The Met Gala has long been heralded as an event for pushing fashion boundaries.
In the mid 1990s, this was amplified to starry new heights when it developed into the celebrity-filled event it is now. With so many models, actresses and singers vying for a ticket – many of whom also collaborate with designers to pay homage to an abstract theme through a gown – the competition is on to truly stand out from the crowd. However, some attendees have done it so well that we can still recall exactly who and what they wore 20 years later.
Here’s a look back at some of the most memorable dresses worn to the Met Gala over the years.
This article originally appeared on Harper’s BAZAAR UK
Additional reporting by Hanan Haddad
Related articles:
Here’s What 30 Celebrities Wore To Their First Met Gala
The Costume Institute Just Confirmed The Theme Of The 2017 Met Gala
https://www.harpersbazaar.com.sg/gallery/16-met-galas-outrageous-looks-time/
38 Of The Met Gala's Most Unforgettable Looks Of All Time
AMBER VALLETTA
image
AMBER VALLETTA
Would you be surprised to learn that this Met Ball was Marie Antoinette-themed? Amber Valletta took the 2004 dress code very seriously indeed in her ruffled skirt, corset and curled wig.
ZAYN MALIK
image
ZAYN MALIK
Rumour has it that Zayn Malik hid in the lavatory before heading to 2016's Met Gala, so worried was he about his Versace robot sleeves. While they don't offer much in the way of movement, it was a surefire way of attracting attention.
WILL.I.AM
image
WILL.I.AM
Who needs the power of sight anyway? Will.i.am decided against vision on the 2016 Met Gala red carpet in his wide-brimmed hat and tinted visor.
KATY PERRY
image
KATY PERRY
Not one to shy away from a fashion risk, Katy Perry arrived at the 2016 Met Ball wearing an embellished Prada gown, complete with dramatic black lipstick.
SOLANGE KNOWLES
image
SOLANGE KNOWLES
In a sisterly show of solidarity, Solange Knowles wore a lemon-coloured dress to the 2016 Met Ball to match the name of Beyoncé's Lemonade album. Her latex leggings also echoed Bey's PVC theme.
MADONNA
image
MADONNA
The leotard was cut high on the derrière to expose her behind.
MADONNA
image
MADONNA
Madonna described her 2016 Met Gala ensemble as a "political statement". "The fact that people actually believe a woman is not allowed to express her sexuality and be adventurous past a certain age is proof that we still live in an ageist and sexist society," she said of her revealing Givenchy attire.
SARAH JESSICA PARKER
image
SARAH JESSICA PARKER
Sarah Jessica Parker was inspired by the Broadway show Hamilton when choosing what to wear to the Met Gala last year. As you can see, she channelled 18th-century style in breeches and a white frock-coat with gold buttons.
RIHANNA
image
RIHANNA
Rihanna made perhaps the greatest Met Ball entrance of all time in her regal yellow gown by the then little-known Chinese designer Guo Pei. Lined with fur and decorated with ornate swirling embroidery, it took two years to make. "I can't really walk in it without any help," Rihanna told Vanity Fair on the night. "But it's so worth it."
FKA TWIGS
image
FKA TWIGS
FKA Twigs wore a custom-made Christopher Kane dress to the 2015 Met Gala which, on first glance, simply seems artistically abstract, but on closer inspection, actually features a tiny sketch of a penis just above the thigh-high split. The look understandably got everyone talking; not many people could pull off such a creation, but Twigs is the queen of nonchalance, after all.
ANJA RUBIK
image
ANJA RUBIK
Behold, the world's highest thigh-split as modelled by Anja Rubik at the 2012 Met Gala.
LADY GAGA
image
LADY GAGA
Lady Gaga can always be relied upon to diligently follow a theme, as proven at the 2015 Met Ball when she adhered to the oriental dress code in an oversize Balenciaga kimono. The singer accessorised with a peacock-shaped crown, obviously.
BEYONCÉ
image
BEYONCÉ
Beyoncé wore one of the most daring dresses of all time to the 2015 Met Gala: an entirely sheer Givenchy gown with jewels to cover her more intimate regions.
SOLANGE KNOWLES
image
SOLANGE KNOWLES
There have been varying descriptions of Solange Knowles' 2015 Met Ball dress – "a psychedelic amoeba" is one, a "form-defying circle" is another. Designed by Giles Deacon, the eye-catching accordion design was made up of printed pleats.
KIM KARDASHIAN
image
KIM KARDASHIAN
Kim Kardashian refused to miss the 2013 Met Ball due to her pregnancy, so she recruited her friend Riccardo Tisci to design a bespoke Givenchy gown. The dress attracted headlines, both because of its commitment to florals and its in-built, matching gloves.
SARAH JESSICA PARKER
image
SARAH JESSICA PARKER
Sarah Jessica Parker's flamed headdress became the subject of numerous memes at the 2015 Met Gala, some of which compared it to the fire emoji, while others suggested that she looked like a Fire Lord. Even Carrie Bradshaw – a woman who wore a tutu for a walk around New York – would see this blazing headwear as a bold move.
cher-met-gala
image
Rihanna
image
Rihanna
Theme: Rei Kawakubo/Comme des Garçons
Wearing: Comme des Garçons
Katy Perry
image
Katy Perry
Theme: Rei Kawakubo/Comme des Garçons
Wearing: Margiela
Claire Danes
image
Claire Danes
Theme: Manus x Machina: Fashion In An Age Of Technology
Wearing: Custom Zac Posen with fibre optic lights
Amal Clooney
image
Amal Clooney
Theme: China: Through The Looking Glass
Wearing: Margiela
Sienna Miller
image
Sienna Miller
Theme: Punk: Chaos to Couture
Wearing: Burberry
Carey Mulligan
image
Carey Mulligan
Theme: Schiaparelli And Prada: Impossible Conversations
Wearing: Prada
Gisele Bündchen
image
Gisele Bündchen
Theme: Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty
Wearing: Alexander McQueen
Mila Kunis
image
Mila Kunis
Theme: American Woman: Fashioning a National Identity
Wearing: Vera Wang
Marc Jacobs and Kate Moss
image
Marc Jacobs and Kate Moss
Theme: Model as Muse: Embodying Fashion
Wearing: Marc Jacobs
David and Victoria Beckham
image
David and Victoria Beckham
Theme: Superheroes: Fashion and Fantasy
Wearing: Armani
Cate Blanchett
image
Cate Blanchett
Theme: Poiret: King of Fashion
Wearing: Balenciaga
Alexander McQueen and Sarah Jessica Parker
image
Alexander McQueen and Sarah Jessica Parker
Theme: AngloMania: Tradition and Transgression in British Fashion
Wearing: Alexander McQueen
Elle Macpherson
image
Elle Macpherson
Theme: The House of Chanel
Wearing: Calvin Klein (and flip flops!)
Scarlett Johansson
image
Scarlett Johansson
Theme: Dangerous Liaisons: Fashion and Furniture in the 18th Century
Wearing: Calvin Klein
David Bowie and Iman
image
David Bowie and Iman
Theme: Goddess: The Classical Mode
Wearing: Iman in Donna Karan
Amber Valetta
image
Amber Valetta
Theme: Rock Style
Wearing: Versace
Liv Tyler and Stella McCartney
image
Liv Tyler and Stella McCartney
Theme: Rock Style
Hugh Grant and Liz Hurley
image
Hugh Grant and Liz Hurley
Theme: Gianni Versace
Wearing: Versace
Diana, Princess of Wales
image
Diana, Princess of Wales
Theme: Christian Dior
Wearing: Dior
Christy Turlington, Naomi Campbell and Kate Moss
image
Christy Turlington, Naomi Campbell and Kate Moss
Theme: Haute Couture
Wearing: Naomi in Versace, Christy and Kate in Calvin Klein
Jackie Onassis
image
Jackie Onassis
Theme: Fashions of the Hapsburg Era
- TAGS:
- Alexander McQueen
- Amal Clooney
- Amber Valetta
- Amber Valletta
- Anja Rubik
- Beyoncé
- Bianca Jagger
- Carey Mulligan
- Cate Blanchett
- celebrity
- Celebrity News
- Christy Turlington
- Claire Danes
- David Beckham
- David Bowie
- Diana
- Elle Macpherson
- FKA Twigs
- Gisele Bündchen
- Hugh Grant
- Iman
- Jackie Onassis
- Kate Moss
- Katy Perry
- Kim Kardashian
- Lady Gaga
- Liv Tyler
- Liz Hurley
- Madonna
- Marc Jacobs
- Met Gala
- Mila Kunis
- Naomi Campbell
- Princess of Wales
- Red Carpet
- Rihanna
- Sarah Jessica Parker
- Scarlett Johansson
- Sienna Miller
- Solange Knowles
- Stella McCartney
- The Met Gala
- Victoria Beckham
- will.i.am
- Zayn Malik