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Gigi Hadid had a special trick for helping her pose and stay grounded at the 2026 Met Gala May 4: thinking about boyfriend of three years Bradley Cooper.
Gigi Hadid's Underwear Is On Display in Fully Sheer Met Gala 2026 Gown
Gigi Hadid has a super trick for posing at the 2026 Met Gala.
In fact, the supermodel found that thinking of her boyfriend of three years Bradley Cooper helped keep her grounded on the steps at New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art for the “Costume Art”-themed gala May 4.
“I try to bring my mind to a happy place,” Gigi explained to Vogue during the event. “What we do in our job is just go to a happy place. Think of happy thoughts and the smile comes through the eyes and it makes you come to life.”
And while the 31-year-old does think of Bradley, 51, her mind first goes to 5-year-old daughter Khai, who she shares with ex Zayn Malik.
“First happy thought, Khai my daughter,” Gigi shared, “and then my man.”
And of course, each thought serves a specific purpose for the Guest In Residence founder, as she’s found her eyes will do something different depending on her happy thoughts.
“When I think about Khai, maybe I'm giving joy,” she explained. “And then I'll serve something else to Bradley in the camera.”
Plus, those happy thoughts helped her feel present and not distracted by everything that was going on around her on the night, which was co-chaired by Beyoncé, Nicole Kidman, Venus Williams and Anna Wintour. (See all the celebrities at the event here.)
Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for The Met Museum/Vogue
“It happens so fast, and you're like, ‘I blacked out. How did I even post?’” she laughed. “So taking a deep breath and being like, ‘What does it smell like?’ Think of something—that first happy thought that brings me back here.”
And among those happy thoughts tonight was her custom Miu Miu gown. The sheer design gave a peek at her satin underwear as the gown was carefully decorated with florals that the model herself had helped place.
In keeping with the night's “Fashion Is Art”-dress code, Gigi felt that she herself was the canvas while she “laid the patches where I felt made my body feel great.”
As she told Vogue, “It really was body as canvas.”
For more stars who gave their own artist spin to the 2026 Met Gala, keep reading.
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Teyana Taylor
in Tom Ford.
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Kris Jenner
Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for The Met Museum/Vogue
Beyoncé
in custom Olivier Rousteing.
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Blake Lively
in Atelier Versace.
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Madonna
in Saint Laurent.
Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for The Met Museum/Vogue
Kim Kardashian
in custom Allen Jones and Whitaker Malem.
Photo by Kevin Mazur/MG26/Getty Images for The Met Museum/Vogue
Babyface
in Laquan Smith.
Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for The Met Museum/Vogue
Misty Copeland
Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for The Met Museum/Vogue
Lily-Rose Depp
in Chanel.
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Karlie Kloss
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Gracie Abrams
in Chanel.
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Suki Waterhouse
in Michael Kors.
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Dwyane Wade & Gabrielle Union
Photo by Theo Wargo/FilmMagic
Doechii
in custom Marc Jacobs.
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Keke Palmer
Mike Coppola/Getty Images
Hudson Williams
in Balenciaga.
Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for The Met Museum/Vogue
Cher
in custom Chrome Hearts and Swarovski jewelry.
Photo by Mike Coppola/Getty Images
Grace Gummer
in custom Gabriela Hearst.
Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for The Met Museum/Vogue
Joe Alwyn
Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for The Met Museum/Vogue
Kendall Jenner
in Gap Studio by Zac Posen.
Photo by Julian Hamilton/Getty Images
SZA
in Bode.
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Eileen Gu
Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for The Met Museum/Vogue
Sombr
in custom Valentino.
Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for The Met Museum/Vogue
Hunter Schafer
in Prada.
Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for The Met Museum/Vogue
Audrey Nuna
in Robert Wun and Messika jewelry.
Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for The Met Museum/Vogue
Anne Hathaway
in Michael Kors.
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Margot Robbie
in Chanel.
Photo by Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for The Met Museum/Vogue
Naomi Watts
in Dior.
Mike Coppola/Getty Images
Sabrina Carpenter
in Dior.
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Serena Williams
in custom Marc Jacobs.
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