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Heated Rivalry's Hudson Williams Puts a Glam Twist on Matador Look at Met Gala 2026
There were a few heated rivals of Hudson Williams’ look at the 2026 Met Gala.
Though the Heated Rivalry star endeared many of his fans with his powder blue Balenciaga suit and bold red-and-blue eye makeup, he seemed to polarize other online users who saw the glam as “messy.”
Amid the backlash, Hudson’s longtime groomer Aika Flores responded, sharing she is able to “receive all feedback, positive & negative, with grace & gratitude.”
“It's all part of growth," Aika wrote on Threads May 6. “Taking a risk always comes at a cost, & I stand by that. There's always room to evolve, no matter where I am in my career."
But while the groomer—who has also worked with clients such as Joe Jonas and Alex Warren—seemed willing to engage with critics, she also called on commenters to speak out with empathy.
"While everyone is entitled to an opinion,” Aika continued, “it's important to remember there's a human with feelings behind the work, building something with purpose, vision, & heart. It cost [sic] nothing to be kind."
In a follow-up post, she added, "Please be kind to each other. *logging off."
Although some people may have thought Hudson’s makeup missed the mark, the actor said he thought “Aika killed it.”
Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for The Met Museum/Vogue
“The makeup was inspired by Black Swan because me and my groomer Aika love that movie,” he told Vogue at the Met Gala. “We wanted to reference cinema and we kind of wanted to do the White Swan becoming the Black Swan a little bit.”
Meanwhile, he also reflected on how he and Aika have approached his style as he continues to evolve in his career.
“We’re creating more, staying fluid, never really locking in,” he said in a separate Vogue interview at the event. “We like masculinity and femininity in everything we do. This [makeup]? We’re just going crazy, having fun.”
To look back at some of the looks that won the 2026 Met Gala, keep reading…
Mike Coppola/Getty Images
Sabrina Carpenter
The "Manchild" singer adhere to the "Fashion Is Art" dress code by donning a Dior dress covered celluloid film strips of the Aubrey Hapburn movie Sabrina. She complete the look with Christian Louboutin heels.
Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for The Met Museum/Vogue
Rihanna
Shining bright like a diamond was the "Work" singer, who wore a Maison Margiela creation featuring over 115,000 crystal beads, antique jewels and other artistic baubles.
John Salangsang/Shutterstock
Emma Chamberlain
The YouTuber looked like she had just stepped out of an oil painting in this custom Mugler design.
Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for The Met Museum/Vogue
Beyoncé
The Grammy winner paid homage to the human body with this Olivier Rousteing number embellished to resemble the skeletal system.
Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for The Met Museum/Vogue
Anne Hathaway
It wasn't Prada, but the Devil Wears Prada 2 star nonetheless embodied the "Fashion Is Art" dress code with a Michael Kors gown complete with hand-painted designs by artist Peter McGough.
Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images
Connor Storrie
The Heated Rivalry star heated up the red carpet in a Saint Laurent ensemble featuring a polka-dot halter top that cascaded into a flowing train.
Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for The Met Museum/Vogue
Venus Williams
As one of the 2026 Met Gala co-chairs, the tennis supersrtar aced the assignment of sticking to the "Costume Art" theme with a Swarovski crystal mesh gown and a statement-making necklace inspired by the Wimbledon plate.
Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for The Met Museum/Vogue
Doja Cat
The rapper told Vogue her Saint Laurent silicone dress was inspired by "the way fabric draped over the body of a Grecian statue."
Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for The Met Museum/Vogue
Kim Kardashian
In keeping with the "Fashion is Art" dress code, the Kardashians star enlisted British pop artist Allen Jones to make her a fiberglass breastplate.
Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for The Met Museum/Vogue
Hunter Schafer
The Euphoria star practically took a page out of Gustav Klimt's 1912 painting
"Mäda Primavesi" with this Prada look. Her manicurist Emi Kudo leaned into the "pale, paper-y nude with blues, whites, yellows and grays" of the artwork by layering six different colors of DND Gel polishes on her nails.
David Fisher/Shutterstock
Hailey Bieber
Inspired by sculptures, the Rhode Skin founder's Saint Laurent dress included a sculpted bodice made of 24-karat gold.
Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images
Laura Harrier
The Michael actress' custom DiPetsa gown took inspiration from Italian sculptors and how they chiseled stone to resemble draped frabrics.
Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for The Met Museum/Vogue
A$AP Rocky
Fashion Killa, indeed. The rapper stepped out in a pink wool pink robe with black satin lapels and matching piping custom designed by Chanel.
Theo Wargo/FilmMagic
Tyla
The "Water" singer made it hotter in skin-baring custom Valentino gown as a nod to the Costume Institute's body-centric exhibit.
As for her glam, hairstylist Yusef Williams told E! News he aimed for a "very ethereal, like an art sculpture" vibe.
"To achieve the look, I used the Wavytalk Steam Sesh to smooth out the roots of her hair before going in and defining the curls with the Cool Curl Pencil," he shared in a statement, "and I used the Turblow Pro with the diffuser at the end to lock everything in."
Photo by Mike Coppola/Getty Images
Chase Infiniti
Winning one fashion battle after another was the actress, whose Thom Browne dress paid tribute to the famed "Venus de Milo" sculpture using over 1.5 million colorful sequins.
Mike Coppola/Getty Images
EJAE
The KPop Demon Hunters star tapped into her Korean heritage with a Swarovski look inspired by female courtesans of the Joseon dynasty.
“These women were artists," she told Vogue, "the most culturally refined figures of their time, in music, poetry, and conversation."
Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images
Keke Palmer
Baby, the Nope star looked like a million bucks in this red-hot Prabal Gurung number with matching Christian Louboutin heels. Oh, did we mention that her Wempe necklace was actually worth a million dollars?
Hairstylist Ashanti Lation completed the look by styling Keke's scarlet hair using Creme of Nature products.
David Fisher/Shutterstock
Gracie Abrams
The "Close to You" singer's Chanel gown celebrated Gustav Klimt’s famed painting "The Kiss." And just like the artwork itself, the gown was adorned in gold.
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