From Rihanna's omelette cape to Cher's original naked dress, these are the Met Gala looks that rewrote fashion history.
Rihanna in Guo Pei (2015)
Rihanna's sweeping canary-yellow cape gown by Chinese couturier Guo Pei took two years to make and instantly became the most meme'd, most beloved Met look of the decade.
It proved a single look could define an entire Met Gala and launch a thousand pizza jokes.
Zendaya as Cinderella (2019)
Zendaya and stylist Law Roach staged a live fairy-tale moment, with a light-up Tommy Hilfiger ballgown that changed color as a 'fairy godmother' waved a wand on the carpet.
It turned the red carpet into theater and set a new bar for interactive fashion.
Lady Gaga's four-look reveal (2019)
For the Camp theme, Gaga peeled away four Brandon Maxwell outfits in a 16-minute performance, ending in sparkling lingerie. It was maximalism as performance art.
No one has ever understood a Met theme more literally, or more gloriously.
Blake Lively's color-changing gown (2022)
Lively's Atelier Versace gown shifted from copper to verdigris blue, echoing the patina of the Statue of Liberty, as she ascended the Met steps.
A masterclass in storytelling through a single, transforming garment.
Beyonce in sheer Givenchy (2015)
Beyonce closed the night in a barely-there beaded Givenchy gown, arriving last and owning the moment with characteristic precision.
Proof that arriving last and saying little can be the loudest statement of all.
Billy Porter's golden entrance (2019)
Carried in by six shirtless men on a litter, Porter arrived as a gilded sun god in The Blonds, redefining what a Met entrance could be.
It expanded the carpet's idea of glamour and put spectacle front and center.
Sarah Jessica Parker's Philip Treacy headpiece (2015)
SJP honored the China theme with a flame-like gold headpiece by Philip Treacy that towered above the crowd.
A reminder that the Met is as much about the accessory as the gown.
Kim Kardashian in Marilyn's dress (2022)
Kardashian wore the actual Jean Louis gown Marilyn Monroe sang Happy Birthday to JFK in, sparking debate about fashion, preservation and history.
It was the most talked-about, most controversial look in recent Met memory.
Zendaya's robot couture (2024)
Zendaya returned after a five-year break with two looks, including a moody Maison Margiela gown that reaffirmed her status as a modern Met icon.
It confirmed that a great comeback can be as memorable as a debut.
Cher's Bob Mackie naked dress (1974)
Decades before the naked dress trend, Cher arrived in a sheer, feathered Bob Mackie creation that scandalized and electrified in equal measure.
The original boundary-breaker that every modern Met moment owes a debt to.