Met Gala: Best dresses of all time, from Rihanna to Lady Gaga
The Met Gala is the fashion industry’s Super Bowl, with everyone who is anyone donning their finest attire on that iconic red carpet.
The annual celebration marks the opening of New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art’s annual fashion exhibition, which in the past has celebrated everything from the impact of Chinese culture on Western style to the inimitable aesthetic of Comme des Garçons’ Rei Kawakubo.
This year’s event was supposed to take place on Monday 4 May, as it is traditionally held every year on the first Monday of May.
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However, in March it was announced that the spectacle had been postponed indefinitely due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The Met Gala is a sartorial showdown like no other, with the likes of Kate Moss, Rihanna, Naomi Campbell, Sarah Jessica Parker and Sienna Miller donning some of their most famous – and infamous – looks to mark the momentous occasion.
The celebrations began in 1948, when it was then called the Costume Institute Gala.
1/26 Diana Vreeland, 1981
The legendary former Vogue editor attends the Met Gala in a black polka dot gown.
Rex Features
2/26 Bianca Jagger, 1993
Celebrating the ‘Diana Vreeland: Immoderate Style’ exhibition.
Rex Features
3/26 Naomi Campbell, 1995
The model attended with Francesco Scavullo to celebrate the Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute’s ‘Teatre de la Mode’ exhibition.
Rex Features
4/26 Iman, 2003
The Somali-American model attended with husband David Bowie.
Rex Features
5/26 Nicole Kidman, 2003
The Australian actress wore Gucci to the Gala, which she attended with actor Adrien Brody.
Rex Features
6/26 Anna Wintour, 2003
The American Vogue editor arrived for the celebrations with Tom Ford.
Rex Features
7/26 Scarlett Johansson, 2004
The actress wore Calvin Klein.
Rex Features
8/26 Sarah Jessica Parker, 2006
The Sex and the City star attended with Alexander McQueen, wearing one of his iconic heritage check designs.
Rex Features
9/26 Elizabeth Hurley, 2006
The British actress wore Elie Saab couture.
Rex Features
10/26 Kate Bosworth, 2007
The actress wore Prada.
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11/26 Cameron Diaz, 2007
The actress wore Dior by John Galliano.
Rex Features
12/26 Victoria Beckham, 2008
The fashion designer opted for a vintage Giorgio Armani gown while David Beckham wore an Armani tuxedo.
Rex Features
13/26 Kate Hudson, 2009
The Hollywood actress wore Stella McCartney.
Rex Features
14/26 Kate Moss, 2009
The British icon attended with Marc Jacobs, donning one of his metallic designs.
Rex Features
15/26 Alexa Chung, 2010
The TV presenter and model wore an androgynous suit by Philip Lim.
Rex Features
16/26 Taylor Swift, 2010
The singer donned a sequinned white gown by Badgley Mischka.
Rex Features
17/26 Sienna Miller, 2010
The British actress attended with boyfriend at the time, Jude Law, wearing a navy Pucci gown.
Rex Features
18/26 Diane Kruger, 2010
The actress wore Calvin Klein.
Rex Features
19/26 Kendall Jenner, 2014
The reality TV star made her Met Gala debut in a bespoke Topshop gown.
Rex Features
20/26 Cara Delevingne, Rihanna, Stella McCartney, Kate Bosworth and Reese Witherspoon, 2014
The five beauties all wore gowns by Stella McCartney.
Rex Features
21/26 Miley Cyrus and Zoe Kravitz, 2015
For the opening of the China: Through the Looking Glass exhibition, which was the subject of the documentary The First Monday in May, the two US starlets both donned gowns by Alexander Wang.
Rex Features
22/26 Beyoncé, 2015
The singer sparkled in a sheer Givenchy gown.
Rex Features
23/26 Kim Kardashian West, 2015
Arriving with husband Kanye, the reality TV star wore a gown by Roberto Cavalli.
Rex Features
24/26 Lady Gaga, 2015
The ‘Joanne’ singer wore Balenciaga.
Rex Features
25/26 Gigi Hadid
The model wore a gown designed by Tommy Hilfiger.
Rex Features
26/26 Rihanna, 2017
The singer wore Comme des Garçons.
Rex Features
1/26 Diana Vreeland, 1981
The legendary former Vogue editor attends the Met Gala in a black polka dot gown.
Rex Features
2/26 Bianca Jagger, 1993
Celebrating the ‘Diana Vreeland: Immoderate Style’ exhibition.
Rex Features
3/26 Naomi Campbell, 1995
The model attended with Francesco Scavullo to celebrate the Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute’s ‘Teatre de la Mode’ exhibition.
Rex Features
4/26 Iman, 2003
The Somali-American model attended with husband David Bowie.
Rex Features
5/26 Nicole Kidman, 2003
The Australian actress wore Gucci to the Gala, which she attended with actor Adrien Brody.
Rex Features
6/26 Anna Wintour, 2003
The American Vogue editor arrived for the celebrations with Tom Ford.
Rex Features
7/26 Scarlett Johansson, 2004
The actress wore Calvin Klein.
Rex Features
8/26 Sarah Jessica Parker, 2006
The Sex and the City star attended with Alexander McQueen, wearing one of his iconic heritage check designs.
Rex Features
9/26 Elizabeth Hurley, 2006
The British actress wore Elie Saab couture.
Rex Features
10/26 Kate Bosworth, 2007
The actress wore Prada.
Rex Features
11/26 Cameron Diaz, 2007
The actress wore Dior by John Galliano.
Rex Features
12/26 Victoria Beckham, 2008
The fashion designer opted for a vintage Giorgio Armani gown while David Beckham wore an Armani tuxedo.
Rex Features
13/26 Kate Hudson, 2009
The Hollywood actress wore Stella McCartney.
Rex Features
14/26 Kate Moss, 2009
The British icon attended with Marc Jacobs, donning one of his metallic designs.
Rex Features
15/26 Alexa Chung, 2010
The TV presenter and model wore an androgynous suit by Philip Lim.
Rex Features
16/26 Taylor Swift, 2010
The singer donned a sequinned white gown by Badgley Mischka.
Rex Features
17/26 Sienna Miller, 2010
The British actress attended with boyfriend at the time, Jude Law, wearing a navy Pucci gown.
Rex Features
18/26 Diane Kruger, 2010
The actress wore Calvin Klein.
Rex Features
19/26 Kendall Jenner, 2014
The reality TV star made her Met Gala debut in a bespoke Topshop gown.
Rex Features
20/26 Cara Delevingne, Rihanna, Stella McCartney, Kate Bosworth and Reese Witherspoon, 2014
The five beauties all wore gowns by Stella McCartney.
Rex Features
21/26 Miley Cyrus and Zoe Kravitz, 2015
For the opening of the China: Through the Looking Glass exhibition, which was the subject of the documentary The First Monday in May, the two US starlets both donned gowns by Alexander Wang.
Rex Features
22/26 Beyoncé, 2015
The singer sparkled in a sheer Givenchy gown.
Rex Features
23/26 Kim Kardashian West, 2015
Arriving with husband Kanye, the reality TV star wore a gown by Roberto Cavalli.
Rex Features
24/26 Lady Gaga, 2015
The ‘Joanne’ singer wore Balenciaga.
Rex Features
25/26 Gigi Hadid
The model wore a gown designed by Tommy Hilfiger.
Rex Features
26/26 Rihanna, 2017
The singer wore Comme des Garçons.
Rex Features
We’ve rounded up some of the best Met Gala dresses of all time – which could arguably be an exhibition in and of itself.