From Camp To Couture: Met Gala Looks We Love Over The Years

Happy first Monday in May! As stars prepare to grace the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s soaring steps at this year’s Met Gala, we can’t help but reminisce on major looks from years past. Whether draped in couture inspired by exhibits rooted in American history, Catholicism, China, camp, and more, celebrities have always arrived to the fashionable event with a wide range of themed interpretations. This year will be no different for the Costume Institute’s latest exhibit “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style” (more on that later!)—but there’s something to be said for the looks that have stood the test of time. From Rihanna‘s viral Guo Pei gown to Lady Gaga‘s dramatic Brandon Maxwell outfit changes—and every time Zendaya strode up the Met steps—ensembles from past galas still make our hearts skip a beat, all these years later. From the glamorous to the avant-garde, discover some of our beloved favorites right here.
Rihanna in Guo Pei & Christian Louboutin, 2015
Rihanna in Guo Pei

Zendaya (Patrick McMullan)

Frederic Aspiras, Lady Gaga (Getty Images)

NEW YORK, NEW YORK – MAY 06: Kim Kardashian West attends The 2019 Met Gala Celebrating Camp: Notes on Fashion at Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 06, 2019 in New York City. (Photo by Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for The Met Museum/Vogue)

Colman Domingo (Courtesy of Christian Louboutin)

(Getty Images)

Gigi Hadid (Getty Images)

Janelle Monae at the 2019 Met Gala (Patrick McMullan)

NEW YORK, NY – MAY 04: Kendall Jenner attends the “China: Through The Looking Glass” Costume Institute Benefit Gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 4, 2015 in New York City. (Photo by Larry Busacca/Getty Images)

Hailey Bieber

NEW YORK, NY – MAY 02: Sarah Jessica Parker attends the “Manus x Machina: Fashion In An Age Of Technology” Costume Institute Gala at Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 2, 2016 in New York City. (Photo by Larry Busacca/Getty Images)

NEW YORK, NY – MAY 01: Zoe Kravitz attends the “Rei Kawakubo/Comme des Garcons: Art Of The In-Between” Costume Institute Gala at Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 1, 2017 in New York City. (Photo by Theo Wargo/Getty Images For US Weekly)

Ariana Grande (Courtesy of Loewe)

Solange Knowles in Giles

Leighton Meester==Costume Institute Benefit at Metropolitan Museum Celebrates Opening of Charles James Exhibition and New Anna Wintour Costume Center Space==Metropolitan Museum of Art, NYC==May 05, 2014==©Patrick McMullan==Photo – Nicholas Hunt/PatrickMcMullan.com==
==

Lee Daniels and Naomi Campbell in Burberry

NEW YORK, NEW YORK – MAY 02: Paloma Elsesser attends The 2022 Met Gala Celebrating “In America: An Anthology of Fashion” at The Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 02, 2022 in New York City. (Photo by Mike Coppola/Getty Images)

NEW YORK, NY – MAY 05: Lupita Nyong’o attends the “Charles James: Beyond Fashion” Costume Institute Gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 5, 2014 in New York City. (Photo by Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images)

NEW YORK, NY – MAY 01: Cara Delevingne attends the “Rei Kawakubo/Comme des Garcons: Art Of The In-Between” Costume Institute Gala at Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 1, 2017 in New York City. (Photo by Theo Wargo/Getty Images For US Weekly)

Kate Hudson in Michael Kors

Mary-Kate Olsen and Ashley Olsen (Getty Images)

NEW YORK, NY – MAY 05: Musician Taylor Swift attends the “Charles James: Beyond Fashion” Costume Institute Gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 5, 2014 in New York City. (Photo by Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images)

Alessandro Michele and Jared Leto attend The 2022 Met Gala Celebrating “In America: An Anthology of Fashion” at The Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 02, 2022 in New York City. (Photo by Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images)

Natalia Bryant in Conner Ives

Amal Clooney in Richard Quinn at the 2018 Met Gala (Patrick McMullan)

NEW YORK, NY – MAY 01: Tracee Ellis Ross attends the “Rei Kawakubo/Comme des Garcons: Art Of The In-Between” Costume Institute Gala at Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 1, 2017 in New York City. (Photo by Neilson Barnard/Getty Images)

Anne Hathaway in Ralph Lauren

NEW YORK, NY – MAY 02: Kate Upton attends the “Manus x Machina: Fashion In An Age Of Technology” Costume Institute Gala at Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 2, 2016 in New York City. (Photo by Larry Busacca/Getty Images)

Zendaya (Courtesy of Christian Louboutin)

Lorde and Francisco Costa in Calvin Klein Collection

Emma Roberts in Ralph Lauren
Additional reporting by Madison Coombs.
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Aaron Royce is the Fashion News Editor at The Daily Front Row, where he covers all things fashion, beauty, and pop culture—both on and off the runway. Before joining The Daily, he was a freelance contributor for Vogue, Marie Claire, InStyle, and more outlets. Previously, he served as Digital Editor at Footwear News, following internships with The Daily Front Row, Paper, Caroline Vazzana, Capitol File, Anchyi Wei, and more. He was born in northern Virginia and lives in Brooklyn, where he spends copious time shoe shopping, reading fashion memoirs, and scrolling through Instagram. (@aaronjdroyce)
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