"Water" may have changed Tyla's life, but diamonds were her best friend at the 2026 Met Gala.
The South African singer wore a custom Valentino dress with a top consisting of diamond chains, strategically draped to form a plunging bodice that covered just enough of her, and a turquoise drop-waist skirt boasting a high slit up the middle. (See all the looks on the Met Gala steps.)
Accoutrements included a bejeweled silver belt, aqua heels and silver pendants dangling from her wrists.
Complementing the look, hairstylist Yusef Williams crafted Tyla's curls with Wavytalk tools, explaining that his overall inspiration was to do something "very ethereal like an art sculpture."
Williams also used a range of amika products, starting with superfruit star lightweight hair styling + heat defense oil to prep and finishing the look with top gloss hairshine spray, to secure a "sculptured softness, telling a story of beauty and strength."
Meanwhile, the artist born Tyla Laura Seethal only made her Met Gala debut two years ago for the "Garden of Time"-coded event, but her sands-of-the-hourglass-inspired look from Balmain that looked as if it had been built—sand castle-style—around her body was an instant classic.
And what an entrance she made, needing a few handlers to carry her up the Met Gala steps. Plus, she needed to be cut out of the look with scissors later in the evening.
Her shot bob hairdo at the time drew focus to her shoulders, glistening with sand-like makeup. And, to complete the timely effect, she held a functional hourglass as a "handbag" in addition to wearing a sleek gold necklace and John Hardy's yellow gold earrings and pavé rings.
Last year's look—a custom off-the-shoulder Jacquemus gown with a matching navy pinstripe coat—for the theme "Superfine: Tailoring Black Style" was a lot easier to wear but still chic as hell.
Meanwhile, the 24-year-old obviously has the elements down, calling the release of her song "Water" in 2024 an instant game-changer.
“That was insane,” she told E! News at Billboard’s Women in Music event April 29. “My life literally flipped on its head. It was a lot of adjusting, you know? Because where I’m from in South Africa is very different to everything over here, so that moment changed my whole life, honestly."
And now for three years' running, her Met Gala looks have been stopping the show. See all the walking art at the May 4 event:
Beyoncé
in custom Olivier Rousteing and Chopard jewelry.
Rihanna
in Maison Margiela with Briony Raymond, Glenn Spiro, Dyne, Fred Leighton and Desert diamond jewelry.
Kim Kardashian
in custom Allen Jones breastplate, Whitaker Malem skirt and Christian Louboutin shoes.
Bad Bunny
in custom Zara.
Cardi B
in Marc Jacobs.
Hailey Bieber
in custom Saint Laurent and Belperron jewelry.
Blake Lively
in Atelier Versace, Christian Louboutin shoes and Lorraine Schwartz jewelry.
Sabrina Carpenter
in Dior, Christian Louboutin shoes and Chopard jewelry.
Anne Hathaway
in Michael Kors.
Kylie Jenner
in custom Schiaparelli.
Katy Perry
in Stella McCartney.
Heidi Klum
in custom Mike Marino.
Connor Storrie
in Saint Laurent and Tiffany & Co. jewelry.
Gigi Hadid
in custom Miu Miu and Jessica McCormack jewelry.
Tessa Thompson
in Valentino, Pandora jewelry and Chillhouse nail polish.
Lisa
in Robert Wun and Bvlgari jewelry.
Teyana Taylor
in Tom Ford.
Blue Ivy Carter
in Balenciaga and Henry & Henry jewelry.
Kendall Jenner
in Gap Studio by Zac Posen and Buccellati jewelry.
Doja Cat
in Saint Laurent.
Charli XCX
in Saint Laurent.
Carey Mulligan
in Prada and Tiffany & Co. jewelry.
Margot Robbie
in Chanel.
Sunday Rose Kidman Urban & Nicole Kidman
in Dior (Kidman Urban) and Chanel (Kidman).
A$AP Rocky
in Chanel.
Emily Blunt
in Ashi Studio, Jimmy Choo shoes, Kurt Geiger bag and Mikimoto jewelry.
Cher
in Burberry.
Zoë Kravitz
in Saint Laurent.
Suki Waterhouse
in Michael Kors and Christian Louboutin shoes.
Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson
in Thom Browne.