Hudson Williams made quite the statement on the Met Gala 2026 red carpet.
Williams chose a pale blue bolero jacket and pants with black matador-style trim from Pierpaolo Piccioli’s Balenciaga, inspired by a look from Cristóbal Balenciaga’s 1947 collection.
The “Heated Rivalry” star skipped a shirt, accessorizing with a diamond Bulgari necklace, but it was his mismatched eyeshadow that got people talking.
William’s groomer, Aika Flores, styled both his long, wavy hair as well as his colorful makeup, which featured a smokey wing and smudged blue and red metallic eyeshadow.
“cool concept, executed poorly,” one naysayer commented on Flores’ Instagram, while another added, “did you do his makeup in the dark?”
The conversation quickly became so heated that Flores addressed it on Threads: “Met Gala was chaos & a career highlight,” continuing, “As an artist, I receive all feedback, positive & negative, with grace & gratitude; it’s all part of growth.”
She then acknowledged the negative comments, explaining, “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.”
She went on, “While everyone is entitled to an opinion, it’s important to remember there’s a human with feelings behind the work, building something with purpose, vision, & heart. It cost nothing to be kind.”
“Euphoria” makeup artist Doniella Davy, on the other hand, came to Flores’ defense, writing in the Instagram comments, “I love this look. It’s expressive, thought provoking, playful, has a story AND goes against the grain of what pop culture tends to value in makeup,” further adding, “I love the chaos.”
When first shared on Instagram after the event, Flores explained that the Chanel look was inspired by “Black Swan.”
“A study in transformation: where innocence fractures and grace darkens, the white swan shedding softness to emerge as something sharper, untouchable, and entirely reborn,” Flores wrote.
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