A Look Back at the Best Fashion Moments in Met Gala History

by Sarah Mariotti May 4, 2020

This article was originally published in May 2020 and has been updated.

Mention the first Monday in May to any fashion lover and they’ll immediately know what you’re talking about. Each year, the star-studded Met Gala takes place on this date, in partnership with The Costume Institute at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and brings with it some of the most incredible fashion looks we’ll see in the year. From larger-than-life ballgowns to radical suits, there’s no limit on self-expression on style.

Ahead of the 2023 Met Gala, we dove into the event’s archives to relive some of the Met ball’s most memorable fashion moments. Ahead, see more than 90 of the Met Gala best looks of all time.

Photography courtesy of Getty Images

Photography courtesy of Getty Images

Photography courtesy of Getty Images

Photography courtesy of Getty Images

Photo by Kevin Mazur/MG21/Getty Images for The Met Museum/Vogue

Photo by Getty Images

Photo by Taylor Hill/WireImage

Photo by Mike Coppola/Getty Images

Photo by Theo Wargo/Getty Images

Photo by Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for The Met Museum/Vogue

Photo by Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic

Photo by John Shearer/WireImage

Photo by Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for The Met Museum/Vogue

Photo by John Shearer/WireImage

Photo by Theo Wargo/Getty Images

Photo by Jennifer Graylock/PA Images/Getty

Photo by Kevin Mazur/MG19/Getty

Photo by Theo Wargo/WireImage/Getty

Photo by John Shearer/Getty

Photo by Kevin Tachman/MG19/Getty

Photo by Dia Dipasupil/FilmMagic/Getty

Photo by Jamie McCarthy/Getty

Photo by Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty

Photo by Jamie McCarthy/Getty

Photo by Rabbani and Solimene Photography/WireImage/Getty

Photo by Sean Zanni/Patrick McMullan/Getty

Photo by Rabbani and Solimene Photography/WireImage/Getty

Photo by Theo Wargo/Getty

Photo by Karwai Tang/Getty

Photo by Jamie McCarthy/Getty

Photo by Theo Wargo/Getty

Photo by Neilson Barnard/Getty

Photo by John Shearer/Getty

Photo by Jackson Lee/FilmMagic/Getty

Photo by John Shearer/Getty

Photo by Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty

Photo by Venturelli/FilmMagic/Getty

Photo by George Pimentel/WireImage/Getty

Photo by Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty

Photo by Taylor Hill/FilmMagic/Getty

Photo by Andrew H. Walker/Getty

Photo by Larry Busacca/Getty

Photo by Kevin Mazur/WireImage/Getty

Photography via Larry Busacca/Getty

Photography via Getty

Photography via Larry Busacca/Getty

Photo by Lars Niki/Corbis/Getty

Photo by BILLY FARRELL/Patrick McMullan/Getty

Photo by Billy Farrell/Patrick McMullan/Getty

Photography via Sylvain Gaboury/FilmMagic/Getty

Photo by Chance Yeh/Patrick McMullan/Getty

Photography via Evan Agostini/Getty

Photography via Gucci/Getty

Photography by Evan Agostini/Getty

Photo by Mari Sarai/Wireimage/Getty

Photo by Ron Galella/Ron Galella Collection/Getty

Photo by Mitchell Gerber/Corbis/Getty Images

Photography via Ron Galella, Ltd./Ron Galella Collection/Getty

Photography via Jim Smeal/Ron Galella Collection/Getty

Photography via Rose Hartman/Getty

Photography via Ron Galella, Ltd./Ron Galella Collection/Getty

Photo by Ron Galella/Ron Galella Collection/Getty

Photo by Rose Hartman/Getty

Photography via Ron Galella/Ron Galella Collection/Getty

Photo by Ron Galella, Ltd./Ron Galella Collection/Getty

Photo by Rose Hartman/Archive Photos/Getty

Photography via Ron Galella/Ron Galella Collection/Getty

Photo by Ron Galella/Ron Galella Collection/Getty

Photography via Ron Galella/Ron Galella Collection/Getty

1/93

2022 – Gilded Glamour

Cardi B in Atelier Versace

2/93

2022 – Gilded Glamour

Hailey Bieber in Saint Laurent

3/93

2022 – Gilded Glamour

Janelle Monáe in Ralph Lauren

4/93

45/93

2019 – Camp: Notes On Fashion

Harry Styles in Gucci and Alessandro Michele

46/93

2018 – Heavenly Bodies: Fashion & The Catholic Imagination

Katy Perry in custom Versace

47/93

2018 – Heavenly Bodies: Fashion & The Catholic Imagination

Lana del Rey in Gucci and Jared Leto in Gucci

48/93

2018 – Heavenly Bodies: Fashion & The Catholic Imagination

Rihanna in Maison Margiela

49/93

2018 – Heavenly Bodies: Fashion & The Catholic Imagination

Madonna in Jean Paul Gaultier

50/93

2018 – Heavenly Bodies: Fashion & The Catholic Imagination

Jasmine Sanders in custom H&M

51/93

2018 – Heavenly Bodies: Fashion & The Catholic Imagination

Cynthia Erivo in custom Valentino

52/93

2017 – Rei Kawakubo/Comme des Garcons: Art Of The In-Between

Ashley Graham in custom H&M

53/93

2017 – Rei Kawakubo/Comme des Garcons: Art Of The In-Between

Blake Lively in Atelier Versace and Ryan Reynolds

54/93

2017 – Rei Kawakubo/Comme des Garcons: Art Of The In-Between

Zendaya in Dolce & Gabbana

55/93

2017 – Rei Kawakubo/Comme des Garcons: Art Of The In-Between

Cara Delevingne in Chanel

56/93

2016 – Manus x Machina: Fashion In An Age Of Technology

Lupita Nyong’o in Calvin Klein

57/93

2016 – Manus x Machina: Fashion In An Age Of Technology

Florence Welch in Gucci

58/93

2016 – Manus x Machina: Fashion In An Age Of Technology

Kanye West in Balmain (jacket) and Fear Of God (jeans)

59/93

2015 – China: Through The Looking Glass

Grace Coddington

60/93

2015 – China: Through The Looking Glass

Kim Kardashian West in Roberto Cavalli

61/93

2015 – China: Through The Looking Glass

Beyoncé in custom Givenchy

62/93

2015 – China: Through The Looking Glass

Rihanna in Guo Pei

63/93

2015 – China: Through The Looking Glass

Katy Perry in Moschino

64/93

2014 – Charles James: Beyond Fashion

Lupita Nyong’o in Prada

65/93

2014 – Charles James: Beyond Fashion

Mary-Kate Olsen in vintage Chanel and Ashley Olsen in vintage Gianfranco Ferré

66/93

2013 – PUNK: Chaos To Couture

Kerry Washington

67/93

2012 – Schiaparelli And Prada: Impossible Conversations

Karolina Kurkova

68/93

2011 – Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty

Beyoncé in Emilio Pucci

69/93

2011 – Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty

Blake Lively

70/93

2011 – Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty

Naomi Campbell in Alexander McQueen

71/93

2010 – American Woman: Fashioning A National Identity

Jessica Alba in Sophie Theallet for Gap

72/93

2008 – Superheroes: Fashion and Fantasy

Anna Wintour in Chanel

73/93

2007 – Poiret: King of Fashion

Jennifer Lopez

74/93

2006 – AngloMania: Tradition and Transgression in British Fashion

Victoria Beckham in Roland Mouret

75/93

2005 – The House of Chanelves

Rolf Snoeren, Karolina Kurkova in Chanel, Viktor Horsting

76/93

2004 – Dangerous Liaisons: Fashion And Furniture In The 18th Century

Scarlett Johansson in Calvin Klein

77/93

2003 – Goddess: The Classical Mode

David Bowie and Iman

78/93

1999 – Rock Style

John Galliano

79/93

1999 – Charlize Theron

Charlize Theron

80/93

1999 – Rock Style

Whitney Houston in Dolce & Gabbana and Bobby Brown

81/93

1997 – Gianni Versace

Iman and Ferré Gianfranco

82/93

1997 – Gianni Versace

John Galliano

83/93

1997 – Gianni Versace

Salma Hayek in Versace

84/93

1996 – Christian Dior

Donatella Versace and Gianni Versace

85/93

1995 – Haute Couture

Naomi Campbell

86/93

1994 – Orientalism: Visions of the East in Western Dress

Iris Love

87/93

1990 – Théâtre de la Mode: Fashion Dolls: The Survival of Haute Couture

Naomi Campbell and Francesco Scavullo

88/93

1985 Costumes of Royal India

Cher and Bob Mackie

89/93

1981 – The 18th Century Woman

Diana Ross

90/93

1981 – The Eighteenth Century Woman

Calvin Klein and Iman

91/93

1979 – Fashions of The Hapsburg Era

Jackie Onassis

92/93

1974 – Romantic and Glamorous Hollywood Design

Anthony Perkins, Berry Berenson and Marisa Berenson

93/93

1974 – Romantic and Glamorous Hollywood Design

Cher in Bob Mackie

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