Rihanna, 2018
Rihanna, who was a co-chair of the 2018 Met Gala along with Amal Clooney and Donatella Versace, arrived at the Heavenly Bodies-themed event in a coat from Maison Margiela and a bishop's hat by Stephen Jones. As she told Vogue about the hand-beaded look, "It would be a sin not to wear it."
Kylie Jenner, 2017
Kylie Jenner arrived at the 2017 Met Gala in a naked Versace dress with embellished fans, jewels and beads. She also opted for a platinum bob wig to complete the look.
While at the big event, she broke the gala's "no selfie" rule alongside over a dozen other celebs at the Metropolitan Museum of Art for an iconic, star-studded bathroom selfie. A$AP Rocky, Sean "Diddy" Combs, Kendall Jenner, Kim Kardashian, Brie Larson, Frank Ocean and Ashton Sanders are just a few of the names to make the photo posted to her socials.
Surprisingly, her strut at the Met Gala could've looked completely different. In a preview of Life of Kylie at the time, she tried on another dress: a mermaid cage dress of the same nude colors that showed off a little more skin.
Halle Berry, 2017
Halle Berry made her Met Gala debut in 2017 with a bang, wearing a sheer black Atelier Versace jumpsuit with a statement train made of gold-rimmed shells of fabric. Her stylist Castillo Bataille paired the bold dress with a natural hair and makeup look.
Lupita Nyong'o, 2016
Lupita Nyong'o arrived to the 2016 Met Gala in a seafoam green, shimmering Calvin Klein dress with a metallic train that flowed behind her. And to top the look off, the Star Wars star sported an unforgettable hairstyle with stacked spheres of hair.
Taylor Swift, 2016
Taylor Swift was ahead of her Reputation era at the 2016 Met Gala, wearing a metallic, cut-out silver Louis Vuitton dress with black lace-up heels and Eva Fehren rings and earcuffs. The dress representing the gala's theme, "Manux X Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology," appeared to resemble scales—a texture that would soon dominate her attire the following year. To top off the look, Taylor sported platinum blonde, shoulder-length locks.
She attended the big event with her close friend Selena Gomez. The "Come and Get It" singer told Access Hollywood at the time, "We are going together! It's so fun. It's going to be the best. It like, kind of Prom fashion."
Beyonce and Jay Z, 2015
Beyoncé and Jay Z showed up fashionably late to the 2015 Met Gala, but although people were worried she'd never make the big event—including her stylist Kevin Ntoi—it was worth the wait. The "Crazy in Love" singer arrived in a glittery Riccardo Tisci for Givenchy gown made of nude mesh and multicolored jewels.
She posted her final looks to Instagram at the time, showing off her shift from wearing black gowns at previous galas to this more daring silhouette.
Rihanna, 2015
The singer and Fenty Beauty mogul stunned on the red carpet in this Guo Pei gown for the 2015 Met Gala. The theme of the gala was "China: Through the Looking Glass." And as Rihanna noted in a 2020 interview with Access, even fashion icons can get pre-show jitters.
"I remember being so scared to get out of that car because I felt like, ‘I'm doing too much,'" she recalled to the outlet. "I was driving past the red carpet, and I was just seeing, like, gowns, and I was like, 'Oh my god, like, I'm a clown. People are going to laugh at me. This is, like, too much.' I thought that. I circled, like, three times, I'm not even joking. And finally, I was like, ‘Whatever, let's go. Let's just go....' I don't regret it.'
The internet was buzzing over her incredible look. And while the gown also inspired a number of memes, Rihanna could laugh at those, too.
"The frying pan with the egg," she added, "legendary."
Sarah Jessica Parker, 2013
Sarah Jessica Parker channeled her inner punk princess for the 2013 Met Gala with the theme "Punk: Chaos to Couture." Her blush pink gown contained eccentric spots of gold and was paired with a headdress that imitated a mohawk with feathers shooting straight up.
Yet, what fans most remember about SJP's night was her being photobombed by Jennifer Lawrence. Following Jennifer's spontaneous smile and lunge, the two actresses were photographed laughing on the carpet.
Kate Moss, 2009
Kate Moss attended her first 2009 Met Gala in a shimmering gold Marc Jacobs design. For the theme, "The Model as Muse: Embodying Fashion," the British model channeled her inner goddess, pairing her gold dress with a hairpiece designed by milliner Stephen Jones.
Her 2009 appearance would marked the beginning of her Met Gala hiatus, which lasted nearly a decade before she returned to the gala in 2018.
Naomi Campbell, 1995
Dressed for the 1995 Met Gala theme, "Haute Couture," model Naomi Campbell sparkled in a silver, strapless dress with a center seam. Holding onto a simple black purse, Naomi was simply radiant.
Cher, 1974
If we could turn back time, we would want to revisit this iconic fashion moment. Cher attended the 1974 ball in a sheer Bob Mackie piece. The theme that year was "Romantic and Glamorous Hollywood Design."
"It looks like your skin's beaded," Cher told Vogue in a 2019 video. "So I think people were a little taken back."