Dwayne Johnson stepped onto the Met Gala red carpet for the first time on Monday evening, sporting a pleated skirt that immediately sparked debate online.
The 54-year-old actor arrived at the Metropolitan Museum of Art hand in hand with his wife, Lauren Hashian, both dressed in coordinating looks from American designer Thom Browne.
Despite more than three decades in the spotlight, the star had never previously attended fashion’s most prestigious annual event.
His stylist said working with Mr Johnson involved “subverting expectations of what a man of his build can wear”.
Dwayne Johnson attended his first Met Gala on Monday
|
GETTY
When asked about his outfit, the actor said: “I feel great!”
Mr Johnson revealed that when Mr Browne’s team first sent over sketches featuring the pleated skirt, they questioned whether he would feel comfortable wearing it.
“Look, in our culture, Polynesian culture, we rock lavalavas, we rock skirts,” he said.
“The most masculine men, not that I’m one of them, but the most masculine men wear lavalavas and skirts.”
The actor arrived at the Metropolitan Museum of Art hand-in-hand with his wife, Lauren Hashian
|
GETTY
Mr Johnson, who has Samoan heritage through his mother, described the lavalava as a traditional garment worn wrapped around the body.
The ensemble featured a black mohair tailcoat paired with a skirt constructed from more than 350 metres of hand-pleated silk ribbons, described as having a “skeletal composition”.
He completed the look with a Manish Malhotra high jewellery brooch, featuring a Colombian emerald surrounded by white diamonds and set in 18-karat white gold.
Mr Johnson has previously shared his views on masculinity beyond fashion.
The theme of the Met Gala 2026 was ‘Costume Art’
|
GETTY
Speaking at CinemaCon 2026 while promoting Disney’s live-action Moana, he said “real masculinity” involves supporting women.
“All men of all ages, we should empower, support and champion all women. That’s what real masculinity looks like,” he said.
Monday’s gala celebrated the theme “Costume Art”, with Beyoncé serving as co-chair alongside Nicole Kidman, Venus Williams, and Anna Wintour.
The host committee included Zoe Kravitz and Sabrina Carpenter.
Viewers watching from home were quick to share their reactions online.
Some praised the look, with one user writing on X: “Scottish men wear kilts also culturally. There’s also an Irish version.”
“This is actually true. He isn’t being woke,” another said.
A third added: “This is actually the most normal thing I’ve seen out of the Met Gala so far, relatively speaking of course.”
Dwayne Johnson
|
GETTY
However, others were more critical, with some describing the outfit as a “humiliation ritual”.
“All the men eventually do their humiliation rituals,” one person wrote.
Another added: “Except you’re not in Samoa, you’re in America, at a formal event. Put on a suit.”
The 2026 Met Gala has also faced wider controversy, with criticism directed at organisers following the involvement of Jeff Bezos and Ms Sánchez Bezos as sponsors and honorary co-chairs.
Some activists have cited Amazon’s labour practices and political ties as reasons for protest, with several high-profile figures allegedly choosing not to attend.