The Most Memorable Met Gala Dresses of All Time

Typically, the first Monday in May marks the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute Gala (or, just plainly, the Met gala). It’s a seemingly never ending red-carpet parade of celebs—from fashion designers and Hollywood starlets to pop music icons and sports champs—who all come out to raise funds for the Costume Institute. In 2020, the event was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and this year the event was moved to September 13. 

So in preparation for the Met gala’s big return, let’s look back at the best Met gala dresses of all time, shall we?  After all, the style at this event is always so incredible that it’s known as the East Coast Oscars. Want proof? Just look back through the years, and you’ll find everyone from Beyoncé to Taylor Swift and even Madonna wearing some of the most incredible gowns. (Remember Rihanna’s stunning yellow Guo Pei? Or Claire Danes’s light-up Zac Posen?) 

Scroll on through to see the most memorable Met gala dresses of all time.