Singer Sabrina Carpenter paid tribute to classic Hollywood at the 2026 Met Gala, arriving in a striking custom Dior gown crafted almost entirely from strips of photographic film inspired by Billy Wilder’s 1954 film Sabrina.
The annual fundraiser for the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute, held Monday night in New York, carried the theme “Fashion Is Art,” inviting celebrities and designers to explore fashion as a form of embodied artistic expression.
Carpenter embraced the theme with a cinematic homage designed by Dior creative director Jonathan Anderson.
The “Espresso” singer’s slit tulle gown featured layered film strips displaying scenes from Sabrina, the iconic Audrey Hepburn-starring romantic comedy that also featured Humphrey Bogart and William Holden.
The dress was embellished with rhinestones and still images from the film, while her headpiece featured a pendant resting on her forehead that displayed the movie’s title card.
“It’s all made of film, which is my dream,” Carpenter told Vogue red carpet host La La Anthony, praising Anderson as “a genius.”
She also described Sabrina as one of her favourite films.
The look quickly sparked online debate, with film enthusiasts questioning whether the strips could genuinely be sourced from the 1954 original.
Some social media users pointed to irregular perforation spacing and negative-style imagery visible on the strips, arguing that authentic archival film would be highly unlikely to be repurposed for a garment.
Others suggested the material was likely a specially produced modern “safety print” on polyester stock designed to mimic vintage footage — a safer and more practical alternative to flammable mid-century acetate film.
Whether archival or recreated, Carpenter’s film-inspired ensemble became one of the night’s most talked-about fashion statements.
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