In 2017, Kylie Jenner captured what would become one of the most talked-about Met Gala selfies, snapping a group of famous faces inside the bathrooms of The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
The youngest Kardashian-Jenner appeared in the mirror shot alongside Kendall Jenner, A$AP Rocky, Kim Kardashian, Paris Jackson, Lily Aldridge, Ashton Sanders and Luka Sabbat.
The image sparked some backlash at the time, largely because it appeared to clash with one of host Anna Wintour’s best-known expectations for guests.
Phones and social media are strictly banned at the Met, with Anna Wintour previously telling Today: “It’s often wonderful to hear, after dinner, people say, ‘Oh we had the most wonderful conversations.’ So that’s the idea, that life can exist without a picture on your cell phone.”
Even so, Jenner hasn’t been the only attendee to bend the unwritten rule over the years—Ashley Graham, Hailey Bieber, Cara Delevigne and Bella Hadid have all posted similar behind-the-scenes selfies.
In 2026, a fresh group of stars appeared to revive the now-familiar tradition, with Margot Robbie pictured alongside Ayo Edebiri, members of Blackpink, Gracie Abrams and Rachel Sennott.
The updated shot was taken by model Bhavitha Mandava, who stood in the middle of the group holding her phone up to the mirror.
Social media users quickly celebrated the moment, with one person writing on X: “Met Gala tradition stays undefeated—if there’s no bathroom selfie, did it even happen?”
Someone else added: “Bhavitha Mandava being sent to the met gala in jeans and still giving us the bathroom selfie I love her.”
A third commented: “Thank you queen bhavitha for the pic.”
Others simply summed it up as ‘iconic’.
The phone ban isn’t the only guideline that guests are expected to follow at the Met Gala.
There are also limitations on what can be served, which is practical given how much time attendees spend talking, smiling, and posing for cameras.
As reported by the New York Post, parsley is said to be discouraged because it can easily get stuck in teeth ahead of photos. Onion and garlic are also reportedly off the menu to help avoid bad breath.
And when it comes to the dress code, the theme is treated as mandatory—meaning guests aren’t meant to ignore it or interpret it too loosely.
Anyone who has seen The Kardashians in the weeks leading up to the event will know how seriously it’s taken: once the theme is announced, designers and celebrities often spend months planning and building the final looks.