The Met Gala is the place celebrities ascend to model icon standing. On the primary Monday in Could, celebs don’t simply stroll the purple carpet, they climb the steps of the Metropolitan Museum in assertion couture presenting their interpretation of the exhibition’s theme to your entire world. In contrast to an awards present or a premiere, the purpose isn’t to shine for a second—it’s to create a glance that resonates for many years. Regardless of the wealth of designer robes and bespoke fits, few accomplish that feat, however those that do earn themselves a spot in style historical past. The best hits—Rihanna’s papal stylish, Kate Moss’s golden turban, Sarah Jessica Parker’s tartan Alexander McQueen, Erykah Badu’s glittering high hat, Madonna in a hippie caftan—rank among the many greatest outfits ever to be worn. And their charms wouldn’t have been as compelling on one other night time.
The gala encourages the form of innovation hardly ever seen elsewhere. The Costume Institute’s trove of landmark runway creations serves as an inspiration for visitors, permitting them to tackle style at its most avant-garde. The place else will you see Cardi B. and a small military of assistants transfer a mountainous purple Thom Browne prepare throughout a pink carpet? Or watch awestruck as Girl Gaga and Brandon Maxwell take their magenta nesting doll ballgown to the streets, a lot to the delight of New Yorkers. A standout Met look might be performative (Amber Valletta going full baroque in 2004), subversive (Daphne Guinness in a plume of McQueen feathers in 2011), witty (Karolina Kurkova’s playful Viktor and Rolf in 2015, or referential (the Olsen twins and their yearly classic shock)—it simply can’t be boring.
The celebration in honor of the “About Time” present was canceled in 2020 as a result of COVID-19 disaster, however style’s largest night time returned in 2021 with a fete in honor of America: A Lexicon of Style. In 2022 the celebration continued with a celebration for the exhibition’s half two, In America: An Anthology of Style. In 2023, the Karl Lagerfeld-inspired theme noticed high-profile visitors akin to Rihanna, Nicole Kidman, and Anne Hathaway put forth supremely trendy tributes to the late designer. Final yr’s Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Style Met Gala noticed celebrities akin to Zendaya, Unhealthy Bunny, and Lana Del Rey land on the Finest Dressed checklist.
What appears can we anticipate to see at this yr’s Met Gala—themed Superfine: Tailoring Black Type with a “Tailor-made for You” gown code? These fashions can be stored below wraps till could 5, however contemplating the co-chairs are A$AP Rocky, Colman Domingo, Pharrell Williams, and Lewis Hamilton, you possibly can relaxation assured they will be definitely worth the wait.
In honor of the 2025 Met Gala, see 148 of essentially the most memorable, daring, and over-the-top Met outfits of all time beneath.
