The red carpet of the Met Gala is the one that regularly produces examples of outrageously extravagant fashion in contrast to that of the Academy Awards or even the Grammys. At this event, A-listers are known to take chances, but such risks aren't sure to pay off.
As we get ready for the next Met Gala on May 2 (the second part of the "In America" theme that was introduced in September of last year), we are taking a look back at some of the most notable flops that have occurred at the fashion event throughout its history. Here are 17 of the most outlandish outfits ever seen on the famous stairs of the Met throughout its history.
Madonna – 2016
Riccardo Tisci, who serves as the creative director of Givenchy, was also Madonna's dress designer the following year. Even though she received some criticism, she responded aggressively to it. "Around the world, we have battled and will continue to fight for LGBT rights and civil rights. When it comes to women's rights, our society is still stuck in the stone age. She remarked on social media that her attire at the Met Ball made both a fashion and political statement. "My dress at the Met Ball was a political statement and a fashion statement." I have never thought in a restricted manner, and I have no intention of starting now.
Rita Ora– 2016
At the 2016 gala, singer Rita Ora made a spectacular entry wearing a stunning silver gown embellished with feathers. Vera Wang, the fashion designer, collaborated closely with Rita Ora to create an outfit that was a perfect fit for the singer. "The Met Gala is the most important fashion occasion in the world, and a dress worn by a celebrity to the Met Gala ought to express the celebrity's unique identity, state of mind, and personal style." Vera told Vogue. "The design [for Rita] was based on her sensuality, her feeling of freedom, and her skin,"
Sarah Jessica Parker – 2018
After starring in the film Sex and the City as the New York newspaper columnist Carrie, she became known as a fashionista. However, Sarah Jessica Parker has demonstrated through the years that she, and not simply her character, deserves to be called a fashionista. She attended the gala in 2018 wearing a breathtaking gown made by Dolce & Gabbana Alta Moda. The headpiece of the dress included a nativity scene, demonstrating that she took the subject of the event very seriously.
Solange Knowles – 2018
It was not Solange herself but rather her supporters on Twitter who picked on Iris van Herpen as the fashion designer who would make her outfit for the 2018 Met Ball. She posed the following question to her followers on the social networking platform: "Dead as a doornail ready to let y'all decide my Met Gala outfit coz I can't handle the worry rn... which saint shall I draw energy from and pull up to the function as?" They went to great lengths to distinguish her from the other people there.
Jared Leto – 2019
It was less about the costume that actor and singer Jared Leto wore, a camp and regal satin suit and cape designed by Alessandro Michele for Gucci, and more about the fact that he accessorized it with his head that got people talking about it. However, Jared was so taken with the style that he commissioned Gucci to create the outfit for the tour that his band, Thirty Seconds to Mars, would do later that year. "We aimed to make it lively, exciting, and entertaining. According to what he told GQ, "working with the Gucci group was an utter delight as it usually is." "Words cannot express how thankful I am to be a member of that huge, wacky Italian family," the speaker said.
Priyanka Chopra – 2019
Actress Priyanka Chopra, also known as Mrs. Nick Jonas, is a former Miss World and possesses all of the gravitas necessary to carry off this unconventional style. The magnificent Dior dress, together with the weird hair and makeup, contributed to the overall appearance of a wacky fairytale. She made her debut on the red carpet alongside her husband Nick for the first time since the couple was married, and an adorable anecdote about their romance is that their very first date occurred at the Met Gala in 2017.
Cardi B – 2019
At this year's Met Gala, there was no way around the fact that Cardi B's entrance captured everyone's attention. It took 35 employees more than 2,000 hours to produce the magnificent blood-red quilted gown designed by Thom Browne. The dress had 44-carat ruby nipples that were custom-made by Steere Jewellery at the cost of US$250,000. It was intended to represent the feminine body, and as such, it contained decorations that drew attention to the 'yonic regions.' In an interview with Vogue, Thom said, "I designed this dress for Cardi specifically because she has the ultimate beauty in a woman's body. The dress is about for me: taking advantage of that beauty." "I designed this dress for Cardi specifically because she has the ultimate beauty in a woman's body,"
Katy Perry– 2019
When Katy Perry arrived at the Met Gala in 2019, she was dressed by designer Jeremy Scott, who made sure that she turned heads on the red carpet. In an interview with Vogue, Jeremy, the creative director of Moschino, was asked, "Who has ever been to a party that did not include a chandelier?!." Working with Katy is usually a lot of fun because she completely understands my sense of humor, can play with it so that no one else can, and can even take it a few notches farther. It is not surprising that Katy changed her outfit for the after-party, given the weight of Swarovski crystals and the chandelier itself. Still, no one expected her to wear a burger costume (also designed by Jeremy Scott)! It's lovely to see her making the most of her time at such a significant fashion event.
Lady Gaga – 2019
At this year's Met Gala, Lady Gaga stole the show when she made a spectacular entry and excited her presentation of not one but four dresses designed by Brandon Maxwell. Instead of walking down the red carpet, Lady Gaga put on a meticulously organized spectacle. She progressively revealed the outfit that she would be wearing to the ceremony. According to a statement that Lady Gaga gave to Vogue, "What I Really Love About What We're Doing Is That It Reads Like an Essay or a Poem, and It Tells a Story."
"I get the impression that it is intellectual, yet I also get the impression that it is extremely naïve in a lot of ways." It is safe to say that it had everyone talking, and it sets a high bar for anyone who attends this year's ceremony, including Lady Gaga herself. And considering that the pandemic caused the Met Gala to be postponed the year before, we can't wait to see what the best of Hollywood and the world's most renowned fashion designers have come up with for this year's event.
Lupita Nyong'o in Prada (2014)
The English-American fashion designer Charles James was honored at the gala in 2014. According to The Met, the purpose of the show was to "explore[d] James's design process, especially his use of sculptural, scientific, and mathematical techniques to produce groundbreaking ball dresses and inventive tailoring that continue to impact designers today." Although it deviated slightly (or not so slightly) from the theme of ball gowns, it was still very much in keeping with the overall aesthetic. The pick was both daring and surprising since it was accessorized with an emerald headpiece and shoes to match (i.e., very confusing).
Amber Valletta (2004)
"Looking back on it, I think it's so badass that I went for it because it was at a time when people were just starting to get into the theme," Valletta said about the Marie inspired look that she wore to the gala celebrating Fashion and Furniture in the 18th Century." That was a great time to be pushing the limits of what was possible. We should count ourselves lucky that she didn't come dressed as a guillotine.
Solange In Thom Browne (2017)
Solange is the type of celebrity who is never afraid to go with a theme. In contrast to the many (perhaps too many) stars who play it safe on one night, they can truly push the sartorial boundaries. She chose to wear a coat by Thom Browne that was made to seem like a hybrid of a sleeping bag and a puffer jacket for the exhibition honoring the Japanese fashion designer Rei Kawakubo. She finalized the appearance by adding a long quilted train and shoes inspired by ice skates, which took the entire unorthodox thing to an even higher level. Imagine how warm and snug she was despite the sky-high heels she was wearing.
Daphne Guinness In Alexander McQueen (2011)
When your ordinarily ice-blonde and jet-black hair appears to be in a perfectly natural condition in contrast to your dress, you will know that the dress is making a statement. The muse, actress, and philanthropist fittingly paid respect to her dear friend Lee McQueen at the opening of the "Alexander Ford: Savage Beauty" show by sporting one of Lee McQueen's famous over-the-top outfits, which she changed into in the displays at Barneys. The muse, model, & philanthropist fittingly paid respect to her late friend Lee Thompson at the premiere of the "Alexander McQueen: Gothic Beauty" show by sporting one of Lee McQueen's famous over-the-top outfits, which he changed into this in the windows at Barneys. The show was named after Alexander McQueen's son. It was a part of the spring 2011 collection designed by Alexander McQueen.
Cardi B in Moschino by Jeremy Scott (2018)
Is it advisable to take it easy for your first time attending the Met Gala? If you're Cardi B, the answer is a resounding no. Her gown was adorned with pearls and featured a thigh-high slit and a detachable train, both of which she removed once she was inside the party. With a chunky choker and an excessively extravagant headpiece, she went in the other way of understated when it came to her choice of accessories. In a nutshell, Cardi B's debut performance at the Metropolitan Museum of Art will not be quickly forgotten.
Karolina Kurkova in Viktor & Rolf (2005)
You are familiar with the expression "to wear one's heart on one's sleeve," correct? What do you think of draping your white ball gown over your chest like a heart? Kurkova accomplished this when she wore the one-shouldered dress designed for the "House of Chanel" themed display at the Costume Institute. Honestly, we aren't sure whether this would work on someone who isn't an eight-foot-tall Czech supermodel, Kurkova looks fantastic, even though it is a bit unconventional.
Marc Jacobs (2012)
In 2019, Harry Styles demonstrated that an all-black suit with transparent elements could be highly stunning. The inclusion of the white boxer briefs underneath the lace gown that Marc Jacobs wore in 2012 to pay homage to fellow designers Miuccia Prada and Elsa Schiaparelli was, however, a bit of a fiasco. Jacobs was trying to pay respect to Prada and Schiaparelli. Jacobs had successfully gotten everyone's attention, but it seemed as though he had neglected to change his underwear before getting dressed for the big night. At the very least, we should acknowledge and honor the audacity.
Jared Leto IN Gucci (2019)
In 2019, Jared Leto took the idea of "Camp: Notes on Fashion" at the Met Gala to a crazy extreme when he walked up wearing a bejeweled crimson Gucci gown while carrying a false copy of his severed head. He did this in honor of the event's "Camp: Notes on Fashion" theme. According to W magazine, this was a reference to Gucci's fall 2018 show. Models strutted the catwalk carrying lifelike replicas of their heads (and made plenty of leaders turn in the audience). Despite this, it was nevertheless a little unsettling to witness a second Leto walking up the stairs of the Met.
