Dwayne Johnson appeared at the Met Gala 2026 wearing an outfit that stood out for its design and cultural meaning. He chose a black mohair tailcoat with a bow tie and a matching pleated skirt. The outfit was created by Thom Browne.
The look was partly inspired by Polynesian culture. Johnson, who has Samoan roots through his mother, spoke about the idea behind the outfit. He shared that wearing a skirt is not unusual in his culture. He explained, “The most masculine men, not that I’m one of them, but the most masculine men wear lavalavas and skirts.”
He also described how the outfit came together. According to him, the design team first sent sketches and asked if he would be comfortable wearing a pleated skirt. He responded by connecting it to his cultural background. He said, “I was like, ‘Look, in our culture, Polynesian culture, we rock lavalavas, we rock skirts.’ The most masculine men, not that I’m one of them, but the most masculine men wear lavalavas and skirts.”
A lavalava is a traditional piece of clothing worn in many Polynesian regions. It is a rectangular piece of fabric that is wrapped around the waist like a skirt. By wearing a similar style on the red carpet, Johnson highlighted this cultural element in a modern setting.
Johnson has also spoken about masculinity in earlier public appearances. At CinemaCon 2026, while promoting Disney’s live action Moana, he shared his views. He said, “real masculinity” means empowering women. He added, “All men of all ages, we should empower and support and champion all women. That’s what real masculinity looks like.”
The 2026 Met Gala followed the theme “Fashion is Art,” encouraging creative expression through clothing. The event was co chaired by Beyonce, Nicole Kidman, Venus Williams, and Anna Wintour. Johnson’s outfit reflected both the theme and his personal background.