The Met Gala, also known as the Costume Institute Gala, is one of the most prestigious fashion events in the world. Every year, numerous celebrities climb the famous steps of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City to showcase their surprising and disruptive looks.
Besides being a stage where A-listers show off their extravagant garments, the ceremony’s main aim is to raise funds for the Met’s Costume Institute, the museum’s collection of fashion items.
The charity event, which unites fashion and art, is held annually on the first Monday in May, marking the start of the Costume Institute’s annual exhibition. This edition celebrates the launch of the exhibition titled Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion.
The dress code for this year’s gala is The Garden of Time, based on the 1962 short story of the same name by J.G. Ballard.
The celebrities listed as hosts of the 2024 gala are Bad Bunny, Chris Hemsworth, Jennifer Lopez, Anna Wintour, and Zendaya.
Furthermore, the honorary co-chairs of this year’s event will be Jonathan Anderson, creative director of Loewe, and Shou Chew, CEO of TikTok.
The Met Gala is here, and celebrities have unveiled their interpretations of this year’s theme, Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion
The ceremony’s main aim is to raise funds for the Met’s Costume Institute, the museum’s collection of fashion items
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Anna Wintour, Vogue’s editor-in-chief and chairwoman of the event since 1995, arrived to the event in a minimalistic long-sleeve white dress underneath a long black evening cloak with yellow, red, and green floral embroidery. The renowned editor accessorized her look with a silver necklace and white sandals.
Loewe’s look created for Anna was inspired by the Tulip-strewn cape in “Sleeping Beauties,” which was designed by Charles Frederick Worth, a French designer born in 1825 and considered to be the first couturier.
Anna Wintour, Vogue’s editor-in-chief and chairwoman of the event since 1995, chose a long black evening cloak with floral embroidery
Additionally, Chris Hemsworth, one of the night’s co-hosts, arrived alongside his wife, Elsa Pataky, in a cream-colored suit paired with black shoes. Elsa is donning a long gold ensemble with matching accessories. The couple is wearing Tom Ford.
Chris Hemsworth, one of the night’s co-hosts, arrived alongside his wife, Elsa Pataky, in a cream-colored Tom Ford suit
Bad Bunny, another co-chair of the night, stepped onto the red carpet wearing a Maison Margiela Artisanal Collection by John Galliano, a navy barathea wool smoking worn over a black satin corset.
The Puerto Rican star, whose real name is Benito Antonio Martinez Ocasio, honored the theme of fashion’s biggest night with a bouquet made up of the Flor de Maga, the national flower of his home country. The 30-year-old singer paired his extravagant look with geometrical sunglasses, a navy hat and some peculiar-looking black and white shoes.
Bad Bunny, another co-chair of the night, stepped onto the red carpet wearing Maison Margiela Artisanal Collection by John Galliano
Meanwhile, Zendaya adhered to the Garden of Time dress code in a Maison Margiela Artisanal by John Galliano creation with botanical motifs based on a 1999 Dior dress. The 27-year-old actress is attending the glamorous gala for the sixth time.
The royal-blue and emerald-green one-shouldered dress featured a long trumpet skirt covered in diagonal stripes, as well as fruitlike embellishments adorning one side of the waist.
The Challengers actress paired the bold outfit with a net mesh, burgundy lips, and heavy red eye makeup.
Zendaya opted for a bold Maison Margiela Artisanal by John Galliano creation
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Jessica Serfaty Michel fully embraced the Garden of Time dress code
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Matt Damon arrived in an elegant Dior Men tuxedo, while his wife, Luciana Barroso, donned a long strapless white gown
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Ashley Graham shines in a black crystal-adorned ensemble by Ludovic de Saint Sernin
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Naturally, J-Lo couldn’t miss the annual fundraising event.
The singer and actress made an impactful entrance in a sheer, sparkly gown by Schiaparelli that accentuated her waist. The stunning gown was paired with silver high heels and a matching necklace, while her hair was styled in a classy updo.
Jennifer made her Met Gala debut in 1999, and she has never gone unnoticed since. At the time, she honored the Rock Style theme with her then-boyfriend, Puff Daddy. While she donned a cut-out dress which exposed her shoulders, cleavage, and waist, her beau showed up in an white turtleneck and coat paired with black shades.
Jennifer Lopez made a show-stopping entrance wearing a sparkly Schiaparelli gown
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In a video posted by the Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Costume Institute, and Vogue Magazine, the painting “The Old Gateway” by Thomas Edwin Mostyn was shared as inspiration for the attendees. The painting depicts a garden covered in flowers and a woman in a blue dress. The artist’s work, from the late Victorian era and early 20th century, is known for its idealistic and romantic garden scenes.
Andrew Bolton, the Curator in Charge of the Costume Institute, explained to Vogue that the event “is basically an ode to nature and the emotional poetics of fashion.” The garments will be shaped around three main “zones”—Land, Sea, and Sky.
The event usually hosts approximately 450 attendees, which include culturally relevant figures from different spheres, from singers to actors, athletes, and politicians.
About 250 garments and accessories spanning four centuries will be exhibited at the Costume Institute. The pieces will be visually united by iconography related to nature, serving as a metaphor for the fragility of fashion as well as for the themes of rebirth and renewal.
Some pieces that are too fragile to ever be worn again—such as a Charles Frederick Worth ball gown from 1877—will also be displayed using technology like video animation, light projection, AI, CGI, and other forms of sensory stimulation, as per Vogue magazine.
Rebecca Ferguson wears a creative Thom Browne design with a cape
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Demi Moore wows in a black and pink structural gown crafted entirely from a unique material: wallpaper
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Model Emily Ratajkowski stepped out in a sheer gown by Atelier Versace FW01 Haute Couture, revealing her nipples and her bare bottom. The star accessorized her outfit with minimal makeup and a structural hairdo.
Emily Ratajkowski stepped out in a sheer gown by Atelier Versace FW01 Haute Couture
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Kris Jenner looks elegant in an off-white outfit by Oscar de la Renta
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Kendall Jenner’s modern-day interpretation of a ’20s flapper girl is a sleek black dress made of glittery, see-through light fabric
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Kim Kardashian poses in a metallic dress with a sweater designed by Margiela Artisanal
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Mindy Kaling dazzles in a pale pink, eye-catching ensemble by Gaurav Gupta
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Amanda Seyfried debuts platinum-blue hair in her silver Prada gown with pink flowers
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Lana Del Rey wears a dark but romantic cream dress with gold accents designed by Alexander McQueen’s Seán McGirr
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Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande have a very stylish Wicked cast reunion
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Lily Gladstone goes for a sheer black cape dress with stars and blue eye makeup
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Sam Smith and Christian Cowan wear matching white and black suits with gold and silver roses
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Uma Thurman stuns in a lavender Tory Burch gown
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Adrien Brody debuted a physical transformation at this year’s Met Gala. The Academy Award winner showed off his new blonde locks when he arrived at the biggest fashion event of the year alongside his wife, English fashion designer and actress Georgina Chapman.
Adrien Brody debuts his blond hair, matching with his wife, fashion designer and actress Georgina Chapman
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Gigi Hadid looks spectacular in Thom Browne
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Sarah Jessica Parker embodies the Garden of Time in a birdcage-inspired gown designed by Richard Quinn
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Kylie Jenner dons a classy gown inspired by the garden statues mentioned in J. G. Ballard’s The Garden of Time
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Chase Stokes and Kelsea Ballerini sport contrasting looks
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Cardi B steals the show in a voluminous black tulle ball gown
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Dua Lipa opts for a custom Marc Jacobs lace look with corsetry and sheer detailing
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The funds raised during the event will be directed to the Costume Institute collection, which currently comprises over 33,000 garments and accessories representing seven centuries of fashion.
The event is highly secretive. Attendees must abide by its no-phone rule and resist the temptation of sharing their colleagues’ stunning looks on their Instagram stories. With the exception of the A-listers’ arrivals at the venue, the ceremony isn’t recorded or broadcast to the general public.
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