When the Met Gala announced its dress code for 2026, fashion experts collectively furrowed their brows. “Fashion is Art” might be the Costume Institute’s most on-the-nose theme yet. Does it mean that Lady Gaga will arrive on the red carpet wearing a giant picture frame? Or will stylists interpret the line in the press release that alludes to the “centrality of the dressed body” and give us dozens of naked dresses?

The dress code for this year’s event – taking place May 4 – is inspired by “Costume Art,” the name of the Costume Institute’s Spring exhibition that explores depictions of the dressed body through a series of thematic body types: “the naked body,” “classic body,” “pregnant body” and “ageing body.” Guests are encouraged to think of their bodies as a blank canvas.

“There are so many ways you can look at it,” says celebrity stylist Mickey Freeman, who styled Tony Award-winning producer Cody Renard Richard for last year’s Met Gala. “There’s actual literal art and figurative art. But that’s the beauty of the Met Gala: it’s your interpretation.”

Below, we spoke to celebrity stylists about their sartorial predictions for this year’s biggest night in fashion….

Yes, there will be lots of naked dresses

Since the “Costume Art” theme celebrates how the human body is a living canvas for fashion — we can expect to see some risqué looks. Celebrity stylist KJ Moody, who will be dressing VIPs for this year’s event, predicts that we’re going to see a lot of sheer, lace dresses on the red carpet. The translucent look that accentuates parts of the female form, known as “naked dressing,” has been a popular red carpet look in recent years, as seen on actor Julia Fox, who wore a transparent Dilara Findikoglu dress to the 2025 Vanity Fair Oscars party and musician Chappell Roan, who wore a burgundy Mugler dress suspended from her nipples at this year’s Grammys.

Moody believes that the inspiration behind these looks will celebrate iconic moments from fashion history.

“One of my favorite Met Gala looks is when Beyoncé wore a sheer black look by Givenchy in 2012. It had a blue and black feather train,” he says. “So I think we’ll see homages to moments like that.”

Unconventional silhouettes

Not all red carpet gowns need to be form-fitting. Moody predicts that celebrities may go in the opposite direction and play with sculptural, oversized and eccentric silhouettes.

He believes Met Gala guests can find inspiration in the designs of John Galliano, who celebrated the oversized silhouette in his 2003 couture show for Christian Dior. The event featured Japanese kimonos and traditional Chinese attire transformed into some of the most voluminous silhouettes ever seen, with models submerged in 18th-century hoopskirts, tent-like structural dresses and oversized ruffled coats with enlarged shoulder pads.

Paintings transformed into fashion

People may also interpret this year’s theme very literally. Moody says guests could honor iconic pieces of art — like a dress printed with the Mona Lisa. Or, say, a sequined jacket depicting “The Swing,” a classical 18th-century painting by French artist Jean-Honoré Fragonard, which portrays a woman in a large pink dress on a swing.

“We will see a lot of sculptures or interpretations of art on the wall,” he says. “Or work from designers’ favorite visual artists.”

Rare, archival references

The best outfits could be the ones we never thought we’d see again, according to Freeman. The stylist says that runway looks that have been buried deep in the fashion archives for decades will be unearthed for the occasion.

“We can expect certain outfits to make their debut at the Met Gala, like the designs of Thierry Mugler,” he says, referencing the work of the late French designer during the 1980s and 1990s, which played with theatrical silhouettes and architectural structures. The House of Mugler, a French fashion house founded by the designer, has an extensive collection of his signature decades-old looks that are perfect for this theme.

“Mugler’s rare archival pieces never see the light of day,” says Freeman. “I think they could finally be getting their moment.”

Anatomical fashion

If you’re squeamish, you may want to avert your eyes while watching this year’s red carpet. Freeman predicts that celebrities might interpret the theme by celebrating what’s inside their bodies through garments that mimic organs and bones, dubbed anatomical fashion.

He references Elsa Schiaparelli’s 1938 Skeleton Dress — featuring three-dimensional ribs, vertebrae and limb bones — and Alexander McQueen’s 2023 “Anatomy” collection, which featured designs that resembled dissected bodies. “Let’s not forget the human body is beautiful, and yes, it actually is a work of art,” says Freeman.

A… ‘cement suit’

Met Gala guests might go one step further and turn themselves into actual museum objects. Freeman thinks we could see designers use clay products to form a “cement suit” that mimics the appearance of a Renaissance sculpture. He gushes over South African singer Tyla’s skin-tight Balmain strapless gown, covered in real sand, that she wore at the 2024 Met Gala for the theme, “The Garden of Time.”

“I would really love to see some kind of cement,” he adds. “Or just unconventional materials used to make a garment.”

Breast density is a significant yet often overlooked factor in breast cancer awareness, risk assessment and screening practices. Understanding what breast density is, how it affects breast cancer risk and what it means for screening can help women make informed decisions about their health.

Breast density refers to the proportions of glandular and connective tissue compared to fatty tissue in the breast, as seen on a mammogram. Simply put, dense breasts have more glandular and fibrous tissue and less fat.

On a mammogram, both dense tissue and tumours appear white, making it harder to detect abnormalities in women with dense breasts. This masking effect can lead to cancers being missed during routine screening, which is why breast density is not just a risk factor for developing breast cancer, but also for having it go undetected until it is more advanced.

Recent large-scale studies have confirmed that women with dense breasts face a higher risk of developing breast cancer compared to women with less dense, fattier breasts. For example, a major study involving more than 33,000 women found that those with dense breasts were nearly twice as likely to develop breast cancer than those with low breast density.

This increased risk is seen across both pre-menopausal younger women and post-menopausal older women, although the proportion of women with high breast density tends to decrease with age.

In practical terms, women with the lowest breast density have about a 6% lifetime risk of developing breast cancer after age 50, while those with the highest density face a risk closer to 15%.

The impact of breast density on cancer detection is also significant. Mammography, the standard screening tool, is less sensitive in women with dense breasts. While mammograms can detect about at least nine out of ten cancers in women with mostly fatty breasts, the sensitivity drops to about seven out of ten in women with extremely dense breasts.

This means that tumours can be missed, leading to what are known as “interval cancers”, cancers that are diagnosed between regular screenings, often at a more advanced stage.

Supplemental screening methods, such as MRI scanning, can help detect cancers that mammography might miss in women with dense breasts, and some pilot studies have shown that additional cancers are found this way.

Breast density is now recognised as one of the most important risk factors for breast cancer, even as much as family history or other commonly discussed risk factors.

About 40% of women fall into the higher density categories, and dense breasts are common in younger women, those taking hormone replacement therapy, and those with certain genetic backgrounds and ethnicities. However, breast density can also be influenced by lifestyle and hormonal factors, and it tends to decrease with age and higher body mass index and obesity.

Given the importance of breast density, there has been a growing movement to ensure women are informed about their own breast density after mammograms, and to address this appropriately. A recent UK survey showed that most women aren’t aware of their breast density.

In the US, new regulations require that all women undergoing mammography be notified if they have dense breasts and be advised about the associated risks. This aims to empower women to have more informed discussions with their healthcare providers about their personal risk and the potential need for additional screening.

Despite the increased risk, it is important to remember that the majority of women with dense breasts will not develop breast cancer. Breast density is just one factor among many, and decisions about screening and risk reduction should be made on an individual basis.

For women with dense breasts, discussing options for supplemental screening with their doctor is recommended. While there is currently no widely accepted intervention to reduce breast density, in my own research, I’m exploring new ways to address this risk factor.

In summary, breast density is both a common and significant risk factor for breast cancer, and it can complicate the detection of cancer through standard mammography.

Women should be aware of their breast density status, understand its implications for both risk and screening, and work with their doctors to determine the best approach for their individual situation. As awareness grows and screening practices evolve, the hope is that more cancers will be detected earlier, improving outcomes for all women.

Rooibos tea, a caffeine-free drink made from the leaves of a shrub indigenous to South Africa, is part of the country’s heritage.

The rooibos plant (Aspalathus linearis) grows in the mountainous Cederberg region of South Africa’s Western Cape province. It has been traditionally harvested and consumed as a herbal tea by the Khoisan people.

Beyond making tea, the plant has been touted for its potential health benefits. Rooibos has scientifically proven effects as an antioxidant. This is a natural substance that helps to protect your body’s cells from damage caused by harmful molecules.

It’s also an anti-inflammatory: a substance that reduces inflammation (redness, swelling, and pain) in the body. It can help protect the heart and liver, regulate blood sugar and improve skin health.

Commercial cultivation of rooibos began in the early 20th century. Scientific research into its health benefits started in the 1960s, when its antioxidant properties were first reported.

Since then, numerous studies have explored its therapeutic potential.

I am a researcher focusing on the health-promoting properties of South African herbal teas, particularly rooibos and honeybush (Cyclopia spp.).

My latest research with colleagues suggests rooibos might offer powerful health benefits for the gut. The study aimed to compare the anti-inflammatory and barrier protective effects of an unfermented and fermented rooibos aqueous extract on intestinal porcine epithelial cells. We used pigs because their intestines closely resemble human gut cells.

We showed that rooibos extracts made the lining of the gut stronger through its effect on proteins and reduced inflammation.

These effects are important because stronger barriers and controlled inflammation are essential for protecting tissues like the gut from damage and disease.

Digestive (gut) disorders like irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), constipation and dyspepsia (indigestion) affect over 40 per cent of the global population. Females are more likely to be affected (49%) than males (36.6%). These statistics show the need for increased awareness, improved diagnosis and effective management of the problem.

Gut health has become a major area of interest for anyone looking to improve their overall wellness. A growing body of evidence links poor gut health to issues like chronic inflammation, fatigue, anxiety and autoimmune disorders. And with rising interest in natural alternatives to pharmaceuticals, people are turning to diet and drinks for help.

Green and red rooibos and epithelial intestinal cells

In our study, we explored in the laboratory how different types of rooibos tea extracts affect gut cells. Our research group wanted to understand whether rooibos could protect the gut barrier, the microscopic wall of cells that acts as a bodyguard for your intestines.

This barrier keeps harmful substances out while allowing nutrients in. When it’s not working properly, a situation often referred to as a “leaky gut”, it can contribute to digestive disorders like irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), and other chronic health problems.

Our study focused on two forms of rooibos:

Both kinds of tea come from the same plant, Aspalathus linearis, but the way they are processed changes their chemical composition, especially their polyphenols. These are natural compounds known for their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. The main polyphenols are called aspalathin and nothofagin, and aspalathin is unique to rooibos.

The three-year study investigated the anti-inflammatory properties of rooibos extracts in intestinal gut cells of pigs. Cells were first treated with the extracts for 24 hours. Then the extracts were removed and a bacterial toxin was added for an additional 24 hours. The cells’ response was then evaluated by measuring specific markers (signs) of inflammation, and the barrier integrity of the cells was assessed to determine protective effects.

Inflammation and gut protection

Here’s what we discovered:

While rooibos is already known to be rich in antioxidants, our study is one of the first to clearly show how different types of rooibos affect gut inflammation and the gut barrier in distinct ways. Understanding this can help people make smarter dietary choices and potentially give rooibos a role in gut-friendly therapies or functional foods.

Moving forward

Our research shows that rooibos tea, both fermented and unfermented, offers unique benefits for gut health. Fermented rooibos can reduce gut inflammation and unfermented rooibos can help maintain a healthy gut lining.

Rooibos could one day be used in gut health supplements, as natural therapies for inflammatory bowel disease, or in everyday foods designed to support digestion.

This was a laboratory-based study, so more research is needed to confirm the effects in humans. But the evidence so far is promising. And considering that rooibos is safe, affordable, and already widely consumed, it’s a low-risk addition to a healthy lifestyle.