On the first Monday in May, with fashion’s most avid fans tuning in to see who will grace the Met’s carpeted steps (and in what), we’re looking back to see what the stars of today wore to their first-ever Met Gala.
Naomi Campbell – 1990
First attending the Gala (then known as the Costume Institute Benefit Gala), Campbell wore a printed mini dress for the event, of which the theme was “Théâtre de la Mode – Fashion Dolls.”
Sarah Jessica Parker – 1995
The Sex and the City star, now a veteran of the Met Gala, first graced the New York landmark with her presence in the mid-nineties wearing a spaghetti-strap black velvet gown.
Kate Moss – 1995
The model wore a canary-yellow Calvin Klein gown for her first Met Gala.
Gwyneth Paltrow – 1995
The actor wore designer of the moment Calvin Klein to the 1995 event. She appeared in a simple white gown and accessorized with a velvet shawl.
Madonna – 1997
Madonna has been pushing the boundaries of fashion for years, including at the Met Gala. The “Like A Virgin” singer’s first appearance was at the 1997 event honoring Gianni Versace.
Salma Hayek – 1997
The actor wore a one-shouldered black Versace gown with a thigh-high slit to the event.
Jennifer Lopez – 1999
Lopez first attended the Met Gala with ex-boyfriend Puff Daddy, wearing a peach satin gown.
Gisele Bundchen – 1999
The model’s first Met Gala was at the end of the ’90s. She wore an orange and red mesh dress by Versace.
Nicole Kidman – 2003
Kidman could not have looked more theme-appropriate dressed like a goddess in a one-shouldered golden gown by Gucci and shoulder-length diamond earrings for her debut.
Victoria Beckham – 2003
Beckham first attended the 2003 Met Gala. For its “Goddess: Classical Mode” theme, she joined designers Stefano Gabbana and Domenico Dolce, wearing one of their creations.
Serena Williams – 2004
The tennis great first attended in 2004, wearing a purple satin gown (and matching eyeshadow) to fit the theme of “Dangerous Liaisons: Fashion and Furniture in the 18th Century.”
Scarlett Johansson – 2004
In 2004, Johansson attended for the first time in this memorable yellow satin dress by Calvin Klein.
Sienna Miller – 2006
The British actor wore a gold minidress, tights, and heels in a look by Burberry for the 2006 “AngloMania: Tradition and Transgression in British Fashion” theme.
Rihanna – 2007
Arguably many would say Rihanna is queen of the Met Gala, and it all started here in 2007, when she wore a Georges Chakra gown embellished with glass appliqué.
Cate Blanchett – 2007
The actor wowed at her first Met Gala in a fringed gold Balenciaga gown.
Cameron Diaz – 2007
The actor wore this strapless satin fuchsia gown by Christian Dior Couture for the 2007 Met Gala, themed “Poiret: King of Fashion.”
Beyoncé – 2008
The singer first graced the famous carpet with her presence in 2008, when she wore a light-pink Armani Privé gown.
Venus Williams – 2008
The tennis pro wore a bronze satin gown for her first Met Gala in 2008.
Taylor Swift – 2008
In 2008, Swift attended the Met Gala for the first time wearing a gold gown by Badgley Mischka featuring appliqué hearts.
Blake Lively – 2008
The Gossip Girl star (who was indeed starring in the hit show at the time) wore a Ralph Lauren black strapless gown with a feathered fishtail finish and gloves for her debut Met appearance.
Julia Roberts – 2008
The actor wore a sparkly dress by Giorgio Armani, as she attended the event with the designer in 2008.
Zoë Kravitz – 2008
The Big Little Lies actor wore a crushed pale-green velvet gown to her first Met Gala in 2008.
Leighton Meester – 2009
While Blair Waldorf would usually be seen on the steps of the Met, Meester was inside in 2009, wearing a printed dress and trousers set by Louis Vuitton.
Emma Stone – 2009
The Oscar winner first attended the Met Gala in 2009, wearing a colorful minidress.
Alexa Chung – 2010
The British presenter and designer first attended the gala over a decade ago, wearing a monochrome tuxedo look by Philip Lim.
Karlie Kloss – 2010
The model wore a Donna Karan strapless deep-purple gown for her first Met Gala in 2010.
Oprah Winfrey – 2010
Attending with the man himself, Oprah made her Met Gala debut in a ruched navy gown by Oscar de La Renta in 2010.
Emma Watson – 2010
The actor wowed in a one-shouldered Grecian-inspired bridal white gown by Burberry for the Met Gala’s 2010 “American Woman: Fashioning a National Identity” theme.
Cara Delevingne – 2011
The model and actor first attended the Met Gala in 2011. She wore a plunging silver-grey satin dress by Burberry and posed with fellow actor Douglas Booth on the red carpet.
Chrissy Teigen – 2011
Teigen first attended the Met Gala with soon-to-be husband John Legend (they were married in 2012) wearing a Chris March black lace and feathered gown.
Saoirse Ronan – 2011
At the 2011 event to honor the late Alexander McQueen, the Irish actor wore a red gown by Rodarte.
Jourdan Dunn – 2012
The British model attended her first Met Gala (with her pal, who had one year’s experience behind her, Cara Delevingne) in 2012. Dunn wore a lace cream dress by Burberry, who also designed Delevingne’s look.
Amanda Seyfried – 2013
The Mamma Mia! actor wore a bold printed gown by Givenchy to her first Met Gala.
Kim Kardashian – 2013
Kardashian’s Riccardo Tisci for Givenchy gown, which she wore at her first Met Gala while pregnant with her first child North, is now considered iconic.
Jennifer Lawrence – 2013
For the Punk theme of 2011, Lawrence wore a strapless black dress by Dior.
Miley Cyrus – 2013
Cyrus channeled the Punk theme perfectly at her first Met Gala in a fishnet Marc Jacobs gown.
Kendall Jenner – 2014
For her first Met Gala, Jenner wore a classic light-pink strapless fishtail gown by Topshop.
Reese Witherspoon – 2014
The actor wore a hot-pink strapless gown by Stella McCartney for the 2014 event, themed “Charles James: Beyond Fashion.”
Selena Gomez – 2014
For her debut, Gomez wore a plunging burgundy column dress by Diane Von Furstenburg.
Margot Robbie – 2014
The May after her breakout performance in The Wolf of Wall Street, Robbie was invited to the Met Gala for the first time and wore custom Prada for the occasion.
Hailey Baldwin – 2015
The then-brunette attended for the first time in 2015, wearing a sky-blue minidress by Topshop.
Bella Hadid – 2015
Hadid also wore Topshop to the 2015 Met Gala, where the theme was “China: Through the Looking Glass.”
Gigi Hadid – 2015
For her debut Met Gala, Hadid matched the red carpet in a Diane von Furstenberg gown.
Zendaya – 2015
Zendaya has become known for her perfect embodiments of Met Gala themes during all the years she has attended. She started off strong in a custom Fausto Puglisi high-low gown with an elegant red train in honor of the night’s “China: Through the Looking Glass” celebration.
Sophie Turner – 2015
The Game of Thrones actor’s first foray into the Met Gala was accompanied by this silver-bronze plunging Burberry gown in 2015.
Amal Clooney – 2015
Attending for the first time in 2015 with her new husband George Clooney (the couple married in 2014), the human rights lawyer wore a strapless sequin dress with a ruffled skirt by John Galliano.
Michael B. Jordan – 2015
For his first Met Gala, Jordan kept his look timeless in a dark floral print suit with velvet trim.
Irina Shayk – 2015
The model wore a silk Atelier Versace lilac gown to her debut Met Gala in 2015.
Lady Gaga – 2015
Always one to make a dramatic entrance at the Met Gala, Gaga’s debut outfit was a monochrome kimono-inspired look by Alexander Wang for Balenciaga.
Kylie Jenner – 2016
The entrepreneur made waves at her first Met Gala in 2016, wearing a silver beaded Balmain gown.
Priyanka Chopra – 2017
Not only did Chopra wow the crowds with this trench coat-inspired Ralph Lauren look at her first Met Gala in 2017, but it’s also where she got to know her future husband Nick Jonas, who also attended with the American designer.
Halle Berry – 2017
Berry was a vision for her Met Gala debut, wearing a transparent Atelier Versace gown with black and gold detailing.
Ariana Grande – 2018
Grande first attended the Met Gala in 2018, looking like a true vision (and honoring the “Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination” theme) in this stunning Vera Wang creation.
Harry Styles – 2019
The former boyband member made his debut at the 2019 Met Gala celebrating “Camp: Notes on Fashion.” He wore a transparent shirt and extra high-waisted trousers by Gucci.
Gemma Chan – 2019
The British actress let her elaborate headpiece take the spotlight alongside her silver Tom Ford cape gown for her first Met Gala.
Timothée Chalamet – 2021
Chalamet kicked off his Met Gala history by serving as co-chair for the night’s “In America: A Lexicon of Fashion” celebration. He stood out in a white ensemble including sweatpants, Chuck Taylor sneakers, and a double breasted white suit.
Rosé – 2021
Rosé made her big Met Gala debut in a little black dress by Saint Laurent. The Blackpink singer accessorized with a black bow and choker to complement the piece.
Billie Eilish – 2021
The singer debuted a brand new look for the “In America: A Lexicon of Fashion” theme. The blonde channeled Marilyn Monroe in a peach Oscar De La Renta gown for the evening.
Travis Barker and Kourtney Kardashian- 2022
The couple made their Met Gala debut in deconstructed Thom Browne suiting for the theme “In America: An Anthology of Fashion.”
Jodie Turner-Smith – 2022
The actor wore a flapper-style bodysuit by Gucci.
Jennie – 2023
The Blackpink star and Chanel ambassador kept her black and white look simple, wearing an archival Chanel white minidress with black tights.
Paris Hilton – 2023
Paris Hilton wore a black leather gown by Marc Jacobs for the night’s “Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty” theme.
Doja Cat – 2023
For the theme “Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty,” Doja Cat paid homage to the late designer’s cat, Choupette, in cat prosthetics.
Ayo Edebiri – 2024
The actor wore a floral, backless column dress, designed by Loewe, for her first Met Gala. The dress was made up of a halter-neck silhouette, which was adorned in hand-painted, hand-embroidered floral guipure lace and 3D appliqué flowers so that it looked like the flowers were blossoming.
Raye – 2024
The singer was a vision in a dazzling Fendi Haute Couture strapless silver gown. The look featured a silk silver bustier and an organza skirt, covered in 3D flower pistils. Raye styled the look with silver-colored gloves, inspired by Fendi’s spring/summer 2024 couture collection, and diamonds from Cartier’s Reflection de Cartier collection.
Tyla – 2024
The singer wore a dress made of sand—yes, really—for her first Met Gala, designed by Balmain. The strapless dress featured an organza mermaid train and was made with three hues of sand combined with micro crystal studs. The singer also carried the brand’s hourglass clutch.
Ambika Mod – 2024
For her first Met Gala experience, the One Day star wore a black and cream custom silk Loewe strapless gown with jewelry by sculptor Lynda Benglis. The dress featured a 3D digital print of the 1951 “Petal” ball gown designed by Charles James, which is made up of a a petal-shaped waist detail and a floral-like petticoat.
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