Most Iconic Met Gala Looks

The Met Gala is fashion's biggest night of nights, with the 2024 edition taking place on Monday, May 6.

This year's theme is "Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion," which will celebrate the Costume Institute's new exhibition of the same name. Actor Zendaya is co-chairing the event with Vogue editor Anna Wintour.

Before celebrities show off their impressive outfits for this year, Newsweek has taken a look at some of the most iconic Met Gala outfits that have graced the red carpet over the years.

Rihanna Wearing Guo Pei, 2015

A variety of Rihanna's outfits could be included in this list but one that stands out the most is her outfit for the 2015 Met Gala theme "China: Through the Looking Glass." For the event, the singer and businesswoman donned a canary yellow cape gown designed by Chinese couturier Guo Pei.

It took 20 months to make the embroidered fur-trimmed outfit, which weighed about 55 pounds and had a train that was three meters long. It quickly gained notoriety online, with many saying it was their favorite outfit from the event that year.

Blake Lively Wearing Atelier Versace, 2022

In 2022 Blake Lively wore an Atelier Versace gown inspired by the Statue of Liberty for the theme "In America: An Anthology of Fashion." On the night, the once bronze-colored dress changed to reveal a mint green color to show off the process of oxidation the statue has undergone.

Zendaya Wearing Versace, 2018

For 2018 the Met Gala theme was "Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination," for which Zendaya and stylist Law Roach channeled Joan of Arc with a chain mail outfit. The custom gown featured armor-like details and a slinky train and the look was finished with an auburn wig.

Kate Moss Wearing Marc Jacobs, 2009

For the theme of "The Model as Muse: Embodying Fashion" Kate Moss—who was the co-chair that year—wore Marc Jacobs, who was her date for the evening.

The gold metallic minidress had a matching head wrap and the outfit was finished off with custom YSL shoes. This is the perfect example of how a simple but well-executed outfit can do wonders.

Doutzen Kroes Wearing Zac Posen, 2010

For the theme "American Woman: Fashioning a National Identity" Doutzen Kroes, a Victoria's Secret Angel at the time, created Cinderella-inspired magic with the help of designer Zac Posen. The pastel blue gown with its heavily bodied tulle skirt is a timeless piece of fashion.

Beyoncé Wearing Givenchy, 2015

Just when everyone thought the 2015 Met Gala red carpet had finished, Beyoncé arrived fashionably late wearing a sheer Givenchy gown that featured strategically placed crystals.

Lady Gaga Wearing Brandon Maxwell, 2019

The pop superstar was co-chair of the event in 2019, where she arrived in a series of outfits from designer Brandon Maxwell. While walking the red carpet Lady Gaga disrobed one layer at a time to reveal four separate outfits. The 2019 theme was "Camp: Notes on Fashion" inspired by Susan Sontag's 1964 essay "Notes on Camp."

Rihanna Wearing Maison Margiela, 2018

It's impossible to not include Rihanna for a second time in this list, as she wowed viewers with her 2018 outfit. This year the theme was "Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination" and she went above and beyond.

The outfit was custom-made for the businesswoman and took 250 hours to sew and 500 hours to hand-embroider.

Emma Watson Wearing Calvin Klein, 2016

Emma Watson hit the 2016 theme "Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology" on its head with her gown made from recycled plastic bottles. She collaborated with Calvin Klein and Eco Age for the outfit.

Elizabeth Hurley Wearing Gianni Versace, 1995

Back in 1995, Elizabeth Hurley was considered one of the best-dressed stars at that year's Met Gala, then known as the Costume Institute Gala. The theme was simply "Haute Couture" and it was the first time that Wintour co-chaired the event.