When it comes to style spectating for fashion lovers, events like the Oscars and the Grammys are important, but the Met Gala is a different beast.
If you’re reading this story, chances are you’re familiar with fashion’s tentpole event, but if not, here’s a little backstory. The world-famous gala is a joint effort between Vogue Magazine and New York’s Metropolitan Museum, and had humble beginnings in the 1970s as a luxe charity event for the city’s elite to raise funds for the museum’s world-renowned Costume Institute. By the 2020s, the Met has taken on a completely different form—not just retaining its status as a fundraising ball for the upper echelons of society, but also a place where celebrities and designers can showcase their wildest, most whimsical outfits to benefit a good cause.
Of course, with any rule-breaking fashion moments, comes a side of controversy—and over the years, many stars have been embroiled in either intentional or unintentional drama resulting from their outfits, whether or not it was warranted.
Ahead of the 2024 ball, keep scrolling for every outfit in Met Gala history that’s come with a side of controversy.
1. Cher in Bob Mackie, 1974
Cher has made a career out of being ahead of the curve, and nailed the ethereal sheer dressing trend decades before it was popularized. For the 1974 Met Gala, she wore a gown by her long-time costume collaborator Bob Mackie, made of the then-outlawed soufflé fabric that was sprayed to fit her like a second skin. Though one can only imagine how stirring this dress would’ve been by 1974’s standards, it exemplifies Cher’s ability to create conversation through the clothes she wears, and push the envelope for experimenters to follow in her footsteps.
2. Princess Diana in Dior, 1996
While the Met Gala draws high-profile guests from all corners of celebrity, spotting a royal in attendance is a rarer occurrence. In 1996, Princess Diana famously attended and wore a deep-blue camisole dress with lace details—designed by a then-little-known John Galliano. In her later years, the Princess of Wales was known for her embrace of avant-garde designers and striking silhouettes, and this ensemble was no exception, working like catnip for photographers on the night.
3. Liv Tyler and Stella McCartney, 1999
The ‘Rock Style’ theme at the 1999 Met Gala left attendees wondering how to nail the brief, but for Liv Tyler and Stella McCartney—daughters of iconic rock stars Steven Tyler and Paul McCartney—it was light work. Of their custom ‘Rock Royalty’ T-shirts, which McCartney had printed the morning of the Met, the fashion designer said, “I didn’t come at it intentionally to be rebellious at all. I didn’t know what people wore.” She added, “In this day and age, people would really plan it and overthink it intentionally to get attention in the media. And we really didn’t, and that is what’s so lovely about it.”
4. Kim Kardashian in Jean Louis, 2022
There’s a reason Kim Kardashian’s dress from 2022 looks familiar: it was originally worn by Marilyn Monroe to sing ‘Happy Birthday’ to President John F. Kennedy in 1962, taken out of a museum on loan for the night. The dress was only on Kardashian for a handful of minutes; once inside the gala, she changed into a different outfit to prevent damaging the historic piece. Naturally, social media was alight with conversations about whether the dress should’ve been worn at all, but if there’s any outfit that exemplifies the Met Gala’s reputation as the ‘Fashion Olympics’, it’s this.
5. Taylor Swift in Louis Vuitton, 2016
The 2016 gala marked a new beginning for Taylor Swift’s style; the performer channeled her look on American Vogue’s then-newly released May 2016 cover with a peroxide-blonde chopped bob and Louis Vuitton mini dress. Fans were divided on the look, but the edgier vibe served Swift well—carrying over into her darker Reputation album, which was released in 2017.
6. Karlie Kloss in Dapper Dan x Gucci, 2019
Supermodel Karlie Kloss admitted to having no idea that her gold mini-dress for the 2019 Met Gala would cause a stir, as some deemed it unfit for the high-level glamour we usually expect from the Met. Earlier in the night, Kloss teased her look with a selfie with the caption “Looking camp right in the eye”—a tie-in to the theme, which has since reached meme infamy online. In a video posted later on her YouTube channel, Kloss said, “I could feel the [negative] reaction literally from when I walked onto the red carpet.”
7. Katy Perry in Versace, 2018
Always one to take the event’s theme to the next level, Katy Perry ruffled feathers (quite literally) with this angelic Versace number, which was so tall she could barely get through the door.
8. Kim Kardashian West in Vivienne Westwood, 2017
Though she’s known for bringing unmissable glamour to the Met, the boldest thing about Kim Kardashian’s 2017 Met Gala dress was its simplicity. Her Vivienne Westwood dress was worn without jewelry, as part of her sartorial response to being robbed at gunpoint in Paris in late 2016; it’s believed Kardashian was targeted for her displays of wealth on social media, including her Lorraine Schwartz engagement ring, which was taken by thieves. While the event was traumatic, Kardashian later recounted that the robbery was a transformative moment in her life, and that it made her “a different person”.
9. Kendall Jenner in La Perla, 2017
The allure of a sheer ‘naked’ dress has been utilized on the Met red carpet by everyone from Beyoncé to Bella Hadid, but Kendall Jenner took it to another level in this slinky, spellbinding custom number by lingerie brand La Perla, worn with matching Christian Louboutin pumps.
10. Madonna in Givenchy, 2016
Madonna’s Givenchy outfit at the 2016 Met Gala caused quite a stir with its daring design. The ensemble featured sheer black lace with strategically placed embellishments, leaving little to the imagination. The provocative look sparked debates about age-appropriateness and the boundaries of fashion, but Madonna, always a trendsetter, stood by her choice, stating that it was a statement of empowerment and rebellion against societal norms.
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