Singapore now has a new reason to watch the Met Gala steps—and it arrived in chrome. Charles & Keith has collaborated with Singapore-born, New York-based designer Grace Ling for her debut appearance at the 2026 Met Gala, creating a custom pair of shoes to complete the designer’s head-to-toe vision for fashion’s most anticipated night. The partnership marks a meaningful homecoming of sorts: two Singaporean names, united on one of the world’s biggest fashion stages.
Ling, whose eponymous label is known for its futuristic silhouettes, 3D-printed chrome elements, and a quietly subversive sensibility, conceived her Met Gala ensemble as a seamless whole—one in which every element, including the shoes, functions as a continuation of her design language rather than an afterthought.
“With my friends at Charles & Keith, who have always supported my work, the idea was to extend that same language into the shoes, not as an accessory, but as a continuation of the silhouette.”
The resulting shoes reflect that intention precisely. Defined by a sleek, elongated profile and mirrored metallic heel, the design incorporates biomorphic metal accents that subtly reference dagger and claw-like forms—introducing an undercurrent of strength beneath a surface of refined minimalism. Paired with Ling’s signature 3D-printed chrome elements above, the look engages this year’s “Fashion Is Art” theme in a way that feels innately coherent rather than assembled.
Ling’s rise has been swift and self-made. She founded the label in 2020, mid-pandemic, sewing her first collection alone in her kitchen—and within two years, was stocked on Net-a-Porter, exhibiting at the Met Costume Institute, and named to Asia’s Forbes 30 Under 30. Having her pieces worn by celebrities like Jennifer Lopez and Emma Chamberlain, she has since become the first Singaporean to gain interim CFDA membership and opened her first flagship in New York earlier this year.
For Charles & Keith, the collaboration underscores its ongoing commitment to supporting emerging creative talent on global platforms—and signals a growing confidence in the brand’s place within the broader fashion conversation. For Ling, it is a full-circle moment with a label that has championed her work from the beginning.
“Being invited to the Met for the first time feels incredibly special to me,” she said. “It’s a moment I’ve always seen as more than just an event—I wanted to create something that expresses my world fully, from head to toe, where every element feels intentional and interconnected.”
On the evidence of last night’s carpet, it certainly showed.
