Met Gala moments: From chandelier gowns to 60-year-old dresses

The Met Gala is known for its extravagant and avant-garde fashion moments, with celebrities and designers taking big risks and pushing boundaries of traditional red-carpet fashion.

The highly anticipated annual event will take place on the evening of May 1 (2:30 a.m. Dubai time).

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Before this year’s edition kicks off under the theme“Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty,” here are some of the most unforgettable Met Gala outfits over the years:

1. Kim Kardashian’s too-small Marilyn Monroe dress (2022): Kim Kardashian caused global controversy when she borrowed a 60-year-old dress from Ripley’s Believe It Or Not Museum that belonged to icon Marilyn Monroe. Kardashian, who raved about having to starve herself to fit into the form-fitting dress, allegedly damaged it by stretching the fabric too much.

Kim Kardashian at the 2023 Met Gala. (Reuters)

2. Katy Perry’s chandelier dress (2019): Katy Perry made a bold statement at the 2019 Met Gala when she arrived wearing a chandelier-inspired dress. The strapless dress was accompanied by three layers of light-up candles, including one resting on her head that weighed almost 20 kilograms. Throughout the red carpet, Katy Perry would even pause to turn on her lightbulb headpiece.

Katy Perry at the 2019 Met Gala. (AP)

3. Jared Leto’s Gucci Head (2019): Jared Leto shocked spectators at the 2019 Met Gala when he arrived on the red carpet carrying a replica of his own head. The head, which was designed by Gucci, was a nod to that year’s theme of “Camp: Notes on Fashion.”

Jared Leto at the 2019 Met Gala. (Reuters)

4. Princess Diana’s Met Gala Debut dress (1996): Shortly after finalizing her divorce from now-King Charles, Princess Diana made her very first and only Met Gala appearance in 1996. The fashion icon made international headlines when she showed up in a lingerie-inspired silk slip dress – a move that has been interpreted as Diana’s attempt to outrage the royal institution after her historic ‘revenge dress’ moment.

Princess Diana at the 1996 Met Gala. (Twitter)

5. Zendaya’s magical Cinderella dress (2019): Zendaya’s Met Gala look was inspired by Cinderella and featured a magical touch. She arrived on the red carpet in a custom Tommy Hilfiger gown and walked the red carpet with her stylist, who was dressed as the fairy godmother. With a wave of his wand, Zendaya’s gown began to sparkle in front of the cameras and lit up – just like in the original Cinderella story. She even left behind a single glass slipper on the red carpet.

Zendaya at the 2019 Met Gala. (AFP)

Read more:

Met Gala 2021: Top five best, most meaningful outfits on the Red Carpet

Katy Perry as chandelier, Lady Gaga in layers at Met Gala

IN PICTURES: Rihanna encased in petals, Zendaya in parrots at Met Gala