70 of the wildest looks in Met Gala history

"It wasn't really appropriate that we wore those shirts. Officially, we weren't following the honors of the dress code," Tyler told Vogue in 2020.

Still, as the daughters of famous rock stars Steven Tyler and Paul McCartney, the pair's "Rock Royalty" tank tops unintentionally created an iconic moment in pop culture.

"It was an amazing thing, in a way. We were just being ourselves," Tyler added.

She even had her hair styled to fit the theme.

The theme was "The House of Chanel," and Kurkova's gown featured the words "I love you" across the bottom.

She took John Galliano, the creative director at the time, as her date.

She's always one to take a risk in the name of fashion.

McQueen died in February 2010, and the 2011 Met Gala theme, "Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty," was chosen to honor his legacy.

Guinness wore a dramatic feathery frock from the designer's Spring 2011 collection.

The gown featured feather-like tassels on the skirt and bodice.

She paired it with a dramatic silver headpiece.

She went for a gothic romantic look by Zac Posen.

Her pink pumps added a nice pop of color.

Topshop designed her white floral dress.

Kardashian hit the red carpet in a floral gown with a thigh-high slit while eight months pregnant with her first child, North.

She also rocked a spiky 'do to complement the theme.

The dress had a flapper-inspired design.

The look helped establish her status as the undisputed queen of the Met Gala.

It was definitely a daring choice that instantly became iconic.

The gown featured red jeweled accents applied to look like a fiery dragon.

Giles designed the stunning dress.

West even wore silver contacts to match his jacket, while Kardashian completed her look by lightening her eyebrows.

The star had released her sixth album, "Lemonade," just a week before the Met that year.

She completed the look with yellow latex leggings.

Here she is in a sheer black Givenchy dress.

She paired it with a gravity-defying natural hairstyle.

She finished her 2016 look with a pair of sky-high platform boots.

She seemed to be channeling her inner "Black Swan."

The light-blue dress appeared to be inspired by Cinderella.

She paired it with a lace mask for dramatic effect.

She paired the look with matching dark makeup and hair.

She paired the wings with a gold minidress and thigh-high gold boots.

She wore a high-low skirt, plenty of jewelry, and an attention-commanding headpiece.

She paired the look with black latex thigh-highs and shoes.

The headpiece was a daring choice, but her Valentino ensemble ultimately became one of the most memorable looks of the evening.

She was one of a few celebrities to take a literal approach to the theme.

His outfit sparked a lot of conversation on Twitter.

She always nails the theme of the Met Gala, and that year was no exception.

She later revealed three other ensembles underneath through a 16-minute entrance routine that perfectly embodied the theme, "Camp: Notes on Fashion."

She was surrounded by working light bulbs around the skirt and on the headpiece.

He was first carried down the pink carpet with six men in matching ensembles. Porter then stepped down to reveal an eye-catching pair of wings attached to his arms.

Her puffy gown featured feathered detailing at the edge of its dramatic train.

Her head-turning dress featured a blinking eye mechanism at the bodice, which she paired with several top hats. 

Her gown flowed out thanks to multicolored feathers.

She paired her swimsuit-style bodysuit with embellished tights and a feathered black coat.

Her dress featured an abundance of strategically placed silver stars.

Her platform heels were embellished with Swarovski crystals.

Her headpiece was shaped like wings that framed each side of her face.

The singer wore an Oscar de la Renta dress to the Met Gala that year. 

Alessandro Michele, Gucci's creative director at the time, dressed the actor in a Victorian-esque scarlet gown covered in jewels.

The outfit was a nod to Gucci's Autumn/Winter 2018 runway show, which featured models carrying their own heads. 

The comedian and actor was photographed in a Michael Kors flared-leg pantsuit and matching hat designed by Stephen Jones. W Magazine reported that the look comprised 57,000 sequins — 17,000 on the jacket and 40,000 on the pants. 

The actor wore a half-tux, half-gown outfit designed by Christian Siriano.

"Christian Siriano is a genius," he told Page Six then. "And his staff and he made it so impeccably that it was comfortable. I had a high heel that was the same height as a Doc boot, it was brilliant. And I could pee!"

The custom outfit featured a map shaped like two men kissing.

Levy told Vanity Fair that his look was a celebration of queer love inspired by the late artist and AIDS activist David Wojnarowicz.

The look featured oversize sleeves, pants with a map pattern, and black boots with gold details and flowers. He completed the look with Cartier jewelry. 

Lil Nas X arrived at his first-ever Met Gala in a gold Atelier Versace velvet cape. It had oversize shoulder pads and a collar.

He then removed the cape to reveal golden body armor underneath. It had spikes on the shoulders, the Versace crest on the neckline, and sculpted abs.

Finally, before he went inside, Lil Nas X took off the armor to reveal a brown bodysuit covered in crystals. He paired it with a Versace choker. 

Kardashian said on Instagram that her inspiration for the "In America: A Lexicon of Fashion"-themed gala was a T-shirt. 

She arrived in a Balenciaga bodysuit that completely covered her. Two trains flowed out of the back of her dress, as did her 75-inch ponytail.

The singer kept it simple in a black suede, three-piece Prada suit with a white T-shirt.

Ocean's robotic baby was dressed in a onesie from Homer, the jewelry brand Ocean founded. It could move, making it seem almost lifelike. 

Rihanna was among the last stars to arrive at the gala, but she brought the drama with this look. 

Balenciaga's creative director, Demna Gvasalia, designed her all-black coatdress. She paired it with a beanie, a crystal headpiece, and custom-made Maria Tash earrings. 

The rapper wore a look from the designer's spring 2022 collection. Underneath the quilt, ASAP Rocky had a black suit that matched Rihanna's Balenciaga ensemble. 

The actor wore the custom design with satin platform sandals and a long train.

Fox told Vogue that her look was inspired by Bram Stoker's "Dracula."

"I think the inspiration, like the color — I wanted a dress that I had seen in Bram Stoker's 'Dracula,'" she said. "I'm very into gothic things and vampires and such."

The Canadian musician told Vogue that her look was inspired by Frank Herbert's novel "Dune." The chrome mask she's wearing is actually an original prop from David Lynch's 1984 film adaptation of the book. 

Monroe famously wore the dress to perform "Happy Birthday, Mr. President" in 1962, and the internet had plenty to say when Kardashian arrived in the iconic look.

Leto's look was inspired by the late designer's cat, Choupette.

The rapper and singer remained committed to her character, causing an awkward moment with Vogue red-carpet correspondent Emma Chamberlain when she replied to questions with meows instead of words.

The Puerto Rican popstar, who served as cochair of the event in 2024, wore a custom Maison Margiela Artisanal ensemble inspired by fairytale princes and their horses.

Also wearing a custom Maison Margiela look, Zendaya arrived in a blue and emerald dress inspired by fictitious villains. That year, the Met Gala theme was "Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion."

The singer arrived at the event wearing a custom Alexander McQueen gown completed by a dramatic veil inspired by the Sleeping Beauty tale.

At her first Met Gala, Tyla wore a form-fitting, sculpted Balmain piece made of sand. It adhered to the year's theme and its connection to time. A sand-filled hourglass accessorized the piece.

The sculpted piece was solid and immovable, so the singer had to be carried up the stairs at the event.

The actor and screenwriter wore a piece by Indian designer Gaurav Gupta. The caped gown, called "The Melting Flower of Time," was inspired by the passage of time through the death of a flower, which is referenced by the gown's delicate layers.

After a 22-year hiatus from the gala, Motown legend Diana Ross showed up to the 2025 Met Gala in a white gown by Nigerian designer Ugo Mozie. The embroidered gown featured crystals and feathers, and an 18-foot-long train embroidered with the names of her children and grandchildren.

For her third-ever Met Gala, Sabrina Carpenter wore a burgundy tuxedo-inspired Louis Vuitton bodysuit with two long trains — and no pants.

She said the idea of ditching the pants from the outfit came from fellow musician Pharrell, who has also been the creative director for Louis Vuitton's menswear since 2023.

"He was like, 'You're quite short, so no pants for you.' So here we are. Here we are," she said, as reported by People.

Teyana Taylor's 2025 Met Gala look paid fitting homage to the year's dress code of "Tailored for You."

The look, designed by Oscar-winning costume designer Ruth E. Carter, brought together many historical elements: a pinstripe zoot suit, an embroidered burgundy cape, a feathered velvet hat with a matching durag underneath, and matching red leather gloves and platform heels.

Rapper and musician André 3000 arrived at the 2025 Met Gala with a piano strapped to his back, created by the design and fabrication company Pink Sparrow. The piano was modeled after a Steinway Model S baby grand at 75% scale. The 30-pound accessory was made of foam, plywood, and 3D printed elements.

The piano teased his newest project, "7 Piano Sketches," a collection of seven piano tracks released on the day of the gala.

His look was completed with … a black trash bag.

In 2025, Janelle Monáe wore an optical illusion Thom Browne ensemble that paid homage to the night's theme of "Superfine: Tailoring Black Style."

A two-piece black-and-red striped skirt suit was topped with a matching silk overcoat. The look was completed with a bowler hat and an attached monocle clock, which added to its surrealist quality.

Underneath the coat, the singer wore a unique diamond brooch made from 1800 Tequila designed by Jonathan Raksha of Maison Raksha.