The Met Gala is built on spectacle, but history (or, more accurately, the internet) tends to be selective when it comes to anointing the truly spectacular. Over the years, a handful of Gala looks have gone down in fashion history, such as Rihanna’s 2015 yellow Guo Pei gown with a train so long it barely made it up the stairs, Sarah Jessica Parker’s 2006 tartan Alexander McQueen look, and Liv Tyler and Stella McCartney’s 1999 matching “Rock Royalty” tees. Other looks—while nice in the moment—have drifted away quietly, never to be seen on an all-time best list.
This year’s Met Gala theme was “Costume Art,” and guests were asked to follow the “Fashion Is Art” dress code. While not everybody adhered to the theme, there were a number of on-message, dramatic, and just plain gorgeous looks that’ll be hard to forget—and will unequivocally go down in Met Gala history.
Theo Wargo
Beyoncé and (Blue Ivy!)
In a sea of slightly confounding looks, Gala co-chair Beyoncé saved the day in a shimmering skeletal masterpiece by Olivier Rousteing. Her daughter Blue, meanwhile, looked every bit the cool teen in a billowy white gown, sunglasses, and black-tie windbreaker.
Theo Wargo
