- The Met Gala is often referred to as fashion’s biggest night.
- Stars pull out all the stops to follow the event’s dress code, which changes each year.
- Rihanna, Cher, and Zendaya have worn some of the best outfits in Met Gala history.
Celebrities, billionaires, and athletes gathered at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City on Monday for the 2024 Met Gala.
The annual fundraising event, hosted by Anna Wintour, always features eye-catching looks, and this year was no different.
The 2024 “Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion” gala had a “The Garden of Time” dress code, which combined garden motifs with a sense of dystopia, according to Vogue. The Met Gala red carpet was filled with attendees in various interpretations of the theme, with co-chairs Zendaya, Jennifer Lopez, Chris Hemsworth, and Bad Bunny at the helm.
But this year, like in other years, some outfits stood out from the pack.
Take a look back at some of the best-dressed Met Gala attendees of all time.
The “naked dress” trend exploded at the Met Gala in 2015, but Cher was the first to do it 40 years prior.
Cher stole the show in a sheer Bob Mackie dress that shimmered from head to toe. The long-sleeved gown featured feathers and strategically placed silver sparkles.
The gown would later serve as inspiration for the Peter Dundas dress that Kim Kardashian wore to the Met Gala in 2015.
Supermodel Naomi Campbell also stunned in a sparkling silver gown when she attended the Met Gala in 1995.
The strapless silver dress was made for Campbell by the designer Gianni Versace, whom she accompanied at the Met Gala that year.
“I loved this dress. It was slim-fitting and body-hugging, and it just glistened,” Campbell said in a video for Vogue. “I remember when I saw this dress for the first time. It seemed like one of those dresses that you read in those fairytale books.”
Princess Diana’s lingerie-inspired gown was the ultimate “revenge dress” at the 1996 Met Gala.
Princess Diana made her Met Gala debut shortly after finalizing her divorce from then-Prince Charles.
And she made sure to make an entrance in a silk navy-blue slip dress designed by John Galliano to pay tribute to the year’s theme in honor of Christian Dior.
Royal biographer Katie Nicholl wrote in her book “William and Harry,” that Diana worried the daring dress might embarrass Prince William, who was 14 years old at the time.
Sarah Jessica Parker wore a bold tartan dress that matched designer Alexander McQueen, who attended his only Met Gala with her in 2006.
Sarah Jessica Parker asked McQueen to attend the 2006 Met Gala, which was themed “AngloMania: Tradition and Transgression in British Fashion,” after deciding to wear a dress by the legendary British designer.
Parker told Vogue in 2022 that she saved every pin and piece of fabric that McQueen touched during their dress fittings. She was so nervous being in the presence of the shy designer, whom she deeply admired, that it overshadowed the event.
“It wasn’t a fun night. Like, it was, but it wasn’t because I was so nervous. I just wanted him to be OK,” she told Vogue.
Christina Ricci dazzled in a pink and red dress at the 2008 Met Gala.
Ricci was one of the best dressed for the “Superheroes: Fashion and Fantasy” theme at the 2008 Met Gala.
Her sheer pink gown revealed a red leotard underneath, while the back of the dress had a red star attached to its belt. It was a look that would’ve made Wonder Woman proud.
She accessorized the dress with a matching red clutch and kept her hair and makeup simple, allowing the gown to fully shine.
Beyoncé combined disco with Old Hollywood glamour as she attended the Met Gala with Jay-Z in 2014.
Beyoncé’s sheer black Givenchy gown featured a plunging neckline, a thigh-high slit, and was covered in sparkles.
Ty Hunter, Beyoncé’s stylist, told People that the dress — which was made by Riccardo Tisci — was an homage to Diana Ross.
Beyoncé upped the glamour with dark-red lips and a net veil, while Jay-Z opted for a classic white tuxedo. The couple would make headlines that same night after a video captured Solange Knowles, Beyoncé’s sister, attacking Jay-Z in an elevator.
While the 2015 Met Gala was dominated by naked dresses, Rihanna made the biggest splash in a 55-pound gown.
Rihanna’s Met Gala look in 2015 is one of the most memorable. The singer wore this custom couture cape dress by Guo Pei for the “China: Through the Looking Glass” theme.
The Fenty founder told Access Hollywood in 2020 that she circled the Met three times before getting out of the car because she was scared people would laugh at her for “doing too much.”
“I was driving past the red carpet and I was just seeing gowns,” she recalled. “I was like, oh my god, I’m a clown, people are gonna laugh at me.”
Instead, Rihanna was praised for the show-stopping look and named best dressed of the night by numerous outlets.
Solange Knowles looked like a walking piece of art while attending the Met Gala that same year.
Solange skipped the traditional gown and opted for a unique minidress by British fashion designer Giles Deacon. The sculptural dress featured a futuristic print.
“It gave the illusion of a fan,” Solange told Refinery29 in 2017. “I wanted to be as respectful as possible to the theme.”
Beyoncé was the last to arrive at the 2015 Met Gala, and she made sure to make an entrance.
Beyoncé wore the ultimate naked dress of the night in this sheer Givenchy dress, which matched the color of her skin and featured strategically placed gems.
She paired the ensemble with a high ponytail, ensuring her dress was on full display. It was the perfect way to steal the show after her elevator scandal with Jay-Z dominated headlines the year prior.
Ariana Grande looked like a princess in 2018 when she wore a ball gown decorated with images from the Sistine Chapel.
Vera Wang designed her strapless gown, which had a corset bodice and ruffled skirt made from layers of tulle.
The dress looked stunning on its own but was styled to perfection on Grande. She wore it with delicate diamond earrings, a tan bow atop her head, and glowing makeup that matched the shades of her dress.
Few could forget the moment Rihanna stepped onto the same red carpet in a papal ensemble.
Designed by John Galliano, her outfit included a white strapless dress covered in beads and pearls, a pleated skirt that wrapped around her waist, and a matching coat decorated with the same embellishments.
Her accessories also stood out, from her pearl headdress to her statement necklaces.
Chadwick Boseman looked like royalty in a white suit embellished with gold pieces.
Versace created his five-piece outfit, which included a sheer button-up shirt, a cream-colored vest, a matching blazer, a long overcoat, and trousers in the same shade.
Three of those garments were decorated with gold crosses and ornate patches, all of which matched the year’s “Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination” theme.
Zendaya was her own knight in shining armor that year.
She also wore Versace in the form of a flowing silver gown covered in sparkles. It had long sleeves, a tall slit in its skirt, and a train that glided along the floor behind her.
But the armor-style pieces Zendaya wore around her waist, neck, and shoulders gave the dress a unique edge. She also wore platform silver sandals, diamond rings, and a red-toned bob haircut.
Cardi B looked like a golden goddess at her first Met Gala.
Cardi B walked the red carpet in 2018 wearing a glittering gown designed by Moschino. It had a scooped neckline, a form-fitting bodice that showed her baby bump, and a thigh-high slit.
But that wasn’t all. The dress also featured a detachable satin skirt that wrapped around her waist and colorful crystals that covered the entire thing. She completed her outfit with a matching headband and thick layered pearl necklaces.
You would have thought a Barbie doll came to life when Kacey Musgraves arrived at the 2019 ball.
Following the year’s “Camp: Notes on Fashion” theme, Musgraves arrived in a hot-pink Moschino ensemble that made her look exactly like the famous doll.
She wore a leather jacket-style gown, silver pumps, and a blonde wig. She also carried a fuzzy pink shawl, Barbie-esque sunglasses, and a purse shaped like a hairdryer.
Harry Styles chose a semi-sheer blouse for the 2019 Met Gala.
Styles, who co-hosted the 2019 event, wore Gucci to the Met gala, pairing a black blouse that had sheer sleeves with high-waisted pants.
He also pierced his ear and wore one pearl earring with the ensemble, adding to its whimsy.
Lady Gaga’s ensemble for the 2019 Met Gala was historic because it offered four looks in one.
Gaga was also a co-chair for the 2019 gala, and she embraced her role by wearing four different Maison Schiaparelli looks on the pink carpet.
She started her appearance in a pink gown, unveiling layers until she was in a coordinating underwear set and fishnet tights. Gaga also added high-end jewelry to her look as it transformed.
Billy Porter’s all-gold look for the 2019 gala — and coordinating entourage — made a statement.
Porter wore all gold to the 2019 Met Gala, wearing a gold jumpsuit called “The Sun God” from The Blonds with coordinating 10-foot wings.
He was also carried into the gala by six shirtless men in gold pants.
Zendaya wowed at the 2019 Met Gala in a “Cinderella”-inspired look.
Zendaya and her stylist, Law Roach, wore coordinating Tommy Hilfiger ensembles that looked like replicas of the outfits Cinderella and the Fairy Godmother wear in Disney’s “Cinderella” movie.
Zendaya’s blue dress — which she paired with a carriage-shaped purse — lit up when Roach pointed a magic wand at it, creating an interactive moment on the red carpet.
Kendall Jenner’s Givenchy dress for the 2021 Met Gala was almost entirely see-through.
Jenner paid homage to Audrey Hepburn’s performance as Eliza Doolittle in “My Fair Lady,” as her gown had the same silhouette but was almost entirely transparent.
Sparkly stars covered the gown, and an oversized choker on Jenner’s neck created the illusion of a high neckline.
Iman’s headpiece for the 2021 gala was unforgettable.
The supermodel wore Harris Reed to the gala, donning a gold jumpsuit and a hoop skirt made of tiers of feathers.
An oversized, circular headpiece coordinated with the gown, floating around Iman’s head like a massive halo.
Zoë Kravitz walked the 2021 Met Gala red carpet in a chain-mail Saint Laurent dress.
The halter-style gown hung tight on Kravitz, and the dress was see-through apart from the chains making up the silhouette.
Her silver underwear was visible as she walked the Met Gala red carpet.
When Blake Lively co-hosted the Met Gala in 2022, she wore a custom Versace dress that offered two looks in one.
For the “In America: An Anthology of Fashion” gala, Blake Lively wore a custom Versace dress that paid homage to the Statue of Liberty.
The mosaic pattern gown had a massive bow on one side made of a copper-colored material, which unfurled to reveal teal fabric, just as the statue changed hue over time.
The Met Gala co-chair also switched gloves when she untied the bow to match the changing fabric.
At the 2022 Met Gala, Kim Kardashian caused a stir when she wore a dress that once belonged to Marilyn Monroe.
Kim Kardashian borrowed a Jean Louis dress owned by Ripley’s! Believe It or Not for the event. The dress was originally Monroe’s, who wore it to serenade President John F. Kennedy for his birthday in 1962.
The sheer dress is covered in sparkly embellishments, and because of its delicate nature, Kardashian only wore it for her short walk on the red carpet. She went to extreme lengths to wear the dress.
Anne Hathaway’s Versace gown for the 2023 Met Gala was held together with oversized pins.
Hathaway walked the “Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty” red carpet in a tweed gown that hugged her figure. The white and gold dress had a curved cutout that ran the length of the garment and turned into a slit, with gold pins pinching the sides together.
Hathaway carried a coordinating jacket on her shoulder to complete the chic look.
Bad Bunny’s Jacquemus suit for the 2023 Met Gala had an open back.
The rapper wore an all-white look to the gala, pairing his avant-garde suit with a detached 26-foot train made of oversized rosettes.
Anok Yai’s Prabal Gurung dress featured multicolored and textured metallics.
The strapless mini dress had a gold bodice that spilled into a bubble skirt, with silver tassels and sequins flowing out from the bottom.
A sheer, brown train attached to the back of the gown, matching with a see-through veil that covered Yai’s eyes.
Tyla arrived at the 2024 Met Gala in a Balmain dress covered in sand.
The singer leaned into the time aspect of the event’s dress code, “The Garden of Time,” for her Met Gala debut.
Her strapless Balmain dress was covered entirely in sand. It hugged her silhouette and flowed out into a train for added drama.
Tyla also carried an hourglass instead of a purse.
Mona Patel accessorized her custom Iris Van Herpen dress with butterfly arm cuffs that moved.
The philanthropist and entrepreneur also made her Met Gala debut in 2024, tapping Law Roach to style her custom Iris Van Herpen look, which had a butterfly motif.
The bodice of Patel’s oatmeal dress was shaped like a butterfly and was accented by panels of sheer lace lining the sides of the gown. Scallops of fabric covered the dramatic train that flowed out from the back of the dress.
To complete the look, Patel wore butterfly arm cuffs from Casey that flapped their wings as she walked the red carpet.
Elle Fanning’s sheer gown from Balmain was made from glass.
Balmain designed Fanning’s form-fitting gown to transform her into a glass statue.
The off-the-shoulder neckline flowed into ruching on her stomach and down to an asymmetrical, flared skirt that had a subtle slit to allow her to walk. Birds on her shoulders appeared to be holding up the dress.
As the actor told Vogue at the gala, Fanning wanted the look to honor Sleeping Beauty, whom she played in “Maleficent.”
Cartier jewelry completed the look.
