Blake Lively, 2022
Blake Lively did a reveal for the Met Gala history books while walking the 2022 red carpet. A team unraveled her gown to reveal an equally stunning green ensemble hidden under her original copper look. The Versace dress is inspired by the Statue of Liberty and NYC.
Kim Kardashian, 2021
Kim Kardashian went faceless to the 2021 Met Gala, wearing a black bodysuit with a long split trail behind her. The custom outfit designed by Demna Gvasalia corresponded with Kim's Balenciaga BDSM-inspired looks she wore at the time. While she strayed away from the Met Gala's theme, her look definitely stood out from the rest.
Frank Ocean, 2021
Frank Ocean's Prada look took an unexpected turn with an unusual friend he brought to the 2021 Met Gala: baby Shrek. The "Chanel" singer sported his staple green-dyed hair to match with the baby he held in his arms the rest of the night. He wore a baseball cap with the phrase "DREAMCORE" over it, playing on the name of the animation studio DreamWorks.
When Keke Palmer asked what inspired the outfit at the gala, Frank explained that it was an homage to America and movie magic.
Hunter Schafer, 2021
Hunter Schafer's 2021 Met Gala look turned heads with her dystopian take at American history. Instead of paying homage to a historical figure, she paid tribute to Hollywood films that allow people to escape reality.
Her two-piece metallic look was designed by Prada and her makeup was done by Sandy Ganzer who helped the Euphoria star channel a sci-fi aesthetic with all white contacts. Close friend Evangeline AdaLioryn designed the spider-like face-piece on her forehead, which completed her futuristic ensemble.
Iman, 2021
Iman's bold Harris Reed and Dolce & Gabbana look incorporated feathers flowing from a petticoat cage and out from a large gown. Behind the sparse cage, her detailed golden pants. Vivienne Lake collaborated on the headpiece that spread out from her head and brought the look to life.
Man told Vogue it took 400 hours of "hand-tacking, hand-gluing, hand-embellishing, gold-leafing, finessing" to make the look possible.
Yara Shahidi, 2021
Yara Shahidi honored the activist and entertainer Josephine Baker in her 2021 Met Gala look by Dior. Her outfit included beading across the entire gown and long brown gloves, topped off with a diamond necklace and beaded cap.
She approached the gala's theme, "In America: A Lexicon of Fashion," by paying tribute to Josephine, an American-French entertainer who became the first Black woman to star in a major motion picture in the 1927 film Siren of the Tropics. She worked with the French Résistance forces during World War II and was an activist who refused to perform for segregated audiences during the civil rights movement.
Emma Chamberlain, 2021
Emma Chamberlain attended the 2021 Met Gala in a gold Louis Vuitton dress with an asymmetrical train. The YouTube star exclusively revealed to E! News that she was nervous to attend and meet Vogue's editor-in-chief Anna Wintour.
"She is such an iconic person in the fashion industry and I wanted to make a good impression," the 20-year-old influencer shared. "Unfortunately, I was a nervous wreck while talking to her and she definitely could tell. It's OK though."
Maluma, 2021
Maluma strolled up to the 2021 Met Gala in a red Versace leather outfit. He topped of the look with a bejeweled glove by ASLAN dedicated to his career and growth as a musical artist.
"We have this glove that says 'Papi Juancho.' That is the name of my album," he explained to E! News. "Then we have 'Maluma' over here, some stars. You know, it's like full of dreams. It's a handful of dreams."
Nikkie de Jagar, 2021
Nikkie de Jagar, known by her internet title NikkieTutorials, paid tribute to activist Marsha P. Johnson at the 2021 Met Gala. Her blue tulle Edwin Oudshoorn Couture dress featured floral accessories and floral crown that resembled that of Marsha's. At the bottom of the dress was a large ribbon that read "PAY IT NO MIND," Marsha's typical response to people questioning her gender. The self-identified drag queen and activist in the 1969 Stonewall riots also said the "P" initial stood for the iconic phrase.
Nikkie, who came out as transgender in January 2020, wrote in an Instagram post showcasing the look, "Marsha P. Johnson paved the way for so many of us, and I hope I made my community proud tonight. This night has been so incredibly surreal... I can't wait to tell you guys EVERYTHING!!!!!! WE DID IT GUYS!!!!!"
Chlöe and Halle Bailey, 2021
Chlöe and Halle Bailey attended their first Met Gala in 2021 together in Rodarte looks. Chlöe wore a white gown with a high slit while Halle wore a pink Tina Turner-inspired bodysuit with fringe details.
Billie Eilish, 2021
Billie Eilish channeled her inner Marilyn Monroe at her first-ever Met Gala in 2021, wearing a peachy gown by Oscar de la Renta. She brought out her "blonde bombshell" curls to complete the homage to the American actress.
Dan Levy, 2021
Dan Levy 2021 Met Gala look had map print covering the sleeves and slacks, white the front of the top showed two men kissing, embracing the beauty of gay love. The Schitt's Creek co-creator paid tribute to the late David Wojnarowcz, an American artist who died from AIDS in 1992, with his custom outfit by Loewe.
"He wanted to make a really declarative and proud statement about queer love," former Chief Content Editor for Teen Vogue Phillip Picardi explained to E! News, "which I'm absolutely in love with."
Normani, 2021
Normani's Valentino gown turned the "Fair" singer into a royal princess at the 2021 Met Gala thanks to its semi-metalic fabric.
Lil Nas X, 2021
Lil Nas X continuously transformed throughout the 2021 Met Gala, pulling back the layers of his royal look to reveal metallic armor and a sparkling body suit all designed by Versace.
Jared Leto, 2019
No matter how you felt about Jared Leto's 2019 Gucci look for the gala's "Camp: Notes on Fashion" theme, it certainly turned heads.
Kacey Musgraves, 2019
Kacey Musgraves was just a Barbie girl living in a Barbie world at the 2019 Met Gala. Not only did she dazzle in a pink Moschino number, but she also paired it with a hairdryer purse and rode in on a matching convertible.
Katy Perry, 2019
Perry lit up the night like a firework—or rather a sparkly chandelier—at the 2019 Met Gala. The singer arrived in an electrifying Moschino piece. And yes, the bulbs really did work.
Cardi B, 2019
For her 2019 Met Gala look, Cardi B wore a red Thom Browne gown. According to Vogue, the dress featured 30,000 feathers and took more than 2,000 hours to create. Her look also included 44-carat ruby nipple covers, the magazine continued, which were designed by Stefere Jewerly and cost $250,000 apiece. Money!
Billy Porter, 2019
Bow down to Billy Porter. The actor was carried into the 2019 Met Gala by six shirtless men and drew inspiration from Ancient Egypt with his ensemble by The Blonds. "This is going to be fierce y'all," he told Vogue before the big event. "I'm getting carried in by a bunch of hunky men. What better?....I never imagined I'd be able to live my Cleopatra dreams out."
Describing his look as a "sun god" to the magazine, Porter spread his wings before walking across the red carpet.
Zendaya, 2019
Zendaya's gorgeous Cinderella dress for the 2019 Met Gala was something out of a fairy-tale. Dressed in an ensemble inspired by the fairy godmother, her stylist Law Roach joined the actress on the red carpet. He then waved his magic wand, and Zendaya's Tommy Hilfiger dress lit up. Bibbidi bobbidi beautiful!
Lady Gaga, 2019
The no. 1 spot has to go to Mother Monster and her four amazing outfits at the 2019 Met Gala. In an interview with Glamour, designer Brandon Maxwell estimated it took 700 hours of handwork to make the look. As he told the magazine, "I don't think I could have done this moment with anyone else but her."
Madonna, 2018
Madonna embraced a church goth aesthetic at the 2018 Met Gala, fully committing to the theme, "Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination." Her Jean Paul Gaultier black gown incorporated a net veil and crown made of crucifixes. To top the look off, she carried black roses in her hand.
Not only did the "Queen of Pop" strut the red carpet, she also performed at the gala, taking the stage to sing "Like a Prayer," the song that outraged church leaders in the '80s, before transitioning into a cover of Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah." The performance—filled with dancing and stunning fashion—was absolutely divine.
Katy Perry, 2018
For the 2018 "Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination" theme, Katy Perry wore a gold Versace dress and giant angel wings. In fact, the wings were so big that she rode in on a vintage convertible with the top down.
Blake Lively, 2018
Spotted: Blake Lively and her Versace gown making jaws drop at the 2018 Met Gala. According to Vogue, Lively's beaded bodice took more than 600 hours to embroider, and her dress was so big (just look at that train) that she had to take a party bus to get there.