Met Gala – The Legacy of Gowns and Iconic Fashion Moments

The first Monday in May isn’t just another date – it’s fashion’s Super Bowl, the Oscars of style and the single most high-drama night of red carpet history. The Met Gala is where fashion, art, celebrity and cultural commentary collide, under the glittering roof of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. But before we obsess over this year’s guests and gasp over the gowns, let’s rewind and look at how the Met Gala became the event that sets the bar for fashion spectacle – and then obliterates it.

The History of the Met Gala: From Society Supper to Red Carpet Royalty

Back in 1948, the Met Gala was just a simple fundraising dinner. Imagine: no themes, no dramatic trains, no cameras flashing outside the Met’s grand staircase. It was founded by Eleanor Lambert – the same fashion PR genius who created New York Fashion Week – as a benefit for the newly formed Costume Institute, which was created for the sole purpose of “encouraging the study of historic dress among American fashion designers.” It wasn’t until Diana Vreeland entered the picture in the 1970s that things began to shift. She introduced themed exhibitions and brought in designers and celebrities to mingle with high society. Still, it remained relatively private and niche…until Anna Wintour took the reins.

Anna Wintour: Architect of the Met’s Modern Mythology

Since 1995, Anna Wintour has transformed the Met Gala into an event that transcends fashion. She selected exclusivity like a fine art – controlling the guest list, approving designers and ensuring that each Gala became a conversation-starting, internet-breaking and culture-shifting moment. She fused fashion with Hollywood spectacle, bringing in blockbuster stars and introducing themes that encouraged both artistic interpretation and tabloid-worthy drama. She’s the reason the Met Gala became less about “who wore what” and more about “who understood the assignment.” Wintour doesn’t just run the Gala – she curates it and, in doing so, she’s made it fashion’s most influential night.

A Tour Through the Most Iconic Met Galas – and the Looks That Made History

Let’s take a moment – or several – to break down the years that truly left their mark and the fashion moments that still have us gasping.

2011: Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty

This Gala honoured the late genius Alexander McQueen, one of fashion’s most visionary – and volatile – designers. After his tragic passing in 2010, the Costume Institute mounted a retrospective that was both haunting and sublime. “Savage Beauty” wasn’t just a title – it was McQueen’s entire design ethos: the tension between the brutal and the beautiful, the historical and the futuristic, the tailored and the unhinged. The exhibition featured over 100 pieces from McQueen’s archives, showcasing his obsessions with Victorian Gothicism, nature, anatomy, Scottish nationalism and surrealism. From razor-sharp tailoring to wildly exaggerated silhouettes, it was a spectacle of emotion and technical brilliance. McQueen didn’t make clothes – he made narratives.

Each collection told a story, often with a dark undercurrent of death, rebirth and transformation. His work was rooted in history, but exploded into fantasy. And the 2011 Met Gala? It was a cathedral built in his name. The red carpet responded in kind – no safe gowns, no forgettable glamour. Celebrities and models took inspiration from his love of drama, precision, and otherworldliness.

Naomi Campbell (left) wore a white tassel gown, embellished with mesh cutouts and extravagant embroidery that showcased McQueen’s signature ethereal craftsmanship. With intricate beading and a fitted bodice that flowed into feathered textures, she looked like a warrior angel – haunting, yet heavenly. Taylor Swift (center) opted for a high-neck one-shouldered J. Mendel gown with lace cutouts and a sweeping train. The gothic-meets-Old-Hollywood vibe was perfectly in tune with McQueen’s dramatic and aristocratic legacy. Karolina Kurkova (right) stole the spotlight in a black and white Jean Paul Gaultier Couture number. Complete with a structured lace layered train, matching lace pants and a cinched waist, the ensemble evoked McQueen’s love of intricate details and theatrical tailoring. This was a look that screamed boldness.

2015: China: Through the Looking Glass

This theme was far more than just an homage to chinoiserie or surface-level oriental motifs – it was a high-stakes exploration of how Western fashion has interpreted, borrowed from and often misunderstood Chinese culture. Curated in collaboration with the Department of Asian Art at the Met, “China: Through the Looking Glass” examined the complicated relationship between East and West in the world of fashion. This exhibition was meant to push guests (and designers) to move past lazy stereotypes and dig into the richness of Chinese aesthetics with nuance, reverence, and imagination.

The exhibit was mesmerizing – a sprawling, cinematic experience that wove together ancient dynasties, Chinese cinema, imperial artistry and traditional craftsmanship with the work of designers like John Galliano, Paul Poiret, Guo Pei, and Jean Paul Gaultier. Silk robes, Ming porcelain motifs, lotus flowers, calligraphy, dragons and lacquer-reds were displayed in dreamy, atmospheric rooms, soundtracked by Chinese films and documentaries directed by the likes of Zhang Yimou, Chen Kaige, Ang Lee, Wong Kar Wai and more. It was one of the Met’s most ambitious installations – and the fashion world responded in full force. On the red carpet, the theme ignited a night of unapologetic opulence – a showcase of embroidery, gold leafing and silhouette play that nodded to dynastic glamour and contemporary couture.

Rihanna (center) shut down the carpet in an imperial yellow Guo Pei cape with a 16-foot train lined in intricate gold embroidery. It took nearly two years to make and weighed over 50 pounds. The regal fur trim and golden headdress completed a look that was less gown and more living monument. Amal Clooney (left) wore a custom John Galliano for Maison Margiela gown, which combined a structured crimson leather bodice with a sweeping silk taffeta skirt.

It was armour meets opulence, reflecting China’s imperial legacy through a punky couture lens. Imogen Poots (right) floated in a sheer black delicately embroidered Alberta Ferretti gown that embraced florals and nature motifs rooted in traditional Chinese art. Soft, flowing and romantic – it stood out as one of the more subtle, but still richly thematic, interpretations.

2018: Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination

The stakes were high and the fashion was even higher – this wasn’t just a Met Gala, it was a pilgrimage. “Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination” was one of the most visually opulent, controversial and intellectually ambitious themes the Met had ever dared to explore. It invited guests to interpret Catholicism not through dogma, but through divinity – celebrating the grandeur, symbolism and storytelling that have made Catholic iconography a deep well of inspiration for centuries of fashion. The exhibition spanned not only the Costume Institute, but also the Met’s Byzantine and medieval galleries and even the Cloisters located uptown in Washington Heights.

It included sacred garments on loan from the Vatican (some of which had never left the Apostolic Palace), alongside couture creations inspired by Catholic imagery – from crosses, halos and papal vestments to Madonna-style veils, stained glass motifs and celestial embroidery. It wasn’t just about religion; it was about the aesthetics of faith – the drama, the ritual and the divinely inspired design. The red carpet followed suit: it was pure religious spectacle, dripping in gold colour, sacred references and unapologetic grandeur.

Blake Lively (center) arrived like a modern-day messenger of heaven in custom Versace, a burgundy velvet gown with a bejewelled bodice that took over 600 hours to make. The sweeping train was embroidered with regal gold filigree and stained-glass-like patterns that mimicked the floor of a Gothic cathedral. Her golden spiked halo headpiece and Lorraine Schwartz jewels completed the celestial effect – she looked like a Renaissance painting come to life. Stella Maxwell (left) commanded attention in a floor-length, intricately beaded Moschino gown that was nothing short of divine. The look was a walking tapestry of Catholic iconography, with every inch adorned in dazzling embroidery and jewel-toned embellishments depicting sacred figures and classic religious motifs – a breathtaking fusion of grandiosity and reverence.

Ariana Grande (right) took a softer, more ethereal route, in a custom Vera Wang ball gown printed with Michelangelo’s “The Last Judgment” from the Sistine Chapel ceiling. The fabric billowed like clouds, and her tulle bow and high half-updo gave her an angelic glow, like a cherub with a Gen Z twist. She literally wore one of the most iconic religious artworks in history and still managed to make it feel delicate and wearable.

2019: Camp: Notes on Fashion

This theme lets fashion’s freak flag fly – and then some. Inspired by Susan Sontag’s legendary 1964 essay “Notes on ‘Camp’”. The essay explores a unique aesthetic that values exaggeration, artifice, and theatricality over seriousness or traditional beauty. Camp is all about loving things that are over-the-top, ironic, and stylishly “bad” – turning what might be considered tacky into something to be celebrated. Sontag describes Camp as a sensibility rooted in performance and play, often associated with queer culture and creative rebellion. The 2019 Met Gala wasn’t just about clothing; it was about commentary. It was excess. It was irony. It was artifice, parody, extravagance, and theatricality dialled up to absurdly fabulous levels.

Camp isn’t about taste – it’s about style so exaggerated it breaks the rules, mocks the rules and reinvents them all at once. And the red carpet? It was pure, unapologetic chaos – in the best, most rhinestone-covered way possible. The exhibition explored fashion’s most flamboyant moments, from drag culture and Louis XIV’s court to Moschino’s cartoonish couture and Mugler’s sci-fi sensuality. It asked viewers to consider: what happens when fashion stops taking itself so seriously? The answer: pink feathers, crystal catsuits, twelve-foot trains and outfits that looked like living sculptures.

Cardi B (left) went full fantasy Renaissance in custom Thom Browne, donning a crimson gown with a quilted, down-filled train that spiralled behind her like a blooming rose or a blood-red galaxy. The bodice featured moulded hips and a bejewelled chestplate that mimicked both armour and religious relics. Topped with a feathered cap and dripping in ruby detail, she looked like a high-fashion fertility goddess – campy, commanding and completely unforgettable. Lady Gaga (right), one of the evening’s co-chairs and the patron saint of camp, delivered a full-on performance piece. She arrived in a voluminous hot pink Brandon Maxwell gown – but that was just act one.

In true camp fashion, she shed layers like a matryoshka doll on the Met steps, revealing three more outfits underneath: a black ball gown, a hot pink sheath and, finally, black lingerie with fishnets and a sparkly wagon of champagne. It wasn’t a look – it was a moment. A parody of red carpet pageantry turned performance art. Kylie and Kendall Jenner (center) arrived as a matching mirage of Vegas showgirl fantasy, both in custom Versace. Kendall stunned in a fiery tangerine feathered look with a barely-there silhouette, while Kylie wore a lavender version with coordinating wig and crystal netting. Together, they looked like stepsisters in a very glamorous fever dream – over-the-top, glittering and ready to steal the spotlight.

2021: In America: A Lexicon of Fashion

This was a tricky theme – deceptively broad and ripe for misinterpretation – but, for those who embraced its depth, it was a masterclass in subversion, innovation and cultural storytelling. “In America: A Lexicon of Fashion” asked designers and guests to explore what American fashion truly means: not just denim and glamour, but identity, diversity, rebellion and reinvention. It wasn’t about waving flags or literal patriotism. It was about deconstructing Americana, reimagining national narratives and questioning who gets to define “American fashion” in the first place. Rather than a cohesive aesthetic, the carpet became a collage of interpretations – some campy, some subtle, and others brimming with symbolism.

Hunter Schafer (left) delivered one of the most arresting, futuristic looks of the night in custom Prada. Ditching the stars-and-stripes cliché entirely, she embodied alien-esque elegance with silver-toned latex, white contact lenses and an insect-like chest plate. Her look felt like a commentary on the future of American fashion – genderless, boundary-pushing and deeply artistic. Rosalía (right) honoured her Spanish roots while nodding to American pop culture in a dramatic Rick Owens flamenco-inspired ensemble. The fringed crimson train and sharply structured bodice felt like a visual collision of classic Latin tradition and high-concept grunge – a beautiful subversion of “American” as a monolith.

And of course, Kim Kardashian (center) made headlines in her now-infamous Balenciaga blackout ensemble. Cloaked from head to toe in jet-black fabric, including gloves, boots and a face covering, Kim redefined visibility on the red carpet. The faceless silhouette sparked endless debates as well as endless memes, with some viewers not too fond of the look tweeting quotes such as: “is kim k really going to the met gala as a dementor” and “THERE IS NO WAY KIM K IS WEARING THIS #MetGala”. Nevertheless, this look proved that Kim doesn’t even need to show her face to be recognized by all of America – she is just that famous.

2023: Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty

This year’s theme paid tribute to one of fashion’s most prolific and polarizing figures: Karl Lagerfeld. Known for his razor-sharp wit, omnipresent sunglasses and unmatched command of fashion houses, from Chanel to Fendi to Chloé, Lagerfeld’s legacy is as layered as the collections he created. The theme “Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty” explored both his artistic brilliance and the unmistakable visual codes that came to define his work. The carpet was a love letter to his design signatures, and guests dressed accordingly. The night was a monochrome dream – a parade of black-and-white palettes, nodding to Karl’s uniform and the timeless sophistication of his Chanel era. Pearls dripped from necklines, sleeves and veils. Camellia florals bloomed across gowns. and corsetry, tweed and razor-sharp tailoring made triumphant appearances.

Gigi Hadid (left) turned heads in a sheer black Givenchy gown, adorned with cascading tulle and intricate corsetry, paired with gloves and pearls – a sensual, gothic twist on Karl’s signature elegance. The look balances soft romanticism with structured severity, much like Lagerfeld himself. Erykah Badu (center) embraced maximalism in Marni, donning a feather-covered coat and a cascade of oversized necklaces. Her ensemble was less a literal tribute and more a surrealist homage to Karl’s love for texture, spectacle and unapologetic individuality. Olivia Rodrigo (right) used her moment on the Met steps to channel one of Lagerfeld’s most iconic muses: Audrey Hepburn.

She stunned in a breathtaking black-and-white floor-length gown, intricately embellished with delicate floral motifs. The look was completed with a dramatic, tassel-adorned train that cascaded behind her, blending classic Old Hollywood elegance with a modern, Lagerfeld-inspired edge.

2024: Sleeping Beauties – Reawakening Fashion

This year’s theme was a hauntingly poetic meditation on the fragility, ephemerality and enduring beauty of fashion. Titled “Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion”, the exhibit explored how garments from the past – often too delicate to be worn again – are preserved, studied and revered as cultural relics. It wasn’t just about nostalgia, it was about resurrection. The theme leaned into the romance of decay: the idea of garments as time capsules and the emotional potency of reviving pieces that are, in many ways, ghosts of fashion history. On the carpet, the mood was ethereal, otherworldly and deeply conceptual.

Think: sheer fabrics that hinted at age and wear, embroidery mimicking flora overtaking fabric and silhouettes that looked plucked from archival dreamscapes. Botanical motifs, phantom-like silhouettes and reinterpreted classics dominated – and the looks ranged from whimsically romantic to deliciously eerie.

Zendaya (left) delivered not one, but two theatrical looks. The first gown – a dramatic, feathered Maison Margiela gown that evoked a poisonous garden nymph, then followed by a second surprise gown, which featured an 18th-century bustle silhouette and an oversized floral headpiece. It was couture camp meets historical resurrection – exactly what the theme demanded. Lana Del Rey (center) was a vision of gothic romance in an extraordinary Alexander McQueen ensemble. Drawing direct inspiration from the natural world, her look featured a sculptural bodice with twisted tree branches arching like antlers around her head and a sheer veil. Draped in earth-toned tulle and rooted in rich symbolism, she embodied the spirit of a forest goddess guarding fashion’s sacred remains.

Anok Yai (right) brought celestial opulence to life in a crystallized Swarovski look that shimmered like morning dew on antique lace. The sheer, body-skimming gown gave the illusion of glistening skin, layered with a constellation of delicate embellishments that caught the light like magic. She looked like a resurrected couture deity walking among mortals.

2025: Superfine – Tailoring Black Style

This year’s theme is not just fashion – it’s a cultural conversation. “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style” will celebrate the art of precision, the tradition of Black tailoring and the roots of style movements, from the Harlem Renaissance to contemporary streetwear.

The exhibit – and the red carpet – will explore how Black designers, stylists and dressers have used tailoring to define identity, power and beauty. Expect tributes to legends like Dapper Dan, Patrick Kelly, Ozwald Boateng, and Virgil Abloh. Co-chaired by Colman Domingo, Lewis Hamilton, A$AP Rocky and Pharrell Williams, alongside honorary co-chair LeBron James, and with the ever-iconic Anna Wintour behind the scenes, this year is set to blend activism, artistry and flawless fits.

The Met Gala isn’t just about couture – it’s about culture. It’s a mirror of our obsessions, our fears and our aspirations. Every year, it reminds us that fashion can be sacred, silly, radical or just ridiculously beautiful. And in an era of fast everything, the Met is still a space where craftsmanship, storytelling and spectacle matter. So, whether you’re tuning in for the tailoring or the tea, just know – the steps of the Met never disappoint.