: Happening a few nights before fashion's biggest night, the event brings that red carpet energy to Uptown — creating a local fashion-meets-art experience that encourages the city's creative community to collaborate.

Driving the news: This year's event, titled "Mint to Be: The Feminine Body as Costume Art," is hosted by fashion professor Perrine DeShield-Jenkins at the Mint Museum from 6-10pm.

A "Meet Your Muse" sip-and-shop event at Nouveau Chapeau on March 12 will have experts such as designers, stylists and makeup artists offering insight and inspiration to help you get ready for "Mint to Be."

What they're saying: DeShield-Jenkins tells Axios she's not trying to copy the Met Gala.

"As a lifelong fashion nerd, I want to invite industry folks to bring their muses," she says. "I'm localizing this to uplift and celebrate marginalized voices. Fashion doesn't just live in those major hubs — it lives in the South, too."

A woman in a pink shirt gestures while holding a phone and folder, speaking to three people, including one in a brown hoodie and checkered pants, in an indoor setting with equipment and boxes. — Perrine DeShield-Jenkins, also known as Professor P, is planning "Mint to Be" inside the Mint Museum. She is a fashion professor at the Savannah College of Art and Design. She's partnering with exhibit stylists and designers Davita Galloway, Shekinah Williams, Gabi Richmond and Kimberly Powell. Photo: Courtesy of Perrine DeShield

Context: Like this year's Met Gala theme, Charlotte's version is designed to explore the feminine body as costume art.

The dress code and exhibition theme explore the relationship between fashionable clothing and the body beneath in various forms of life, from adolescence to aging. Unlike last year's Black Dandyism focus, this theme is intentionally open to interpretation.
"At the end of the day, fashion is art," she says. "There's a beautiful opportunity for people to lean into their favorite art form and use that as inspiration for what they wear."

What to expect: Along with a runway show, the second annual event adds a designer competition and a monthlong exhibition tied to the theme.

Designers will compete for a $1,000 cash prize for the best runway couture look, judged by both the audience and a panel. Sign up here to enter the competition.

More than 15 local artists, plus the nonprofit gallery ArtPop, will create pieces for the exhibit that'll be on display at the Mint Museum until June 1.
Expect a live DJ, activations, a bar and plenty of professional photo ops.

Charlotte's met gala event returns — Models strutted their looks down the runway at last year's show. DeShield encourages those seeking inspiration to look to fashion powerhouses like Beyoncé, who is serving as co-chair of the Met Gala, and to her mother Tina Knowles' Wearable Art Gala to see how art and the body can be pushed into true costume artistry. Photo: Courtesy of Dre'gan Feaster Photography

If you go: Dress to impress to be greeted by awaiting cameras once you step onto the red carpet.

General admission tickets start at $35. Buy them here.
VIP tickets start at $75 and include a guaranteed seat for the runway show, complimentary drinks and access to a terrace after party.

What's next: Organizers hope to partner with local boutiques and brands to spotlight theme-inspired pieces that make the event a citywide collaboration. In the meantime, they plan to release style guides on their Instagram for inspiration.

View last year's looks:

Charlotte's Met Gala event. Left: man in large striped beige and black hat, black glasses, patterned black, orange, yellow poncho. Right: man in black and white floral cape, white pants, black top, holding out cape with one hand. — In 2025, attendees leaned into the theme "Superfine: Tailoring Black Style," which focused on the history and influence of Black dandyism. Photo: Courtesy of Sancho Smalls

Charlotte's Met Gala event. Six diverse individuals showcase eclectic fashion with plaid blazers, ties, hats, and gloves, posing against a neutral backdrop with a vase of dried flowers on a side table. — Black dandyism is the term used to describe the way Black men have used fashion as a form of self-expression that defies mainstream expectations. Photo: Courtesy of Sancho Smalls

Two fashionably dressed people pose indoors with white curtains background; left person in teal cardigan, black pants, yellow shoes, fur hat; right person in light blue suit shorts, white scarf, heels, and white sunglasses. — Attendees dressed up in various suit styles to fit the theme. Photo: Courtesy of Sancho Smalls

Collage of six portraits featuring stylish Black individuals dressed in vibrant, unique outfits with accessories like hats, sunglasses, cameras, and purses against a white draped background. — Some also leaned into creative ways to accentuate their style. Photo: Courtesy of Sancho Smalls

Two stylish Black women posing; left one with large afro, oversized glasses, patterned blouse, and long nails; right one with long braided hair with beads, sunglasses, brown shirt, and decorated nails. — People accessorized with teeth jewels and hair beads as a form of expression. Photo: Courtesy of Sancho Smalls

Charlotte's Met Gala event. Collage of diverse fashion models showcasing avant-garde outfits featuring bold colors and unique styles, including a beige blazer with brown skirt, vibrant patchwork suit, and eclectic group ensembles. — Many attendees leaned into colorful styles. Photo: Courtesy of Sancho Smalls

Charlotte Met Gala event. Group of eight diverse people smiling, dressed in stylish, eclectic outfits including a white suit, floral vest, and a hairdo with soda cans, posing against a plain, light background. — Some attendees showed up in coordinated attire as a group. Photo: Courtesy of Sancho Smalls

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Charlotte's very own Met Gala experience returns this spring

View last year's looks:

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