The Met Gala is the biggest night of the year in fashion and last night’s event was no different.
Stars descended on the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York to celebrate the opening of the Costume Institute’s spring exhibition, which is called Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion, putting the spotlight on 250 extremely fragile and rare pieces.
The night’s official dress code was Garden of Time – which celebrities interpreted in a variety of ways…
1. Gigi Hadid
Model Gigi Hadid was one of the many celebrities wearing New York-based designer Thom Browne to this year’s Met Gala.
Her structural, corseted white gown featured black trim and 3D yellow rose detailing. According to Vogue, the skirt took 40 people over 8,500 hours to embroider, while 20 artisans spent 5,000 hours embroidering 2.8 million micro beads onto the dress.
“It’s always a privilege to watch Gigi come to life,” Browne told Vogue. “She is a true talent that shines at whatever she does. I wanted her look to embody the fragility and immense work that you see in Andrew [Bolton]’s exhibit, blooming on the carpet and into The Metropolitan Museum of Art.”
2. Sarah Jessica Parker
And Just Like That… star Sarah Jessica Parker chose British designer Richard Quinn for her ethereal Met Gala look.
A mainstay on the Met steps, Parker’s embellished midi-dress had a sheer, birdcage-style silhouette, with lace floral detailing throughout.
Parker told Vogue she was inspired by Quinn’s spring/summer 2024 collection, as well as Sargent and Fashion at the Tate Britain in London – an exhibition dedicated to American artist John Singer Sargent’s fashion paintings.
3. Lana Del Rey
Singer Lana Del Rey was one of the few stars wearing Alexander McQueen for the event, and was accompanied by the label’s new creative director, Irish designer Seán McGirr.
Her nude corseted dress was embellished with hand-embroidered sequinned branches. Del Rey wore a headpiece made up of real hawthorn branches, with swathes of see-through tulle covering her, and a red rose on her hand.
The outfit referenced a look from the autumn/winter 2006 Alexander McQueen collection, which had similar tulle around the model’s head, but was held up by ‘antlers’.
4. Josh O’Connor
Fresh off the Challengers press tour, Josh O’Connor wore a whimsical Loewe suit with a dramatic tailcoat and sparkling micro bow tie.
But the best part of his outfit were the shoes – textural floral boots that look very similar to a pair a model wore on the recent Loewe autumn/winter runway.
5. Kim Kardashian
Kim Kardashian is no stranger to making a splash at the Met – most notably at the 2022 event when she controversially donned an archival dress previously worn by Marilyn Monroe.
This year, the reality star wore a Maison Margiela by John Galliano gown with a silver corset cinching her waist, a floral see-through skirt and grey cardigan over the top. She left her icy blonde hair loose and her make-up relatively pared back.
6. Cardi B
Cardi B’s outfit was certainly dramatic – her Gothic gown surrounded her with layers of black tulle and a vertiginous turban – but it’s hard to tell how it was inspired by the theme of the night.
She chose up-and-coming designer Windowsen for her couture look, and her stylist Kollin Carter described her look as “the black rebellious rose”.
7. Dan Levy
Canadian actor Dan Levy wore one of the more experimental menswear looks of the night: a perfectly tailored Loewe suit with an austere black top half and a vibrant floral bottom.
It’s no surprise he chose Loewe – Levy currently stars in the brand’s advertising campaign, and wore the brand for his first Met Gala back in 2021.
8. Zendaya
Zendaya was one of the night’s co-chairs, so anticipation was high around what she would wear. She certainly brought drama to the event, wearing not one, but two outfits on the Met steps.
The first was a dramatic blue and green tulle gown with a sculptural headpiece by Maison Margiela, with embellishments nodding to the natural world. With a dark lip, thin eyebrows and a dramatic eye make-up, her beauty look nodded to Margiela’s electric couture show, which debuted to huge acclaim in January.
Her surprise second outfit was a nod to the other element of the exhibition. Zendaya wore a voluminous black dress from Givenchy’s spring/summer 1996 couture collection, paired with a floral bouquet as a headpiece.
9. Michael Shannon
While it might not have much to do with the theme, actor Michael Shannon had one of the most eye-catching accessories of the night.
He wore a simple black double-breasted suit, clutching what looked to be a yellow bag of potato chips – but on closer inspection, it was actually a cheeky leather handbag from Balenciaga.
According to the brand’s website, the bag is made of glossy calfskin and has a zip closure. The bag comes in three colours and while it’s currently sold out, it retails at £1,400.
