With the recent unveiling of the Met Gala 2021 exhibition dates, viewers are scoping the internet to search for their best outfits throughout the years. Especially with the theme this year, In America: A Lexicon of Fashion, people are revisiting some old trends to see any possibilities of repeats or even different takes on the same piece.
To make that job easy, I present to you the top 10 best Met Gala outfits worn throughout the years.
1. Cher and Bob Mackie -1974
Wore by the phenomenal singer Cher herself, this piece truly embodied the meaning of being naked without the actual act. The outfit was a total mesmerizer at the Met Gala as people couldn’t take their eyes off Cher and her sheer beaded gown with a white feathered skirt and sleeves. This outfit was one of the first ‘naked’ concept outfits worn during the time. Designed by her go-to designer Bob Mackie, she strutted down the red carpet with her designer in hand.
2. Naomi Campbell and Versace -1995
In 1995, the theme for the Met Gala was Haute Couture, and Naomi Campbell killed it with her gorgeous Shimmery White Versace Gown. The gown was a perfect fit for Naomi as it complimented her body. The piece was so glittery that the pictures, seem blinding. It was almost as if the dress was fitted, with millions of tiny diamonds.
3. Princess Diana and Christian Dior – 1996
In the following year, there was another outfit that caught the attention of everyone’s eyes. And that achievement goes to none other than the royal princess herself, Princess Diana. The dress was in an enchanting shade of navy blue, and the dress was a silk slip. The princess of wales looked elegant and majestic in her piece as she graced the Met Gala to celebrate Dior.
4. Iman and Stella McCartney -2011
While everyone was adorning dresses and flowy skirts, the Model took into her personality of taking risks and went all out with a statement gold jumpsuit piece. Designed by Stella McCartney, the dress was a strong statement with its gold sequins and belt-cinched waist. This piece was both fierce with its jumpsuit form but also sexy with its deep v neck. Iman even paired it with a bold lip and smoky-eyed look. She made this outfit one of the most talked-about outfits that night, landing it a place in the hall of fame.
5. Sarah Jessica Parker and Giles Deacon – 2013
The ‘Sex and the City’ Actress defined the meaning of the theme that year by rocking this gown by Giles Deacon. The theme was ‘Punk: Chaos to Couture ‘, which was perfectly nailed by Sarah. The actress wore a printed Giles Deacon gown with thigh-high Christian Louboutin boots. The dress was the epitome of the theme but, what made it stand out was a headpiece worn by Sarah. It was a golden mohawk-styled headpiece designed by Philip Treacy.
6. Beyoncé and Givenchy – 2015
This piece was definitely worth the wait. On the night of the Met Gala 2015, Beyoncé was so late that people were convinced of the singer being a no-show. But, they were shell-shocked on seeing Queen B’s Sheer ‘naked’ gown that almost stole the show that night. The dress was another one of the ‘naked’ concepts made by the fashion house of Givenchy. The dress was bejeweled throughout and paired with a stunning high ponytail.
7. Rihanna and Guo Pei – 2015
That night, though Beyoncé’s dress stole some looks, the real show winner or rather the real show-stealer was Rihanna, the queen of fashion herself. Being the most relatable to the theme, Rihanna truly stunned the entire crowd with her engrossing yellow gown with its majestic train. The theme being ‘China: Through the Looking Glass ‘, The singer-songwriter made the crowd stop and be amazed by her piece. For the theme, she chose a Chinese designer Guo Pei who designed a yellow fur-trimmed gown with tons of prints of scrolls. When asked about the dress, the designer replied how she wanted to convey China’s culture through the outfit.
8. Rihanna and Comme Des Garçons – 2017
The queen of fashion again stole the show during the 2017 Met Gala. People were really in Awe of this dress in particular that it was dubbed as the best Met Gala looks of Rihanna. Owing to the theme that year, entitled ‘Rei Kawakubo/Comme Des Garçons: The Art of in Between’ Rihanna decided to rock a piece from Comme Des Garçons from their fall line. It was a structural floral piece. Rihanna looked as though she was surrounded by flowers and that petals were the only material covering her body; the piece truly was a stunning masterpiece and stole the show that night.
9. Zendaya and Versace – 2018
Zendaya is famous everywhere for being a queen so imagine the fan’s surprise when Zendaya pulled up to the met gala with the Joan of Arc-inspired piece. The theme of the night was, Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination, and Zendaya took the meaning to the next level by dressing up as one of the most prominent catholicism icons – Saint Joan of Arc. She donned a two-pieced armor-themed outfit. Designed by Versace, it had an armored neck and shoulder piece with sparkling chainmail. Zendaya even made it more authentic by adding a bob wig.
10. Lady Gaga and Brandon Maxwell – 2019
Known for staying true to that year’s theme both on and off stage, the singer-songwriter went for the dramatic performance. What we thought was the final dress was a show starter revealing three other stunning looks. Giving us that classic Lady Gaga concert vibes. Owing to the theme Camp: Notes on Fashion, The first was a magnificent fuchsia pink gown with a 25-meter long train.
Lady Gaga arrived first for the Met Gala, to kick start things with her show. As dancers/ escorts accompanied her, they slowly stripped the gown and revealed the second look, which was a dark, vampy look with a corsetted black dress. And just we thought it was over. The singer continued to strip, revealing another Fuschia pink gown equipped with a handy black phone. And after calling for help, she finally unveiled a crystallized bra with her undergarments and posed for the photographers. Anna Wintour, in a recent video, stated that she had no idea about what the performance meant, and as she watched, she too was captured like everybody.
Whose Met Gala outfit are you waiting to see this year?
Edited by Anupama Roy
