Our favorite Met Gala Looks

Oct 29, 20218 min read

Updated: Dec 5, 2021

By Martyna Kisz

29/10/2021

The Met Gala 2021 is a fundraising benefit for the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, often known as "fashion's biggest night out." The Met ball, often known as the Met gala, is the fashion world's Oscars. It's an evening when designers, models, and Hollywood stars dress up in the year's most extravagant looks to celebrate and raise funds for a new exhibition from the Costume Institute of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The event attracts celebrities, young creatives, and industry leaders. It's the night when A-listers from the worlds of fashion, music, television, sports, and even politics arrive at the Met Museum dressed to impress. It's time to start showcasing the memorable designs as the guests celebrate this years theme, In America: A Lexicon Of Fashion, as stars and designers escape quarantine.

However, we can still draw inspiration from some of the Met Gala's most memorable fashion moments as we look to the future (preferably one free of coronavirus). During the years 2021 and 2022, the Costume Institute will organize its first two-part exhibition on the theme of American fashion. “In America: A Lexicon of Fashion,” part one, and “In America: An Anthology of Fashion,” part two. We've seen the unforgettable outfits since 1948, and it's still held on the first Monday of May every year, but it was different in 2021 due to the pandemic.

Because the event is so exclusive, while celebs are invited by Anna Wintour, it's very typical for a brand to host them and buy tables at the event for hundreds of thousands of dollars. The designers that dressed the stars may also be present. Despite the fact that the celebrities are so exclusive, we look forward to this event every year.

Our favorite Met Gala theme and looks were the outfits worn during the exhibition "Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination," which was full of drama and aimed to create a dialogue between fashion and the museum's masterworks of religious art. From Ariana Grande, who wore a dreamy Vera Wang gown in 2019, to Naomi Campbell, who wore a spectacular Versace gown at the 1995 Met Gala. We've selected all of our favorite Met Gala looks in this blog post to inspire you and look back on the creativity and work that the "fashion's biggest night out" has accumulated over the years.

Their outfits are created by the most famous designers sustainably, which can take many hours to sew by hand. Therefore the Met Gala creates a space for endless creativity for the designers and no space for fast fashion.

01 Blake Lively

Blake Lively's gown was designed by Versace, which took 600 hours to hand-create, it was an extravagant ruby and gold design with a lot of detailed and extensive beading. The look was a wonderful combination of the Met Gala's "Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination" theme and a hint of Game of Thrones. The dress had a jewel-encrusted gold corset at the top, and the gown's train, however, was a rich ruby crimson with two sheer panels and gold embroidering. Lively completed her already dramatic outfit with a spiky headdress.

02 Gigi Hadid

Gigi Hadid stunned in a Versace gown chosen for her by Donatella Versace, the designer and one of the 2018 Met Gala hosts. Gigi looked stunning on the red carpet in a one-shoulder gown with beaded crystal design that resembled a stained-glass window. Gold bobby pins, diamond earrings, and a simple box clutch completed her look.

03 SZA

With her blush pink Versace princess gown and matching glittery thigh-high stiletto boots, SZA took things in a heavenly direction. The singer-songwriter looked like a real angel, due to the garment's beautifully beaded bodice and matching glitzy thigh-high stiletto heels. A spectacular gold headdress with miniature stars extending toward the heavens completed her ensemble.

04 Emily Ratajkowski

Emrata wore a halter-necked custom Dundas dress with a full bodice cut-out, open back, and sheer silhouette, complete with a modest train, to the Met Gala. The gown glistened from head to toe, as did the wing headdress she wore with it, which had strands of crystals hanging from ear to ear. The bodice and the angel wing headpiece appeared to be inspired by Cher's distinctive styles from her days working with Bob Mackie on her red carpet and performance outfits.

05 Sarah Jessica Parker

Sarah Jessica Parker glammed up in a golden Dolce & Gabbana gown studded with precious stones, fully embracing the year's "Heavenly Bodies" theme. She also sported a relatively large Neapolitan nativity scene on her head. Not only did the exquisite hat have incredible craftsmanship and gems, but it also incorporated a real nativity scene.

06 Lily-Rose Depp

Lily-Rose Depp sported a Chanel Haute Couture dress decorated with flower-shaped gold brooches to the 2019 Met Gala in New York. The model/actress donned an antique Chanel piece from the early 1990s in a sleek black dress. Her over-the-top '90s appearance was really brought together by her makeup. Lily-Rose Depp's makeup was supposed to pay homage to the decade, according to Nina Park, the famous makeup artist who created her gorgeous look.

07 Zendaya

Zendaya channeled the armor of Saint Joan of Arc, one of Catholicism's most famous figures. The actress wore a short wig in the form of the classic bob worn by The Maid of Orléans. Zendaya featured a structural neck plate and shoulder guards that resembled a medieval knight's garb, as well as a large belt piece covered in sequins and tiny micro studs in her custom Versace outfit. A floor-length, full-sleeved semi-transparent gown was worn underneath. Remarkable metallic platforms and Tiffany & Co. jewelry kept the look consistent—the ideal mix of hard-edge and high-glam.

08 Zoë Kravitz and Channing Tatum

Zoë Kravitz went for a more, well, nude look. The lovely actress wore a halter chainmail dress with tiny YSL initials in the middle of each chainmail diamond, created completely of rhinestones. Kravitz wore a tight outfit with a matching rhinestone thong that left little to the imagination. Channing Tatum sported a Versace tuxedo for the event. The duo did not disappoint and looked incredible together, earning them a spot as one of our favorite couples of the year.

09 Nicola Anne Peltz

Nicola Anne Peltz, dressed in a complex sparkling pink gown with spaghetti straps and a short train, appeared to evoke Marilyn Monroe from Gentlemen Prefer Blondes on the red carpet. She completed the look with a pair of chandelier earrings and long blush evening gloves. Nicola's baby pink gloves completed her costume with a tasteful homage to the Met Gala's 2021 theme, with a look evocative of 1950s fashion.

10 Rihanna

Rihanna's image as the "Queen of Theme Dressing" began to take shape in 2015. Rihanna wore a yellow gown designed by Chinese designer Guo Pei, who said that "only women with the confidence of a queen could wear it." The exhibition that year was titled "China Through The Looking Glass," and Rihanna wore a yellow gown, which was definitely the star of the night, remembered till this day.

11 Ariana Grande

Ariana Grande looked stunning on the red carpet at the Met Gala, wearing a Vera Wang gown that was inspired by the Sistine Chapel. The gown is stunning: long and flowing, with Sistine Chapel patterns touched with water colors all over it. A white tulle veil covering her distinctive ponytail completed her jaw-dropping outfit. The veil has a lot of symbolism: when Catholic ladies enter the church, they commonly wear chapel veils on their heads.

12 Princess Diana

The Princess of Wales stole the spotlight and showcased one of her most breathtaking appearances three months after her divorce from Prince Charles at the 1996 gala honoring the legend of Christian Dior. Princess Diana wore a full-length Dior slip dress in navy blue with black lace detailing at the bust. She wore it with a huge pearl choker and it became one of her most famous fashion looks.

13 Cardi B

Cardi B wore an outfit inspired by the exhibit's subject, "Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination," to her first Met Gala. Her pregnant tummy was embraced by the beaded, bejeweled floor-length gown, which had long sleeves, a scoop neckline, and a slit up to her left hip. The dress was completed with a hugely fluffy cream-colored train linked by a matching beaded belt as a final touch. It took four weeks to create the Moschino look. Cardi completed the look with a three-day-to-make tri-point headdress adorned in pearls, rhinestones, and jewels, a stacked beaded choker, and pink smoky-eye makeup.

14 Naomi Campbell

Through her handmade bedazzled gown by the one and only Gianni Versace, Naomi Campbell celebrates her bold glamour. She undoubtedly blinded all of the guests with this outfit, which is totally covered in diamonds that reflect perfectly in paparazzi photos. Her look was completed with a pair of stunning silver heels that complemented the dress but didn't steal the show. Naomi's makeup is really glamorous, and it wonderfully completes the look.

15 Cher

Cher's outfit for the 1974 Met Gala is remarkable. The garment was designed by Bob Mackie and was fashioned of souffle, a French fabric that was illegal in the United States at the time. It was then sprayed down to adhere to Cher's body. It was dubbed the "Naked Dress" and generated quite a sensation in the news. Kim Kardashian referenced the look at the 2015 Met Gala with her Roberto Cavalli gown, and Dua Lipa recreated the look for a live performance in Paris in 2018.

16 Gigi Hadid

The theme 2019 Met Gala, "Camp," is very up to interpretation, Gigi Hadid went all out and channeled an ice queen. She wore a couture Michael Kors gown with a structured swirl of gold and silver that covered her completely. She donned a jacket over the suit that had the same colors as the outfit and reached all the way to the floor. Tinsel strewn around the garment gave it a feathery appearance. Her linear design continued to her footwear, and she wore translucent gloves on her hands.

17 Kendall Jenner

Many of the participants channeled modern America and praised old Hollywood style for this year's theme, "In America: A Lexicon of Fashion." Kendall Jenner was one of the guests who paid homage to Old Hollywood in a modern way. She channeled one of Audrey Hepburn's most famous character, Eliza Doolittle in My Fair Lady, in which she donned a glistening white dress by Hubert de Givenchy, a designer with whom she notably collaborated on multiple occasions throughout her career. Arriving in a translucent gown with a spectacular train and beautiful gems. The model wore a dress with a dramatic jewelled neckpiece and complex shoulder pads, both of which were clearly inspired by Hepburn's original look.

18 Bella Hadid

Bella Hadid wore a Chrome Hearts black gown with a sheer train and a gold cross necklace to the 2018 Met Gala. Her latex bodice gives her a majestic look with an edgy twist. She decided for a darker interpretation of the dress code, combining gothic patterns with dominatrix vibes. Bella's ensemble includes a gold-trimmed floor-length veil, a latex top, an arched leather jacket, and fingerless gloves.

19 Kim Kardashian

Kardashian dressed up as a soaking wet version of herself for the event, evoking her May Vogue cover. Thierry Mugler, who hasn't designed a collection since 2003, stepped out of retirement to create the latex beaded gown for her, which took an estimated eight months to complete. Kardashian told Vogue on the Met red carpet, "He envisioned me as this California girl stepping out of the ocean, wet, dripping."

20 Ezra Miller

Ezra Miller enlisted the help of Mimi Choi, a Vancouver-based makeup artist, to precisely build multiple sets of eyes on his face, producing an illusion. He used his handmade Burberry by Riccardo Tisci outfit to create an optical illusion, initially concealing his face behind a mask. Later, he appeared to have removed the cape and was photographed wearing a pinstriped suit with a train on it. The costume, with its accompanying diamonds and workmanship, was spectacular, but it was the sight hidden beneath Ezra's mask that ultimately stole the show.