Throwback on the Met Gala Steps: Our Favorite Looks
The fashion event of the year is around the corner, and we should all be on the edge of our seats. Every May, the red carpet is rolled out on the Met steps and celebrities put their best fashion foot forward. Over the years, we’ve had our fair share of flops, but have also seen some of the best fashion ever to exist. Like we do every year, let’s reminisce and judge Met Gala looks from the comfort of our couches. Here is a glance at the queens of Met Gala and their most iconic, memorable looks from the Met steps.
Zendaya
One thing we know about Zendaya: she knows how to hit a brief. Regardless of trends, themes, or influences, she and Law Roach – her amazing stylist – know how to blend storytelling with couture. There is no doubt she outshines everyone else on the carpet. In 2017’s ‘Rei Kawakubo/Comme Des Garçons: Art of the In-Between’, she wore a striking orange ball gown that boldly strayed away from the theme, but looked fabulous regardless. For 2018’s ‘Heavenly Bodies’, she embodied Joan of Arc in a chainmail, armour inspired look which heavily contrasted from her previous look. At the 2019 ‘Camp: Notes on Fashion’, she lit up the Met carpet with a magical transforming Cinderella gown. Most recently in her role as 2024 co-chair, she debuted vintage Givenchy and brought dark fantasy to life.
2. Kendall Jenner
Kendall is no stranger to the Met steps. Since her debut at the 2014 Met, she has never failed to top her previous looks. She may not be one to always follow a brief, but she definitely knows to stun a carpet. At the 2017 ‘Rei Kawakubo/Comme des Garçons: Art of the In-Between’ theme, she put on a daring La Perla number covered in hand embroidered crystals, and to accompany it, a bold red lip. For 2019’s ‘Camp: Notes on Fashion’, in typical Jenner fashion, she walked the carpet with sister, Kylie Jenner, covered from head to toe in show-girl feathers. Her most striking look to date was for the 2021 ‘In America: A Lexicon of Fashion’ theme where she channeled old Hollywood elegance in a bedazzled, Givenchy gown inspired by no other than Audrey Hepburn. The following year, she returned in a dramatic Prada ballgown for the ‘In America: An Anthology of Fashion’ brief.
3. Rihanna
When it comes to the Met Gala, Rihanna doesn’t just attend, she owns it. Whatever the brief may be, going big is the only option. Back in 2015, she delivered one of the most unforgettable fashion moments as she dragged her yellow couture Guo Pei along the entire Met steps – yes, the whole entire staircase. In 2017, she leaned into the avant-garde, stepping out in a sculpturally bold look that only she could pull off. Then when 2018 came around, she came decked out in crystals and diamonds in a mini-dress, coat and hat combo: a bedazzled pope – the definition of fashion royalty. And who can forget her 2025 look? Not only did she hit the ‘Superfine: Tailoring Black Style’ brief to a tee, but she also took the opportunity to announce her 3rd pregnancy.
4. Gigi Hadid
Over the years, Gigi Hadid has continued to perfect her Met Style, effortlessly adapting to each theme while turning heads, even from afar. She first caught our attention at the 2016 “Manus x Machina” Met where she showed up in a sleek, metallic look that nailed futuristic glam. Then, she returned 2 years later for the 2018 “Heavenly Bodies” Met wearing a dreamy, stained-glass-inspired gown which screamed cathedral fantasy. Then came 2022’s “In America: An Anthology of Fashion” where she went for a bold red statement, wearing a jacket train that draped the Met steps. And in 2025, she proved that less is more, opting for a simple gold dress that paid tribute to designer Zelda Wynn Valdes.
5. Cardi B
If we know one thing about Cardi B, it is that her arrival on the Met steps makes us bow at her feet. She only knows how to go big, or go even bigger, and we don’t see anyone complaining. She made a jaw dropping debut at the 2018 Met, showing up in an opulent, pearl-encrusted gown, complete with a mega train and dazzling headpiece – oh, and did we mention pregnant? The following year, she returned and went even bigger: a Thom Browne look which literally took over the carpet, covered from head to toe in red. In 2022, she leaned into gilded glamour with a sculptural gold ensemble that can only be described as drama. And in 2025, she once again proved that subtlety isn't in her vocabulary: an over-the-top, show stopping pant and suit jacket look, standing out from the crowd.
6. Anok Yai
All we can say is, Anok was named 2025 model of the year for a reason. She brings high-fashion impact to the carpet and never fails to meet the brief. In 2021, for “In America: A Lexicon of Fashion” she turned heads in a custom crystal gown from Oscar De La Renta, paired with a plunging neckline and a big black shawl. She returned two years later for Karl Lagerfeld’s Met in an effortlessly elegant and refined Prabal Gurung gown that took inspiration from Chanel’s Haute Couture shows. The following year – may we say: her best look ever – was the fully crystallized Swarovski ensemble, featuring over 98,000 gems from three shades of blue that made her look like a mermaid out of water. And in 2025, she cemented her status as model of the year by wearing a Thom Browne look that couldn’t have fit the theme better.
7. Emma Chamberlain
Emma Chamberlain brings the Gen Z energy onto the carpet, and no doubt, blows everyone out of the water. She has mastered how to make a Met gown look cool and chic and does it effortlessly year after year. She first made her debut in 2021, rocking up on the steps in an asymmetrical Louis Vuitton number that made her stand out from all other dresses on the steps. In 2022, she returned for the “In America: An Anthology of Fashion,” where she paired a Louis Vuitton set with bling from Cartier in which she and Jack Harlow first declared their love. For 2024’s “Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion,”, she walked the carpet in a gothic take on the theme: a corseted lace dress with a sheer train dragging behind her. And for her latest Met Gala look, a pinstripe, backless dress paired with a spiky bob that definitely turned heads.
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