31 iconic Met Gala looks from the best-dressed guests since 1973

The Met Gala is Monday in New York City, and we’re counting down with some of the most iconic looks from the best dressed stars, like recent darlings Zendaya and Rihanna and all the way back to the early years.

Zendaya’s first and second look, 2024 Met Gala

Zendaya has become a favorite at the Met Gala, and last year she was a co-chair, alongside Bad Bunny, Jennifer Lopez, Chris Hemsworth and, of course, Vogue Editor-in-Chief Anna Wintour. The night’s theme was “Sleeping Beauties: Fashion Reawakened,” and the dress code was “Garden of Time.”

The “Dune” and “Euphoria” star opened the evening in an ocean blue gown by Maison Margiela with fitted a corset and layers of metallic fabric, styled with a feather headpiece and smokey makeup.

Then hours later, she made a surprise return on the red carpet with a second look. She appeared in a never-before-worn Givenchy couture gown from the 1996 collection — the year she was born — along with a vintage Alexander McQueen hat adorned with a bouquet of roses.

“When it comes to the Met carpet, Zendaya is all about keeping us guessing-but one thing is for certain: She will always turn heads. Clearly, she did it again tonight,” Vogue’s Senior Fashion and Style Writer Christian Allaire wrote of her back-to-back looks.

Bad Bunny pays homage to Puerto Rico, 2024 Met Gala

Fellow co-chair Bad Bunny also turned heads last year in a custom ensemble from the Maison Margiela Artisanal Collection.

He wore a navy smoking jacket with red and white stitching, topped with a large beret and gold sunglasses.

The Puerto Rican artist arrived on the red carpet carrying a floral bouquet made from the same fabric as his jacket. The blooms represented the flor de maga — the national flower of Puerto Rico — along with roses and the flax plant that Sleeping Beauty pricked her finger on in the fairy tale. 

His backless, all-white look from 2023, honoring late designer Karl Lagerfeld, also gets an honorable mention on the list.  

Tyla’s sand dress, 2024 Met Gala

Tyla stopped the show at her inaugural Met Gala in a strapless dress made of sand. The look was so formfitting, she had to be carried up the Met’s iconic steps. 

The Balmain design was made up of three colors of sand and crystal studs.

“We were looking to do something creative, something completely different for my first Met Gala,” the singer and songwriter told Vogue ahead of the event. “So when Balmain showed me the idea and sketch, I just knew it was perfect. The idea was crazy, and I loved it.”

She also carried an hourglass clutch in a nod to “the sands of time.” 

Michaela Coel dripping in gold, 2023 Met Gala

Michaela Coel was a co-chair for the 2023 Met Gala and she dazzled in a floor-length gown by Schiaparelli that was covered in crystals, accompanied by a large diamond necklace and chunky gold earrings.

The “I May Destroy You” creator’s skin was glowing, with the help of makeup artist Bernicia Boateng, who told Vogue she “wanted her skin to beam and almost speak for her.”

“Anna [Wintour] has been a real champion of me, she put me on the cover of American Vogue,” Coel said in a behind-the-scenes interview as she got ready for the gala. “She said that I am not afraid to be myself… and that’s why she asked me to co-chair.”

Her fellow co-chairs included Penélope Cruz, Roger Federer and Dua Lipa.

Doja Cat goes full cat, 2023 Met Gala

Love it or hate it, Doja Cat did not hold back for the 2023 Met Gala. It was her first time attending, and she fully embraced — and embodied — the theme, dressing up as Karl Lagerfeld’s beloved cat, a Burmese named Choupette.

Doja Cat wore an Oscar de la Renta gown with cat ears on the hood and a large diamond that dangled in front of her forehead. To complete her cat transformation, her makeup featured black cat eyeliner and made her nose look more cat-like.

The Grammy winner famously stayed in character for her red carpet interview, answering every question with “meow.”

Choupette, who Lagerfeld reportedly received as a gift from French model Baptiste Giabiconi, has her own Instagram account with more than a quarter million followers.

Blake Lively’s NYC inspired gown, 2022 Met Gala

Blake Lively has been gracing the Met Gala for more than a decade, and she ramped up the drama in recent years. She wore a stunning Atelier Versace gown for the 2022 Met Gala, drawing inspiration from New York City landmarks to fit the theme “In America: An Anthology of Fashion.” 

Lively made an entrance on The Met steps worthy of her “Gossip Girl” character Serena Van Der Woodsen. Her first look featured a metallic bodice and bow inspired by the Manhattan skyline and Empire State Building, then it transformed into a long blue-green train based on Grand Central’s constellation ceiling. She also wore a seven-tier crown to symbolize the Statue of Liberty. 

Husband Ryan Reynolds was by her side to co-chair the event in a black velvet tuxedo by Ralph Lauren. 

Lively also made the best-dressed list with another Versace gown at the 2018 Met Gala in a jeweled bodice and detailed embroidery, paired with a halo headpiece. 

Lil Nas X’s big reveal, 2021 Met Gala

Speaking of epic entrances, Lil Nas X put on a show at the 2021 Met Gala with three distinct looks from Donatella Versace. 

He started in a large, gold cape that was then removed to reveal a golden suit of armor underneath, which he later shed to show off a crystal-covered body suit. 

The fashion house called it a “three-part LGBTQ+ American fairytale.” The cape was meant to conceal his identity, the armor symbolized protection against prejudice, and finally the body suit represented “living life as your true, unguarded self.”

The artist is known for his daring fashion choices, including his purple prom look at the MTV Awards just days before.

Iman’s latest iconic look, 2021 Met Gala

Nobody does it quite like Iman. The supermodel has worn so many iconic looks over the years, but the 2021 Met Gala will go down as one of her best. 

Her outfit from Harris Reed, supported by Dolce & Gabbana, featured a gold strapless jumpsuit under a massive hoop skirt and matching headpiece made of feathers. 

Reed told Vogue they were inspired by 18th-century hooped cage skirts that could “take up space in a way that says, ‘I deserve to be here and I own it.'”

Iman first attended the Met Gala in 1981 with Calvin Klein and later appeared alongside her husband and fellow fashion icon, David Bowie. 

Maluma’s red leather suit, 2021 Met Gala

Maluma was the first reggaetón artist to attend the Met Gala when he made his debut in 2019 and he continues to push the envelope. 

He joined Donatella Versace for the 2021 Met Gala in a red-hot leather suit with bejeweled accents and accessories. 

“My favorite part of my outfit was everything,” Maluma told Vogue. “I loved the cowboy inspiration, as I ride horses, but the highlight was the belt… It was a signature Versace cowboy belt inspired by the late Gianni Versace’s classic ’90s looks.” 

He also wore a 14-karat gold chain link glove with his nickname, Papi Juancho, written in stones. 

Zendaya’s light-up Cinderella look, 2019 Met Gala

First, there was Joan of Arc in 2018. Then, her Cinderella gown was among the highlights of the wacky and weird 2019 Met Gala, “Camp: Notes on Fashion.” 

With the wave of a wand from her stylist and fairy godfather Law Roach, the dress lit up The Met steps, literately. It magically changed from gray to blue, prompting a large cheer from the crowd.

Roach said the gown, by Tommy Hilfiger, represented Zendaya’s transformation from the Disney Channel to “Euphoria” and more adult roles.

As for last year’s looks, he said Zendaya wasn’t even fitted until Saturday, two days before the big event. 

“I haven’t seen Zendaya’s dress!” he told The New York Times in an interview ahead of time. “We’ve been on two press tours – ‘Dune 2’ and ‘Challengers’ – and doing two Vogue covers.”

Time to work their Met Gala magic once again.

Kardashian family photo, 2019 Met Gala

The Kardashians walked The Met steps together for the 2019 Met Gala and posed for an epic family photo.

Kim Kardashian donned a skin-tight corset dress from Thierry Mugler that looked as though she had just emerged from water. She was accompanied by her then-husband Ye, formerly known as Kanye West. 

Her sisters, Kendall and Kylie Jenner, wore coordinated sheer Versace dresses embellished with bright orange and purple feathers, respectively. Kylie was joined by her on-again-off-again boyfriend, Travis Scott. 

And of course it wouldn’t be a Kardashian photo-op without mom, Kris Jenner. She had on a navy blue Tommy Hilfiger jumpsuit with oversized gray shoulders, plus a platinum blonde wig that was reportedly a last-minute suggestion from Kylie.

The Kardashian sisters have been known for some hit-or-miss looks over the years, including Kim’s infamous “black-out” look in 2021.

Billy Porter goes for gold, 2019 Met Gala

Oh Billy Porter, where to begin. His 2019 Met Gala look was one for the ages. 

Porter entered the event lounging on a platform carried by six shirtless men. He then climbed down to spread a pair of giant, golden wings.

In a behind-the-scenes interview before the big reveal, he told Vogue that “Camp” is often discounted or “thought of as cheesy,” but, “when it’s done properly, it’s one of the highest forms of fashion and art.”

Porter enlisted New York City-based brand The Blonds to design the Ancient Egypt-inspired look. 

“Given the massive collection of Egyptian art The Met has, it was also our way to pay respect to that,” he said. 

Lady Gaga’s many looks, 2019 Met Gala

Before Lil Nas X and Blake Lively pulled off multiple outfits, Lady Gaga was the original shapeshifter at the 2019 Met Gala. It was almost like the star was born to take on the theme.

Lady Gaga rocked four different looks all designed by her friend, Brandon Maxwell. First, she arrived in a massive pink dress with a 25-foot train and five dancers carrying umbrellas. As she entered The Met steps, her team unzipped the cape to reveal another black gown underneath. 

Then she unveiled another pink dress paired with large black sunglasses, appearing to apply makeup and pose for selfies. And finally, she shed that dress and stripped down to a black bra, panties, stockings and boots.

The whole theatrical performance lasted about 15 minutes and sent the crowd into a frenzy.

Cardi B’s giant feathered gown, 2019 Met Gala

Cardi B made a bold statement in head-to-toe ruby red at the 2019 Met Gala. Her feathered gown featured a hood, giant train and reportedly 44 carats worth of rubies on the bodice. 

Designer Thom Browne told Vogue he created this dress for her because she “has the ultimate beauty in a woman’s body.”

The Bronx rapper was also covered in jewels at the 2018 Met Gala, when she was several months pregnant with her first child, daughter Kulture. 

“Wifey is the truth, she just killed the Met Gala,” her then-husband, Migos rapper OFFSET, posted on social media after the 2019 gala.

Jared Leto holds his head, Met Gala 2019

Jared Leto has been known for his extreme costumes, and the 2019 Met Gala was no different. He turned heads with a lifelike prop that looked much like his own head. 

According to Vogue, Leto took a page from Gucci’s Fall 2018 runway show when model Unia Pakhomova carried a replica of her head as a clutch. His red gown and crystal harness were designed by Alessandro Michele for the fashion house. 

Leto outdid himself in 2023 when he showed up in a fluffy, full-body cat suit. 

Sadly for his fans, he sat out the 2024 Met Gala because his band, “30 Seconds to Mars,” was touring in Europe.

Katy Perry’s heavenly wings, 2018 Met Gala

“Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination” was the Met Gala theme in 2018, and Katy Perry soared in a giant set of angel wings from Versace.

She rocked a platinum blonde pixie cut with a gold mini dress and thigh-high boots. On top of that sat her huge wings that stretched from the floor to well above her head.

The singer pulled up in a vintage convertible before posing with the wings on The Met steps. 

Then, who could forget her outfit the following year, when she wore a crystal chandelier on her head and then dressed in a burger suit for the afterparty.

Frances McDormand has fun with a headpiece, 2018 Met Gala

Frances McDormand had the most fun with a whimsical headpiece from Valentino at the 2018 Met Gala. 

The Oscar winner was photographed striking her best movie-star-pose as the massive headpiece nearly covered her whole face. 

She was later seen in a social media video rocking out to the song “Where’s Your Head At” inside the museum.

Two years later, McDormand appeared on the cover of Vogue, telling the publication, “to still be culturally relevant as a 63-year-old female is so deeply, deeply gratifying.”

Rihanna’s epic yellow entrance, 2015 Met Gala

It was almost impossible to pick the best Rihanna look, but her arrival for the 2015 Met Gala stole the show. 

The giant yellow gown was designed by Chinese designer Guo Pei for that year’s theme, “China: Through the Looking Glass.” Her dramatic train seems to have ushered in era of these dresses and their grand entrances.  

Rihanna had back-to-back hits for the “Rei Kawakubo/Comme des Garçons: The Art of the In-Between” theme in 2017 and for “Heavenly Bodies” in 2018. 

Then, of course, in 2021, she walked the red carpet with her partner, A$AP Rocky, while pregnant with their first child, RZA, and again in 2023 while expecting their second son, Riot Rose. 

Beyonce’s nearly-there naked dress, 2015 Met Gala

The naked dress isn’t exactly new, but jaws dropped when Beyoncé walked in wearing this to the 2015 Met Gala. 

The floor-length dress from Givenchy’s Riccardo Tisci featured strategically placed jewels but was otherwise see-through.

Beyoncé’s stylist Ty Hunter says her 2015 gown was the heaviest one to wear.

“A lot of the rhinestones and gems, the rocky crystals, they were very heavy,” he told Women’s Wear Daily. “It looked like the lightest ones because she looked naked under it, but it was one of the heaviest.”

Solange Knowles’ fan dress, 2015 Met Gala

Queen Bey’s younger sister also made the list for the 2015 Met Gala with a head-scratching mini dress. 

Solange Knowles sported a futuristic design from Giles. While she told Refinery29 the dress “gave the illusion of the fan,” others compared it to an oyster, a sting ray or a computer background. 

Solange is known for taking fashion risks, and in 2018 she made headlines for asking her followers to vote for her outfit. 

Andre Leon Talley, a red carpet staple, 2015 Met Gala

Andre Leon Tally was a fixture at the Met Gala since 1974 and he hosted its red carpet correspondence until 2018. The former Vogue creative director died of a heart attack in 2022 at the age of 73.

He is seen here leaving The Mark Hotel as he prepares to host the 2015 Met Gala. That year, he praised Rihanna’s gown as “indulgent” and “luxurious,” calling her the “queen of the night.”

Talley’s fashion career began at the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute where he took an unpaid apprenticeship under Diana Vreeland. Those who knew him said he didn’t merely study fashion, he was obsessed with it since his childhood. He went on to work for Women’s Wear Daily and Vogue, ultimately becoming the first Black man to be named creative director. 

Kate Moss in metallic, 2009 Met Gala

Supermodel Kate Moss was the darling of the 2009 Met Gala in a metallic mini dress and matching headwrap from Marc Jacobs. That year’s theme was “The Model as Muse: Embodying Fashion,” and she couldn’t have been more right for the part. 

Moss and Jacobs have worked on runways and campaigns together since the 1990s, dating back to his controversial grunge collection.

Moss also gets points for her 1995 Met Gala look, when she wore a pale yellow Calvin Klein slip dress with a plunging back.

Sarah Jessica Parker with Alexander McQueen, 2006 Met Gala

It goes without saying, but Sarah Jessica Parker is always one to watch at the Met Gala. Her career has seen countless head-turning looks, from a thrifted dress for her first Met Gala in 1995 to her oversized mohawk for the 2013 theme “Punk: Chaos to Couture.”

One look that stands out is her outfit for the 2006 Met Gala theme “Anglomania: Tradition and Transgression in British Fashion.” She walked in with Alexander McQueen wearing a short dress while he wore a jacket, tie and kilt, and they both had coordinating plaid sashes. 

Parker later told Vogue she was nervous because she deeply admired the late designer and even kept scraps of fabric he used from their dress fittings.

Liv Tyler & Stella McCartney “rock royalty,” 1999 Met Gala

The 1999 Met Gala theme was “Rock Style,” so who better to make a splash than Liv Tyler, the daughter of Aerosmith singer Steven Tyler, and Stella McCartney, daughter of The Beatles’ Paul McCartney?

The duo attended the gala together in matching shirts with the words, “Rock Royalty” scrawled on them. McCartney told Vogue she took a pack of Haynes shirts to a vintage shop in Little Italy, where she helped customize the final design. 

“I didn’t come at it intentionally to be rebellious at all. I didn’t know what people wore,” she said.

“It wasn’t really appropriate that we wore those shirts. Officially, we weren’t following the honors of the dress code. It was very cool and rebellious of Stella,” Tyler added.

Princess Diana’s silk slip, 1996 Met Gala

From rock to royals, Princess Diana’s appearance at the 1996 Met Gala goes down in history as one of the most memorable moments. The theme that year was “Christian Dior.”

Princess Diana made a statement in a blue floor-length silk slip dress from John Galliano for Dior and a pearl choker. Vogue described it as her “most un-royal look to date,” and said it signaled her freedom after her divorce and departure from the royal family. 

Dozens of other royals have attended the gala over the years, including the Princess Marie-Chantal of Greece who made multiple appearances in 1989, 1995 and 2001. 

Gianni & Donatella Versace in leather and gold, 1996 Met Gala

Versace’s designs have come up several times on this list, and the siblings behind the brand are on here for their leather and gold look at the 1996 Met Gala. That year’s theme was Christian Dior. 

Gianni Versace was the theme the following year, months after he was murdered outside his Miami Beach home. 

His sister, Donatella Versace, took over the fashion house and has been a staple of the Met Gala since the 1990s. She dressed some of the biggest stars, and early photos show her arriving with Naomi Campbell in 1995 and posing for a photo with Madonna and Cher in 1997. 

Naomi Campbell’s sparkle dress, 1995 Met Gala

Speaking of Naomi Campbell, she made quite the entrance in this shimmering, floor-length gown at the Met Gala in 1995, themed “Haute Couture.”

“I loved this dress. It was slim-fitting and body-hugging, and just glistened,” she told Vogue in a 2020 interview. “I remember when I saw this dress for the first time, I thought, wow, Gianni, is that for me? It seemed like one of those dresses that you read in those fairytale books.”

Campbell made her Met Gala debut in 1990 wearing a multi-colored mini dress also from Gianni Versace. 

“I was in such awe to first be invited by Gianni Versace through my new roommate, Christy Turlington,” she said. “You dressed up in the ’90s… Enjoy your clothes, enjoy your accessories, enjoy your hair.”

Campbell said her most fun look was from 2019 when she wore a sheer Valentino Couture gown with a feathered cape and lace stockings that came together just hours before.

Cher dazzles 1985 Met Gala

Cher, the woman who needs no last name, took the 1985 Met Gala theme, “Costumes of Royal India,” to the next level. She wore a sparkling gold and silver body suit with a large matching ear cuff. 

Other notable guests in attendance that year included Henry Kissinger, Raquel Welch and Barbara Walters. 

Cher may have also been the first to wear a “naked dress” at the Met Gala when she made her debut in 1974. The dress had feathered sleeves and she wore her long, dark hair down loose. 

Diana Ross in feather gown, 1981 Met Gala

The Queen of Motown, Diana Ross, was photographed wearing a flowing, strapless feather gown at the 1981 Met Gala. That year’s theme was “The Eighteenth-Century Woman.”

Ross sported a similar feathered jacket for the 2014 American Music Awards, when she presented Taylor Swift with the first-ever Dick Clark Award of Excellence. 

“I’m so blown away to just have received an award from Diana Ross,” Swift said at the time. 

Bianca Jagger’s bodice dress, 1981 Met Gala

Bianca Jagger, a 1970s muse turned social activist, is seen here wearing a dark strapless dress with a full skirt and detailed embroidery at the 1981 Met Gala.

Her classic Dior style inspired Kaia Gerber to recreate the look in 2021. Oscar de la Renta designed a similar gown, and Gerber wore her hair in waves parted to the side.

Gerber, who is the daughter of Cindy Crawford, described the dress in one word: “elegant.”

Jackie O, the original icon, 1979 Met Gala

Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, former U.S. first lady, was known for her fashion that shaped the nation. She first attended the Met Gala in 1979 (“Fashions of the Habsburg Era: Austria-Hungary”) and later served as co-chair. 

In 2001, the Met Gala theme paid tribute to the style icon with “Jacqueline Kennedy: The White House Years.”

“Jacqueline Kennedy is one of history’s great style icons,” Vogue’s European editor-at-large Hamish Bowles said in a statement at the time. “Her profound influence on the way an entire generation wanted to look, dress, and behave cannot be overestimated. She set the standards that American women strove to follow, and, on the world stage, provided a visual metaphor for the youth and promise of the Kennedy administration.”