MET GALA 2023

The Most Memorable Met Gala Looks of All Time, From Kate Moss to Kim Kardashian

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A collage of the best and most memorable Met Gala looks, from Rihanna, to Lily Rose Depp, to Beyonce
Collage by Ashley Peña

There are many Met Gala looks that we will never forget—Beyoncé in the original naked dress, Kim Kardashian in Thierry Mugler, basically every one of Rihanna’s appearances—but long before any of those women even attended the event for the first time, models, actresses, and socialites were making their mark on the iconic event. At this point, the Met Gala has been around for quite awhile, so it’s easy to forget some of the looks from 25-plus years ago that would have blown up on Twitter at the time if they had a chance. So, ahead of this year’s Gala, we’re looking back at all of the most memorable looks from Galas past, from Princess Diana in 1996 all the way to Blake Lively in 2022.

Princess Diana in Dior
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At the “Christian Dior” Met Gala in 1996.

Caroline Kennedy in Carolina Herrera
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With her husband, Ed Schlossberg, at the “Jacqueline Kennedy: The White House Years” Met Gala in 2001.

Lee Radziwell in Armani
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At the “Jacqueline Kennedy: The White House Years” Met Gala in 2001.

Iman in Calvin Klein
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With her husband, David Bowie, at the “Goddess: The Classical Mode” Met Gala in 2003.

Gisele Bündchen in Dolce & Gabbana
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At the “Goddess: The Classical Mode” Met Gala in 2003.

Linda Evangelista in Jean Paul Gaultier
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At the “Dangerous Liaisons: Fashion and Furniture in the 18th Century” Met Gala in 2004.

Karolina Kurkova in Viktor & Rolf
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At “The House of Chanel” Met Gala in 2005.

Alexander McQueen and Sarah Jessica Parker in Alexander McQueen
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At the “AngloMania: Tradition and Transgression in British Fashion” Met Gala in 2006.

Cate Blanchett in Balenciaga
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At the “Poiret: King of Fashion” Met Gala in 2007.

Amber Valletta in Atelier Versace
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At the “Superheroes: Fashion And Fantasy” Met Gala in 2008.

Christina Ricci in Givenchy
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At the “Superheroes: Fashion and Fantasy” Met Gala in 2008.

Kate Moss in Marc Jacobs With a Stephen Jones Turban
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At the “Model As Muse: Embodying Fashion” Met Gala in 2009.

Doutzen Kroes in Zan Posen
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At the “American Woman: Fashioning a National Identity” Met Gala in 2010.

Jennifer Lopez in Zuhair Murad
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At the “American Woman: Fashioning a National Identity” Met Gala in 2010.

Kirsten Dunst in Rodarte
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At the “American Woman: Fashioning a National Identity” Met Gala in 2010.

Beyoncé in Emilio Pucci
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At the “Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty” Met Gala in 2011.

Tom Brady & Gisele Büdchen in Alexander McQueen
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At the “Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty” in 2011.

Daphne Guiness in Alexander McQueen
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At the “Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty” Met Gala in 2011.

Miranda Kerr in Marchesa
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At the “Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty” Met Gala in 2011.

Florence Welch in Alexander McQueen
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At the “Schiaparelli and Prada: Impossible Conversations” Met Gala in 2012

Diane Kruger in Prada
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At the “Schiaparelli And Prada: Impossible Conversations” Met Gala in 2012

Chloë Sevigny in Miu Miu
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At the “Schiaparelli And Prada: Impossible Conversations” Met Gala in 2012.

Anne Hathaway in Valentino
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At the “PUNK: Chaos to Couture” Met Gala in 2013.

Sarah Jessica Parker in Giles Deacon With a Philip Treacy Headpiece
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At the Costume Institute Gala for the “PUNK: Chaos to Couture” Met Gala in 2013.

Ashley Olsen in Vintage Dior Haute Couture
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At the “PUNK: Chaos to Couture” Met Gala in 2013.

Dita Von Teese in Zac Posen
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At “Charles James: Beyond Fashion” Met Gala in 2014.

Lupita Nyong’o in Prada
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At “Charles James: Beyond Fashion” Met Gala in 2014.

Monica Bellucci in Dolce & Gabbana
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At “Charles James: Beyond Fashion” Met Gala in 2014.

Rihanna in Guo Pei
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At the “China: Through the Looking Glass” Met Gala in 2015.

Beyoncé in Givenchy
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At the “China: Through the Looking Glass” Met Gala in 2015.

Solange Knowles in Giles
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At the “China: Through The Looking Glass” Met Gala in 2015.

Kate Hudson in Michael Kors
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At the “China: Through The Looking Glass” Met Gala in 2015.

Anne Hathaway in Ralph Lauren
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At the “China: Through The Looking Glass” Met Gala in 2015.

Amal Clooney in Maison Margiela
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At the “China: Through The Looking Glass” Met Gala in 2015.

Claire Danes in Zac Posen
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At the “Manus x Machina: Fashion In An Age Of Technology” Met Gala in 2016.

Rihanna in Comme des Garçons
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At the “Rei Kawakubo/Comme des Garcons: Art Of The In-Between” Met Gala 2017.

Cara Delevigne in Chanel
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At the “Rei Kawakubo/Comme des Garcons: Art Of The In-Between” Met Gala 2017.

Jennifer Lopez in Valentino
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At the “Rei Kawakubo/Comme des Garcons: Art Of The In-Between” Met Gala 2017.

Zendaya in Versace
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At the “Heavenly Bodies: Fashion & The Catholic Imagination” Met Gala in 2018.

Rihanna in Maison Margiela
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At the “Heavenly Bodies: Fashion & The Catholic Imagination” Met Gala in 2018.

Blake Lively in Versace
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At the “Heavenly Bodies: Fashion & The Catholic Imagination” Met Gala in 2018.

Gigi Hadid in Versace
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At the “Heavenly Bodies: Fashion & The Catholic Imagination” Met Gala in 2018.

Ariana Grande in Vera Wang
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At the “Heavenly Bodies: Fashion & The Catholic Imagination” Met Gala in 2018.

Kim Kardashian in Thierry Mugler
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At the “Camp: Notes on Fashion” Met Gala in 2019.

Zendaya in Tommy Hilfiger
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At the “Camp: Notes on Fashion” Met Gala in 2019.

Cardi B in Thom Browne
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At the “Camp: Notes on Fashion” Met Gala in 2019.

Lady Gaga in Brandon Maxwell
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At the “Camp: Notes on Fashion” Met Gala in 2019.

Lily-Rose Depp in Vintage Chanel
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At the “Camp: Notes on Fashion” Met Gala in 2019.

Jared Leto in Gucci
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At the “Camp: Notes on Fashion” Met Gala in 2019.

Kim Kardashian in Balenciaga
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At the "In America: A Lexicon of Fashion" Met Gala in 2021.

Kaia Gerber in Oscar de la Renta
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At the "In America: A Lexicon of Fashion" Met Gala in 2021.

Iman in Harris Reed
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At the "In America: A Lexicon of Fashion" Met Gala in 2021.

Zoë Kravitz in Saint Laurent
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At the "In America: A Lexicon of Fashion" Met Gala in 2021.

Blake Lively in Atelier Versace
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At the “In America: An Anthology of Fashion” Met Gala in 2022.

Quannah Chasinghorse in Prabal Gurung With Jewelry by Antelope Women Designs.
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At the “In America: An Anthology of Fashion” Met Gala in 2022.

Lizzo in Thom Browne
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At the “In America: An Anthology of Fashion” Met Gala in 2022.

Emma Corrin in Miu Miu
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At the “In America: An Anthology of Fashion” Met Gala in 2022.

Rosalía in Givenchy
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At the “In America: An Anthology of Fashion” Met Gala in 2022.

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