The Best Met Gala Looks of All Time
The Met Gala is fashion's biggest night for a reason. Held each year at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, the Costume Institute Gala brings together the biggest names in fashion, film, music and culture for a red carpet where simply looking good is rarely enough. The most memorable Met Gala looks are the ones that understand the theme, take a risk and give people something to talk about long after the night is over.
Unlike a traditional awards-season red carpet, the Met Gala encourages designers, celebrities and stylists to treat fashion as a form of storytelling. Over the years, the event has produced everything from extravagant couture and historic references to camp, political statements, technological experiments and genuinely unexpected fashion moments. Some looks have become instantly recognisable; others have grown more significant with time.
From Rihanna's enormous yellow Guo Pei cape in 2015 and her papal-inspired Maison Margiela look in 2018 to Lady Gaga's four-outfit performance in 2019, Zendaya's theatrical appearances and Princess Diana's understated Dior slip dress, the best Met Gala outfits tend to have one thing in common: they understand that the Met Gala is about more than getting dressed.
Below, we revisit some of the best Met Gala looks of all time, including the most iconic Met Gala dresses, menswear moments and celebrity fashion appearances from the 1990s to today.
What Makes a Met Gala Look Iconic?
There is no single formula for a great Met Gala look. Some of the event's most memorable outfits are spectacular examples of couture, while others work precisely because they are unexpected. The strongest looks tend to respond to the year's theme while still feeling distinctive to the person wearing them.
The relationship between celebrity and designer is also important. A successful Met Gala look can introduce an archival reference to a new audience, transform a designer's work into a cultural talking point or become so closely associated with a particular evening that it enters fashion history.
The Met Gala has also become increasingly important as a place where fashion, celebrity and popular culture intersect. Social media has only accelerated that process, turning a single red-carpet appearance into a global conversation within minutes.
These are some of the looks that have had the greatest impact.
Rihanna in John Galliano
for Maison Margiela, 2018
Rihanna's 2018 Met Gala appearance remains one of the defining fashion moments of the modern event. Dressed by John Galliano for Maison Margiela, she arrived at the Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination gala in an elaborate silver and white ensemble inspired by papal vestments, complete with a jewelled mitre.
The look perfectly understood the theme without becoming a straightforward costume. Galliano transformed religious iconography into extravagant couture, while Rihanna's confidence made the elaborate ensemble feel entirely natural on the Met Gala red carpet.
The look has become particularly significant following Galliano's departure from Maison Margiela in 2025 and the announcement of the Costume Institute's 2027 exhibition, John Galliano: Horizons.
You can also find our recap of his best work at the iconic house in this article.
Kim Kardashian in Thierry Mugler, 2019
Kim Kardashian's Thierry Mugler dress for the 2019 Met Gala was designed to look as though she had emerged from the water moments before arriving on the red carpet.
The crystal-covered, body-conscious gown featured a dramatic corseted silhouette and delicate strands of embellishment that created the illusion of dripping water. It was a fitting interpretation of that year's Camp: Notes on Fashion theme, combining extreme glamour with an intentionally exaggerated sense of fantasy.
The look also marked Mugler's first design for Kardashian and became one of the designer's most memorable late-career fashion moments.
Christina Ricci in Givenchy, 2008
Christina Ricci embraced the darker side of couture at the 2008 Met Gala in a dramatic Givenchy gown.
The intricate black design combined gothic references with delicate detailing, creating a look that felt appropriately theatrical for the Costume Institute's Superheroes: Fashion and Fantasy exhibition while remaining recognisably Ricci.
Iman in Harris Reed, 2021
Iman made one of the most dramatic entrances of the 2021 Met Gala in a custom Harris Reed creation.
The sculptural ensemble incorporated a huge feathered headpiece and gilded elements, transforming the supermodel into something between a fashion illustration and a Renaissance-inspired figure. The scale of the look made it impossible to overlook on the red carpet.
Zendaya in Tommy Hilfiger, 2019
Zendaya's Cinderella-inspired Tommy Hilfiger gown was another of the 2019 Met Gala's most memorable looks.
The silver-grey dress incorporated illuminated elements that allowed it to glow as Zendaya walked the red carpet, while stylist Law Roach appeared beside her dressed as a fairy godmother. Together, the pair turned the arrival into a complete fashion fantasy.
The look demonstrated why the best Met Gala appearances are often about more than the clothes themselves. The styling, performance and setting all contributed to the final image.
Naomi Campbell in Versace, 1995
Naomi Campbell brought quintessential 1990s supermodel glamour to the Met Gala in a slinky lavender Versace dress.
The minimalist silhouette, delicate straps and body-conscious fit captured the era's approach to red-carpet dressing while allowing Campbell's presence to do much of the work. It remains a useful reminder that some of the most memorable Met Gala outfits are not necessarily the most complicated.
Bad Bunny in Margiela, 2024
Bad Bunny approached the 2024 Met Gala through the lens of Maison Margiela's experimental tailoring.
His custom look combined the house's deconstructed approach with a more relaxed interpretation of formalwear, demonstrating how menswear can engage with the Met Gala theme without relying on traditional evening suiting.
Tyla in Balmain, 2024
Tyla's 2024 Met Gala look became one of the most memorable interpretations of The Garden of Time.
Created by Olivier Rousteing for Balmain, the sand-coloured gown was designed to resemble the texture of sand and was so restrictive that Tyla had to be carried up the Met's famous steps. The look's physical limitations became part of its impact, turning the singer into an almost sculptural figure on the red carpet.
Blake Lively in Burberry, 2016
Blake delivered fairy-tale romance in a blush Burberry gown with delicate floral appliqués cascading down the train.
Rihanna in Guo Pei, 2015
Rihanna's yellow Guo Pei gown is one of the first looks that comes to mind when discussing the best Met Gala looks of all time. Created by Chinese designer Guo Pei, the extraordinary cape featured intricate embroidery and an enormous circular train that followed Rihanna across the red carpet.
The look was particularly effective because Rihanna allowed the garment to dominate. Rather than competing with the scale of the couture, she embraced it, turning the yellow gown into one of the most recognisable images in Met Gala history.
It also introduced Guo Pei's work to an enormous international audience, demonstrating the ability of the Met Gala to bring designers and fashion traditions into the global conversation.
Rosalía in Givenchy, 2022
Rosalía brought flamenco flair to the Met in a fringed, sculptural Givenchy look that felt both edgy and traditional.
Amber Valletta in Maggie Norris Couture corset and John Galliano skirt, 2004
Amber Valletta leaned fully into historical glamour for the 2004 Met Gala, wearing a corseted Maggie Norris Couture top with a dramatic John Galliano skirt.
The combination of corsetry, volume and ornate detailing gave the look a distinctly Rococo quality. It is an excellent example of the Met Gala at its most theatrical, where historical fashion can be reinterpreted through contemporary couture.
Harry Styles in Gucci, 2019
Harry Styles took a quieter but equally influential approach to the 2019 theme in a sheer black Gucci blouse, high-waisted trousers and a single pearl earring.
Designed by Gucci's Alessandro Michele, the look played with traditional ideas of masculinity without relying on theatrical costume. It became one of Styles' defining fashion moments and helped establish the Met Gala as an important platform for the evolution of modern menswear.
Ariana Grande in Vera Wang, 2018
Ariana Grande's 2018 Vera Wang gown incorporated imagery inspired by Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel ceiling, making it a particularly literal interpretation of the Heavenly Bodies theme.
The long, flowing gown transformed the singer into a Renaissance-inspired figure, with the artwork providing the visual focus of the look
Timothée Chalamet in Haider Ackermann, 2021
Timothée nailed casual cool in a white Haider Ackermann suit paired unexpectedly with Converse sneakers.
Blake Lively in Versace, 2022
Blake Lively's 2022 Versace gown was designed around transformation.
Arriving in a copper-toned dress, Lively revealed a dramatic colour change as she walked the carpet, with the garment shifting to a blue-green shade. The transformation referenced New York architecture and the Statue of Liberty, fitting the Gilded Glamour and White Tie theme while turning the dress itself into part of the performance.
Zendaya in John Galliano, 2024
Zendaya's 2024 Met Gala appearance was one of John Galliano's final major red-carpet moments at Maison Margiela.
The custom Artisanal gown embraced the theatricality of Galliano's work while responding to The Garden of Time through dramatic floral references and an almost fantastical silhouette. Zendaya's styling, including her deliberately dramatic makeup and accessories, completed the transformation.
Her appearance also reinforced the longstanding relationship between Zendaya and the Met Gala, where she has repeatedly used fashion to interpret the evening's themes rather than simply dress for the occasion.
Princess Diana in Dior, 1996
Princess Diana's 1996 Met Gala appearance is proof that a Met Gala look does not need to be extravagant to become iconic.
For her first and only Costume Institute Gala, Diana wore a navy silk slip dress by John Galliano for Dior, paired with a matching coat and a simple pearl necklace. The understated silhouette stood apart from the more theatrical looks often associated with the event and has since become one of the most enduring Met Gala images of the 1990s.
The appearance also marked an important moment in Galliano's career at Dior, years before his later work at Maison Margiela.
Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen
in Comme des Garçons, 2017
Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen embraced the experimental spirit of Rei Kawakubo's 2017 Costume Institute exhibition in layered Comme des Garçons looks.
Rather than opting for conventional red-carpet glamour, the sisters leaned into the label's abstract proportions and romantic darkness, making the appearance feel closely connected to the exhibition itself.
FKA Twigs in Christopher Kane, 2015
FKA Twigs took a more unconventional approach to the 2015 Met Gala in Christopher Kane.
The sculptural dress featured anatomical references that pushed the boundaries between fashion and the human form, making it a distinctly surreal addition to the China: Through the Looking Glass red carpet.
Charlize Theron in Christian Dior, 2006
Charlize Theron brought Old Hollywood glamour to the 2006 Met Gala in a sweeping Christian Dior gown.
The pale blue design was elegant and sculptural, demonstrating the more polished side of Met Gala dressing while still possessing the sense of occasion expected from the Costume Institute Gala.
Doutzen Kroes in Zac Posen, 2010
Doutzen Kroes embraced classic glamour in a sculpted Zac Posen gown at the 2010 Met Gala.
The strapless silhouette highlighted Posen's signature approach to structured eveningwear and gave the supermodel one of the evening's most recognisable red-carpet looks.
Anne Hathaway in Ralph Lauren, 2015
For the 2015 Met Gala, Anne Hathaway opted for a futuristic interpretation of eveningwear in a liquid-gold Ralph Lauren gown.
The hooded silhouette gave the otherwise classic column dress a more modern, almost sci-fi quality, creating one of the more understated but memorable looks from the China: Through the Looking Glass red carpet.
Fan Bingbing in Christopher Bu, 2015
Fan Bingbing celebrated Chinese craftsmanship at the 2015 Met Gala in a dramatic Christopher Bu gown.
The jade-green design incorporated intricate embroidery and a sweeping cape, making it one of the evening's strongest examples of a look that engaged directly with the cultural focus of the exhibition.
Lady Gaga in Brandon Maxwell, 2019
Lady Gaga turned her arrival at the 2019 Met Gala into a performance rather than a conventional red-carpet appearance.
Wearing a custom Brandon Maxwell look, Gaga began in an enormous hot-pink gown before revealing a series of increasingly minimal outfits underneath, eventually stripping down to black lingerie and fishnet tights. The four-part transformation lasted several minutes and immediately became one of the evening's defining moments.
For a theme centred on Camp, Gaga understood the assignment literally: the outfit was fashion, theatre and performance rolled into one.
Lana Del Rey in Alexander McQueen, 2024
Lana Del Rey brought a distinctly darker interpretation to the 2024 Met Gala in Alexander McQueen.
The look combined delicate embroidery, sculptural elements and gothic references, creating an appearance that felt closely connected to the romantic and slightly unsettling atmosphere of The Garden of Time.
Anne Hathaway in Versace, 2023
Anne Hathaway brought together Versace's signature glamour and punk-inspired detailing for the 2023 Met Gala, which honoured Karl Lagerfeld.
Her custom gown featured oversized safety pins, pearl embellishment and a dramatic thigh-high split, referencing some of the house's most recognisable codes while remaining unmistakably modern.
The Met Gala Looks We Keep Coming Back To
The best Met Gala looks are not necessarily the most expensive, elaborate or revealing. What separates the memorable outfits from everything else on the red carpet is their ability to communicate an idea.
Rihanna's Guo Pei cape made Chinese couture part of the global fashion conversation. Lady Gaga turned her entrance into performance art. Zendaya repeatedly treats the Met Gala as an opportunity for transformation, while designers such as John Galliano, Alexander McQueen, Thierry Mugler and Guo Pei have used the event to demonstrate just how far fashion can be pushed when the usual rules of red-carpet dressing are removed.
That is what makes the Met Gala different from almost every other major celebrity event. The photographs may last a few seconds online, but the best looks become part of fashion history.
As new themes arrive and another generation of designers and celebrities takes the famous Met steps, this list will continue to evolve. For now, these remain some of the most iconic Met Gala looks of all time.