Having a Ball
You would think that a Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute Gala Benefit celebrating the exhibition “Charles James: Beyond Fashion,” where the dress code was “White Tie and Decorations” would elicit a pretty straight-forward lineup of ball gowns and tails. You would be wrong. At this year’s event, held Monday night, and sponsored by Aerin and Chaired by Aerin Lauder, with co-chairs Bradley Cooper, Oscar de la Renta, Sarah Jessica Parker, Lizzie and Jonathan Tisch and Anna Wintour, evening attire was open to interpretation. Sure, there were plenty of classic looks, like Taylor Swift’s Oscar de la Renta concoction or Sarah Silverman’s burgundy Zac Posen. But for every long train and full skirt, there was also a sheer bra-revealing number (see Stacy Martin in Miu Miu), a sequined red draped number (Elettra Wiedemann and Laetitia Casta in Adam Lippes and Givenchy Haute Couture, respectively) and even a gold bejeweled tunic and matching pants (Brie Larson in Prada). Would you have it any other way? Flip through our slideshow for more looks from the evening.
David Beckham and Victoria Beckham.
Photo by Sherly Rabbani and Josephine Solimene
Karolina Kurkova in Marchesa.
Photo by Sherly Rabbani and Josephine Solimene
Jay Z and Beyonce in Givenchy at the 2014 Met Ball.
Photo by Sherly Rabbani and Josephine Solimene.
Karen Elson in Zac Posen.
Photo by Sherly Rabbani and Josephine Solimene
Zoe Saldana in Michael Kors.
Photo by Sherly Rabbani and Josephine Solimene
Rosamund Pike in Louis Vuitton.
Photo by Sherly Rabbani and Josephine Solimene
Kim Kardashian in Lanvin and Kanye West.
Photo by Sherly Rabbani and Josephine Solimene
Kendall Jenner in Topshop.
Photo by Sherly Rabbani and Josephine Solimene
Sarah Jessica Parker in Oscar de la Renta.
Photo by Sherly Rabbani and Josephine Solimene
Giovanna Battaglia in Dolce & Gabbana.
Photo by Sherly Rabbani and Josephine Solimene
Cara Delevingne and Stella McCartney in Stella McCartney.
Photo by Sherly Rabbani and Josephine Solimene
Lupita Nyong’o in Prada.
Photo by Sherly Rabbani and Josephine Solimene
Rachel McAdams in Ralph Lauren.
Photo by Sherly Rabbani and Josephine Solimene
Stella Tennant in Burberry.
Photo by Sherly Rabbani and Josephine Solimene
Rosie Huntington Whiteley in Balmain.
Photo by Sherly Rabbani and Josephine Solimene
Zoe Kravitz in Topshop.
Photo by Sherly Rabbani and Josephine Solimene
Johnny Depp and Amber Heard in Giambattista Valli.
Photo by Sherly Rabbani and Josephine Solimene
Brie Larson in Prada.
Photo by Sherly Rabbani and Josephine Solimene
Cara Delevingne, Rihanna, Kate Bosworth, and Reese Witherspoon in Stella McCartney.
Photo by Sherly Rabbani and Josephine Solimene
Erykah Badu in Givenchy.
Photo by Sherly Rabbani and Josephine Solimene
Kate Bosworth in Stella McCartney.
Photo by Sherly Rabbani and Josephine Solimene
Aerin Lauder in Oscar de la Renta.
Photo by Sherly Rabbani and Josephine Solimene
Florence Welch in Valentino.
Photo by Sherly Rabbani and Josephine Solimene
Diane Kruger in Jason Wu and Joshua Jackson.
Photo by Sherly Rabbani and Josephine Solimene
Dree Hemingway in Proenza Schouler.
Photo by Sherly Rabbani and Josephine Solimene
Emma Stone in Thakoon and Andrew Garfield.
Photo by Sherly Rabbani and Josephine Solimene
Anna Wintour in Chanel.
Photo by Sherly Rabbani and Josephine Solimene
Suki Waterhouse in Burberry.
Photo by Sherly Rabbani and Josephine Solimene
Stacy Martin in Miu Miu.
Photo by Sherly Rabbani and Josephine Solimene
Charlize Theron in Dior Haute Couture and Sean Penn.
Photo by Sherly Rabbani and Josephine Solimene
Selena Gomez in Diane von Furstenberg.
Photo by Sherly Rabbani and Josephine Solimene
Lake Bell in Tommy Hilfiger.
Photo by Sherly Rabbani and Josephine Solimene
Joan Smalls in Vera Wang.
Photo by Sherly Rabbani and Josephine Solimene
Kristen Stewart in Chanel.
Photo by Sherly Rabbani and Josephine Solimene
Anne Hathaway in Calvin Klein and Francisco Costa.
Photo by Sherly Rabbani and Josephine Solimene
Lena Dunham in Giambattista Valli Couture.
Photo by Sherly Rabbani and Josephine Solimene
Lily Allen in Chanel.
Photo by Sherly Rabbani and Josephine Solimene
Shailene Woodley and Kirsten Dunst in Rodarte.
Photo by Sherly Rabbani and Josephine Solimene
Laetitia Casta in Givenchy Couture.
Photo by Sherly Rabbani and Josephine Solimene
Blake Lively in Gucci and Ryan Reynolds.
Photo by Sherly Rabbani and Josephine Solimene
Amy Adams in Oscar de la Renta.
Photo by Sherly Rabbani and Josephine Solimene
Gisele Bundchen in Balenciaga and Tom Brady.
Photo by Sherly Rabbani and Josephine Solimene
Gugu Mbatha-Raw in Lanvin.
Photo by Sherly Rabbani and Josephine Solimene
Ashley and Mary Kate Olsen.
Photo by Sherly Rabbani and Josephine Solimene
Arizona Muse in Ralph & Russo.
Photo by Sherly Rabbani and Josephine Solimene
Taylor Swift in Oscar de la Renta.
Photo by Sherly Rabbani and Josephine Solimene
Georgia May Jagger in Thierry Mugler.
Photo by Sherly Rabbani and Josephine Solimene
Rita Ora in Donna Karan Atelier.
Photo by Sherly Rabbani and Josephine Solimene
Michelle Williams in Louis Vuitton.
Photo by Sherly Rabbani and Josephine Solimene
Naomi Campbell in Givenchy and Riccardo Tisci.
Photo by Sherly Rabbani and Josephine Solimene
Karlie Kloss in Oscar de la Renta.
Photo by Sherly Rabbani and Josephine Solimene
Sarah Silverman in Zac Posen and Michael Sheen.
Photo by Sherly Rabbani and Josephine Solimene
Naomi Watts in Givenchy Haute Couture and Isabelle Huppert.
Photo by Sherly Rabbani and Josephine Solimene
Hailee Steinfeld in Prabal Gurung.
Photo by Sherly Rabbani and Josephine Solimene
A$AP Rocky and Chanel Iman in Topshop.
Photo by Sherly Rabbani and Josephine Solimene
Katie Holmes, Karen Craig, Georgina Chapman, and Kylie Minogue in Marchesa.
Photo by Sherly Rabbani and Josephine Solimene
Bradley Cooper.
Photo by Sherly Rabbani and Josephine Solimene
Amber Valetta in Saint Laurent.
Photo by Sherly Rabbani and Josephine Solimene
Georgina Bloomberg, Mayor Michael Bloomberg, and Diana Taylor.
Photo by Sherly Rabbani and Josephine Solimene
Alexa Chung in Nina Ricci.
Photo by Sherly Rabbani and Josephine Solimene
Bryan Cranston and Robin Dearden.
Photo by Sherly Rabbani and Josephine Solimene
Imogen Poots in Proenza Schouler.
Photo by Sherly Rabbani and Josephine Solimene
Tabitha Simmons in Dolce & Gabbana.
Photo by Sherly Rabbani and Josephine Solimene
Calvin Klein and Donna Karan.
Photo by Sherly Rabbani and Josephine Solimene
Lily Aldridge in Michael Kors.
Photo by Sherly Rabbani and Josephine Solimene
Jessica Lange and Marc Jacobs.
Photo by Sherly Rabbani and Josephine Solimene
Leighton Meester in Emilio Pucci.
Photo by Sherly Rabbani and Josephine Solimene
Olivier Theyskens and Felicity Jones in Theyskens’ Theory.
Photo by Sherly Rabbani and Josephine Solimene
Nicole Richie in Donna Karan Atelier.
Photo by Sherly Rabbani and Josephine Solimene
Kendall Jenner, Chanel Iman, Jourdan Dunn, and Toni Garrn.
Photo by Sherly Rabbani and Josephine Solimene
Humberto Leon, Chloe Sevigny, and Carol Lim in Kenzo.
Photo by Sherly Rabbani and Josephine Solimene
Jason Wu and Dakota Johnson.
Photo by Sherly Rabbani and Josephine Solimene
Kate Mara in Valentino.
Photo by Sherly Rabbani and Josephine Solimene
Allegra and Donatella Versace.
Photo by Sherly Rabbani and Josephine Solimene
James Marshall and Elettra Wiedemann in Adam Lippes.
Photo by Sherly Rabbani and Josephine Solimene
Gabrielle Union in Prada.
Photo by Sherly Rabbani and Josephine Solimene
Solange Knowles in 3.1 Phillip Lim.
Photo by Sherly Rabbani and Josephine Solimene
Janelle Monae in Tadashi Shoji.
Photo by Sherly Rabbani and Josephine Solimene
Dianna Agron in Miu Miu.
Photo by Sherly Rabbani and Josephine Solimene
Elizabeth Olsen in Miu Miu.
Photo by Sherly Rabbani and Josephine Solimene
Kate Upton in Dolce & Gabbana.
Photo by Sherly Rabbani and Josephine Solimene
Jessica Alba in Diane von Furstenberg.
Photo by Sherly Rabbani and Josephine Solimene
Ivanka Trump in Oscar de la Renta.
Photo by Sherly Rabbani and Josephine Solimene
Kristin Wiig in Balenciaga and Alexander Wang.
Photo by Sherly Rabbani and Josephine Solimene
Monica Belucci and Roberto Bolle.
Photo by Sherly Rabbani and Josephine Solimene
Margot Robbie in Prada.
Photo by Sherly Rabbani and Josephine Solimene
Tory Burch.
Photo by Sherly Rabbani and Josephine Solimene
Zooey Deschanel in Tommy Hilfiger.
Photo by Sherly Rabbani and Josephine Solimene
Julie Macklowe.
Photo by Sherly Rabbani and Josephine Solimene
Eliza Reed Bolen.
Photo by Sherly Rabbani and Josephine Solimene
Lea Michele in Altuzarra.
Photo by Sherly Rabbani and Josephine Solimene
Tamara Mellon.
Photo by Sherly Rabbani and Josephine Solimene
Joy Bryant in Marchesa.
Photo by Sherly Rabbani and Josephine Solimene
Allison Williams in Oscar de la Renta.
Photo by Sherly Rabbani and Josephine Solimene
Neil Patrick Harris and David Burtka.
Photo by Sherly Rabbani and Josephine Solimene
Riley Keough in Louis Vuitton.
Photo by Sherly Rabbani and Josephine Solimene
Anna Kendrick in J. Mendel.
Photo by Sherly Rabbani and Josephine Solimene
Bee Schaffer in Alexander McQueen.
Photo by Sherly Rabbani and Josephine Solimene
Dita Von Teese and Zac Posen.
Photo by Sherly Rabbani and Josephine Solimene
Hannah Bagshawe and Eddie Redmayne.
Photo by Sherly Rabbani and Josephine Solimene
Idina Menzel in Donna Karan Atelier.
Photo by Sherly Rabbani and Josephine Solimene
Maggie Gyllenhaal in Valentino.
Photo by Sherly Rabbani and Josephine Solimene
Emmy Rossum in Carolina Herrera.
Photo by Sherly Rabbani and Josephine Solimene