Met Gala 2026: Why did Dwayne Johnson wear a skirt?
What's the story
Hollywood superstar Dwayne Johnson made a bold fashion statement at the 2026 Met Gala by wearing a black mohair tailcoat and bow tie with a matching pleated skirt. The outfit, designed by Thom Browne, was partly inspired by Polynesian culture, where, Johnson revealed, "The most masculine men, not that I'm one of them, but the most masculine men wear lavalavas and skirts." Speaking to reporters, Johnson said he felt great in the outfit and explained its cultural significance.
Cultural significance
'In our culture, we rock lavalavas, we rock skirts'
Johnson, who has Samoan citizenship through his mother, said Browne's team first sent over the illustrations of the outfit and asked if he would be comfortable wearing a pleated skirt. "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 Polynesian rectangular cloth worn as a wraparound skirt.
Empowerment stance
Johnson's past views on masculinity
Johnson has been vocal about his views on masculinity in the past. At CinemaCon 2026, while promoting Disney's live-action Moana, he said "real masculinity" means empowering women. "All men of all ages, we should empower and support and champion all women. That's what real masculinity looks like," he had said. The 2026 Met Gala theme was Fashion is Art with Beyoncé co-chairing the event alongside Nicole Kidman, Venue Williams, and Anna Wintour.