30 of The Best Met Gala Looks of All Time: From Kate Moss to Rihanna

Rihanna wearing Maison Margiela at the "Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination" gala in 2018. (Credit: Angela Weiss/AFP via Getty Images)

We're just days away from the 2024 Met Gala, and anticipation is at an all time high. Celebrities are catching flights. Designers are doing final fittings. Social media memes are bound to dominate our timelines. Unofficial fashion critics are preparing to judge each look from their beds (myself included). Amidst all the buzz, we'd be remiss not to acknowledge the many iconic moments that the First Monday in May has given the world. There's a long list of unforgettable moments including the Stephen Jones turban that Kate Moss wore with a Marc Jacobs minidress for 2009's "Model As Muse: Embodying Fashion." Beyonce's instant shutdown of the red carpet in the original Givenchy naked dress in 2015. And let's not forget the controversy of Kim Kardashian's 2022 look — when the Skims founder appeared in the Jean Louis dress Marilyn Monroe wore during her performance at President John F. Kennedy's birthday in 1962.

While we impatiently wait for more meme-worthy and history-making outfits from this year, take a look back at the most memorable moments from Galas past, from Princess Diana's not so LBD in 1992 to Anne Hathaway's safety-pin Versace dress in 2023.

Princess Diana in Dior

Lady Di with close friend, Liz Tilberis at the Met Gala in 1996. (Credit: John Stillwell/AFP via Getty Images)

Caroline Kennedy in Carolina Herrera

Caroline Kennedy and husband Edwin Schlossberg at the 2001 Met Gala celebrating “Jacqueline Kennedy: The White House Years." (Credit: George De Sota/Newsmakers via Getty Images)

Gisele Bünchden in Dolce & Gabbana

Gisele Bündchen at the "Goddess" themed Costume Institute Benefit Gala in 2003. (Credit: Mark Mainz/Getty Images)

Iman in Calvin Klein

Iman and David Bowie at the “Goddess: The Classical Mode” Met Gala in 2003. (Credit: Evan Agostini/Getty Images)

Linda Evangelista in Jean Paul Gaultier

Linda Evangelista at 2004's "Dangerous Liaisons: Fashion and Furniture in the 18th Century" Gala. (Credit: Evan Agostini/Getty Images)

Cate Blanchett in Balenciaga

Cate Blanchett at 2007's "Poiret: King Of Fashion" Gala. (Credit: Evan Agostini/Getty Images)

Christy Turlington

Christy Turlington at the 2007 Met Gala. (Credit: Evan Agostini/Getty Images)

Kate Moss in Marc Jacobs

Marc Jacobs and Kate Moss at the "The Model as Muse: Embodying Fashion" Gala in 2009. (Credit: Stephen Lovekin/Getty Images)

Sarah Jessica Parker in Giles Deacon and Philip Treacy

Sarah Jessica Parker at the 2013 Met Gala celebrating the "PUNK: Chaos to Couture" exhibition. (Credit: Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images)

Dita Von Teese in Zac Posen

Dita Von Teese at the "Charles James: Beyond Fashion" Gala in 2014. (Credit: Larry Busacca/Getty Images)

Beyoncé in Givenchy

Beyoncé at the "China: Through The Looking Glass" Costume Institute Benefit Gala in 2015. (Credit: Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images)

Rihanna in Guo Pei

Rihanna at the "China: Through The Looking Glass" Gala in 2015. (Credit: Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images)

Anne Hathway in Ralph Lauren

Anne Hathaway at the "China: Through The Looking Glass" Gala in 2015. (Credit: Larry Busacca/Getty Images)

Rihanna in Commes des Garçons

Rihanna at the "Rei Kawakubo/Comme des Garcons: Art Of The In-Between" Costume Institute Gala in 2017. (Credit: Neilson Barnard/Getty Images)

Solange Knowles in Iris van Herpen

Solange Knowles at 2018's "Heavenly Bodies: Fashion & The Catholic Imagination" Costume Institute Gala. (Credit: Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images for Michael Kors)

Blake Lively in Atelier Versace

The star wearing Atelier Versace at 2018's "Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination" gala. (Credit: Angela Weiss/AFP via Getty Images)

Zendaya in Versace

Zendaya at the "Heavenly Bodies: Fashion & The Catholic Imagination" Gala in 2018. (Credit: Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images)

Kim Kardashian in Thierry Mugler

Kim Kardashian at the "Camp: Notes on Fashion" Met Gala in 2019. (Credit: Angela Weiss/AFP via Getty Images)

Cardi B in Thom Browne

Cardi B at the 2019 Met Gala with the theme "Camp: Notes on Fashion." (Credit: Neilson Barnard/Getty Images)

Lady Gaga in Brandon Maxwell

Lady Gaga at the 2019 Met Gala "Camp: Notes on Fashion." (Credit: Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for The Met Museum/Vogue)

Lily-Rose Depp in Vintage Chanel

Lily-Rose Depp at the 2019 Met Gala "Celebrating Camp: Notes on Fashion." (Credit: Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for The Met Museum/Vogue)

Iman in Harris Reed

Iman at the 2021 Met Gala "Celebrating In America: A Lexicon Of Fashion." (Credit: Mike Coppola/Getty Images)

Kaia Gerber in Oscar de la Renta

Kaia Gerber at the 2021 Met Gala "Celebrating In America: A Lexicon Of Fashion." (Credit: Angela Weiss/AFP via Getty Images)

Zoë Kravitz in Saint Laurent

Zoe Kravitz at the 2021 Met Gala "In America: A Lexicon of Fashion." (Credit: Courtesy of Theo Wargo/Getty Images)

Blake Lively in Atelier Versace

Lively at the 2022 Met Gala "In America: An Anthology of Fashion." (Credit: Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for The Met Museum/Vogue)

Janelle Monáe in Ralph Lauren

Janelle Monáe at the 2022 Met Gala "In America: An Anthology of Fashion." (Credit: Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for The Met Museum/Vogue)

Dua Lipa in Chanel

Dua Lipa at the 2023 Met Gala celebrating "Karl Lagerfeld: A Line Of Beauty." (Credit: Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images)

Nicole Kidman in Vintage Chanel

Nicole Kidman at the 2023 Met Gala "Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty." (Credit: Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images)

Penélope Cruz in Vintage Chanel

Penélope Cruz at the 2023 Met Gala "Karl Lagerfeld: A Line Of Beauty." (Credit: Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images)