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20 Of The Most Memorable Red Carpet Looks From The Past Decade

20 Of The Most Memorable Red Carpet Looks From The Past Decade

From Lady Gaga's meat dress to Rihanna's iconic crystal dress moment

Red carpet looks of the decade

The last 10 years have provided us with some of the most extravagant, classic and daring red-carpet ensembles of all time. From Lady Gaga's meat dress to Rihanna's naked crystal dress moment, we look back at some of the most memorable fashion moments of the past decade.

This article originally appeared on Harper's BAZAAR US.

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Amal Cooney took style cues from Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast At Tiffany's with her look for the 2015 Golden Globes. In a moment that divided fashion fans, the human rights lawyer paired her black Dior dress with contrasting white elbow-length opera gloves. We personally loved it. Photo: Getty
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Amal Clooney at 2015 Golden Globes

One of the most famous Oscar red-carpet moments of all time - not necessarily thanks to the dress, but for the pose that accompanied it. When Angelina Jolie stepped out at the 2012 Academy Awards in this dramatic Versace gown, she showed off the thigh-high split to full effect by strategically posing with her leg peeking out from the side just so. Little did she know that her leg would send the internet into a frenzy, spawning countless memes and featuring highly on talk shows and websites the following day. Photo: Getty
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Angelina Jolie at Oscars 2017

Bella Hadid is known for her head-turning red carpet looks, and she certainly gained a lot of attention in this red silk Alexandre Vauthier Couture gown, which featured a plunging neckline, low back and hip-high split. “It’s important to push boundaries and over the years I’ve done that," she explained to us later in an interview in Cannes. "I like to do whatever makes me feel good and a lot of the time that is pushing the boundaries." Photo: Getty
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Bella Hadid at Cannes 2016

Beyoncé might have arrived late to the 2015 Met Gala, but it was worth the wait. The singer bought back the naked dress, wearing an entirely sheer Givenchy gown with strategically placed jewels. It was a look that instantly went down in Met Gala history. Photo: Getty
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Beyoncé's at Met Gala 2015

Blake Lively had a Cinderella moment at Cannes in 2016, in a ruffled Vivienne Westwood gown fit for a princess. The pale blue hue and voluminous layered skirt drew immediate comparisons to the Disney character, with Lively even wearing her hair in a similar style. Photo: Getty
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Blake Lively at Cannes 2016

Human rights lawyer Amal Clooney made her radiant Cannes Film Festival debut wearing a light yellow silk chiffon Atelier Versace gown on the arm of her husband George. From that moment on we knew we had a new favourite red-carpet star to watch. Photo: Getty
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Amal and George Clooney at Cannes 2016

The world took a collective gasp when Jennifer Lawrence tripped and fell as she went up on stage to collect her Leading Actress Oscar in 2013 - but while she might wish the moment had never happened, it did allow us the perfect shot of her stunning Dior couture gown splayed out across the steps. The elegant gown, by then-creative director Raf Simons, featured a strapless neckline and textured double-layered skirt. Photo: Getty
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Jennifer Lawrence at Oscars 2013

Quite literally one of the biggest red-carpet moments of the year came courtesy of Jennifer Lopez, who attended the New York premiere of Second Act in this huge pink Giambattista Valli gown, which was from the designer's most recent couture collection. The dress immediately blew up on social media thanks to its dramatic volume and neon hue. In fact, the gown was so large that she had to be transported to the venue in a private van. Photo: Getty
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JLo at 'Second Act' premiere 2018

Kim Kardashian recently revealed that she "cried all the way home" after the response she received over this Met Gala look. At the time, the now mother-of-four was heavily pregnant with her first child North, and housed her bump underneath a floral high-neck, long-sleeved gown with a thigh-high split by Riccardo Tisci for Givenchy. Now, looking back, the reality TV star couldn't be happier with the look: "Now I love it, now it's sick," she said. Photo: Getty
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Kim Kardashian and Kanye West at Met Gala 2013

2019 was quite the year for Lady Gaga, which saw her scooping countless awards for A Star is Born. It also saw her upping her game fashion-wise in a series of high-octane gowns, culminating in her striptease entrance at the Met Gala. However, her red carpet highlight was this sky-blue Valentino couture dress that she wore to the Golden Globes. Gaga's gown resembled a dress that Judy Garland wore in the original 1954 version of A Star is Born - the role for which Gaga was nominated. She later said that the comparison was actually a happy accident, but admitted that "it looks an awful lot like it, doesn't it?" Photo: Getty
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Lady Gaga at 2019 Golden Globes

At the turn of the decade Lady Gaga was riding high off the release of hits such as 'Paparazzi', 'Bad Romance' and 'Telephone', and was experimenting with a more futuristic aesthetic - summed up by her appearance at the 2010 Grammys. The singer arrived wearing a sculptural Giorgio Armani dress covered in glittering tubes, paired with towering crystal-encrusted platforms. She carried in her hand a spiked star, finishing off the galactic look. Photo: Getty
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Lady Gaga at Grammy's 2010

One of the most controversial moments on the red carpet - and arguably, the most famous of the entire decade - was Lady Gaga's meat dress, which she wore to the MTV VMAs in 2010. Her look even came complete with meat shoes and a matching headpiece. "It's certainly no disrespect to anyone that's vegan or vegetarian," Gaga told Ellen DeGeneres, who herself is vegan, in a post-show interview. "As you know, I'm the most judgment-free human being on the earth. It has many interpretations, but for me this evening it's [saying], 'If we don't stand up for what we believe in, if we don't fight for our rights, pretty soon we're going to have as much rights as the meat on our bones.' " Photo: Getty
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Lady Gaga at MTV VMAs in 2010

2014 was a huge year for Lupita Nyong'o, who took home the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress thanks to her role in 12 Years A Slave. For the occasion, the actress wore the most elegant blue Prada pleated gown, which she playfully twirled in on the red carpet, and immediately had her topping best-dressed lists the world over. Photo: Getty
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Lupita Nyong'o at Oscars 2014

One of the sweetest moments of the decade in fashion came when the Duchess of Sussex surprised Clare Waight Keller on-stage at the Fashion Awards in 2018. The royal, who housed her baby bump in a black Givenchy gown, presented her friend with the British Designer of the Year Womenswear Award. Waight Keller had of course designed the dress for Meghan's royal wedding earlier that year. Photo: Getty
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Meghan Markle at 2018 Fashion Awards

Mila Kunis' lilac moment on the red carpet particularly stands out, because it was a refreshing contrast to her typically low-key, androgynous style. The actress looked angelic in this semi-sheer Elie Saab gown with feminine lace detailing - the distinctive soft purple hue making it memorable for all the right reasons. Photo: Getty
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Mila Kunis at Oscars 2011

The royals walked the red carpet together at the London premiere of The Lion King, where they met with Beyoncé & Jay-Z, as well as Elton John. Meghan, in her first red-carpet appearance after giving birth, wore a black Jason Wu dress with timeless Aquazzura slingback pumps, while Harry was dapper in a tux and bow-tie. Photo: Getty
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Prince Harry and Meghan Markle at 'Lion King' premiere

What a moment. Rihanna had the fashion equivalent of a mic drop when she arrived at the 2014 CFDA Awards in this entirely see-through, Swarovski-crystal-encrusted Adam Selmen design, paired with matching gloves and headscarf. Add a pastel pink fur stole for some additional Hollywood glam and fashion history was made. Photo: Getty
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Rihanna at 2014 CFDA Awards

One of Rihanna's earlier memorable red carpet moments - and, arguably, one of her most romantic - was the sheer red chiffon Azzedine Alaia gown she wore to the 2013 Grammys. With her hair in cascading curls and a matching red lip, the look was feminine, sexy and show-stopping. Photo: Getty
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Rihanna at Grammys 2013

Never has a Met Gala look gone so instantly viral as the yellow cape gown Rihanna wore in 2015 - popularly dubbed 'the omelette dress' - which sparked countless memes. The ornate look, by Chinese couturier Guo Pei, took 20 months to create and weighed approximately 55 pounds. Photo: Getty
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Rihanna Met Gala 2015

It's hard to stand out from the crowd of dramatic dresses that flood the red carpet at the Met Gala, but Priyanka Chopra somehow managed it by opting for something slightly different in 2017. Channelling the theme of that year - paying tribute to Rei Kawakubo/Comme des Garçons - the actress stole the show in a Ralph Lauren trench coat dress featuring a cascading train. Now, of course, the moment is just as well known for being the night she first met her now-husband, Nick Jonas, who was also a guest of Ralph Lauren. A lucky dress indeed. Photo: Getty
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Priyanka Chopra Met Gala 2017

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