The first Monday of May arrived and flowers of ethereal beauty came into full bloom on the 2024 Met Gala carpet. This year’s Met Gala theme, “Garden of Time,” draws inspiration from a 1962 J.G. Ballard story and perfectly aligns with the Costume Institute’s Spring exhibition titled “Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion.” The exhibit showcased 250 rare items from four centuries, including a few too fragile to even be hung for presentation.
As per a press release by the museum, Andrew Bolton, Curator in Charge of The Costume Institute said, “What was once a vital part of a person’s lived experience is now a motionless ‘artwork’ that can no longer be worn or heard, touched, or smelled. The exhibition endeavors to animate these artworks by re-awakening their sensory capacities through a range of technologies.”
Honoring the dress code, our favorite celebrities walked down the famed steps in the most spectacular outfits that transported us to an extraordinary realm full of magic. While Zendaya’s Margiela gown presented her commitment to the theme as the co-chair for the night, Cardi B’s massive outfit by Windowsen reaffirmed her penchant for fashion and drama.
Here are our top 14 of the best looks from the 2024 Met Gala.
1. Zendaya in Maison Margiela and Givenchy
The actress made a grand entrance at this year’s Met Gala, surprising her fans with not one, but two jaw-dropping outfits. Her first ensemble, a green & blue Maison Margiela gown by John Galliano, paid homage to a classic 1999 Dior design. Shaped into a one-shoulder silhouette, it featured a long trumpet skirt and sparkling tulle. Adorned with nature-inspired accents like a delicate bird perched on her shoulder, clusters of grapes, and a striking feather headpiece, her look was nothing short of mesmerizing.
Transitioning to her second look, she slipped into a black corset dress from Givenchy’s Spring 1996 Haute Couture collection, also by John Galliano. Featuring whimsical ruffled sleeves and a sweeping train, it exudes timeless elegance with a hint of drama. But it was her colossal rose bouquet headpiece from Alexander McQueen’s Spring 2007 collection that truly stole the show.
2. Gigi Hadid in Thom Browne
Gigi Hadid channeled old Hollywood glamor for the biggest fashion night of the year, becoming an easy entry into our list of best looks from the 2024 Met Gala. She wore a Thom Browne outfit that flowed to form a train with layers of ruffles and yellow roses. For the extra sparkle, she opted for delightful jewelry from Chopard.
3. Cardi B in Windowsen
Continuing tradition, Cardi B brought dramatic fashion to the Met Gala carpet this year too. Inspired by a black rose, she made an impactful entry on the red carpet donning a black gown by Windowsen made with various layers of tulle ruffles and an enormous train. She paired it with an equally dramatic turban and dazzling jewelry.
4. Lana Del Ray in Alexander McQueen
Dressed in a marvelous Alexander McQueen outfit, Lana Del Rey easily gave us one of the best looks from the 2024 Met Gala. She wore a floor-length nude dress with hand-embroidered hawthorn branches crawling up from the gown to her tulle veil. The single rose flower in her hand makes it a true work of art.
5. Tyla in Balmain
“We really wanted something out of the box for this year,” said Tyla on the carpet and she certainly didn’t disappoint. Representing ‘sands of time’, she arrived in a form-fitting dress by Balmain. The brand’s creative director Olivier Rousteing told Vogue that the outfit flaunts three colors of sand mixed with micro-crystal studs. The hourglass-shaped handbag and sand-like detailing on her shoulder and arm helped tie the look to perfection.
6. Jennifer Loper in Schiaparelli
As the co-chair of the evening, Jennifer Lopez stunned in a sheer body-hugging Schiaparelli outfit by Daniel Roseberry. The dress took 800 hours of hand embroidery and was designed with more than 2.5 million silver foil bugle beads. Dripping with crystals and pearls, she accessorized the dress with a Tiffany & Co. bird necklace from their Blue Book 2024 collection and kept her makeup neutral.
7. Ayo Edebiri in Loewe
Ayo Edebiri nailed the garden theme with a Loewe gown, effortlessly delivering one of the best looks of Met Gala 2024. With a halter neck and backless silhouette, the lace dress starts off in full white and flows down gently to form a stunning floral garden.
8. Bad Bunny in Maison Margiela
As one of the evening’s co-chairs, Bad Bunny dazzled with his impeccable fashion sense. Stepping onto the carpet in a well-tailored Maison Margiela suit, complete with floral props and gloves, he evoked the essence of ‘Count Alex’ from the J.G. Ballard story.
9. Nicki Minaj in Marni
Nicki Minaj brought the joy of colorful flowers to the carpet, and she did it beautifully. The rapper chose a Marni dress intricately crafted with hand-painted golden silk duchess material and decorated with an array of 3D flowers in vibrant shades.
10. Sydney Sweeney in Miu Miu
Radiating the aura of a fairytale protagonist, the American actress made a charming appearance at this year’s Met Gala in a light-blue Miu Miu gown. The dress was designed with all-over crystal floral embroidery and she paired it with contrasting leather black gloves. To perfect the ensemble, Sydney Sweeney departed from her typical blonde locks, opting instead for a chic dark-haired bob.
11. Lil Nas X in Raul Lopez of Luar
It’s never a dull fashion moment with Lil Nas X! Subtle yet impactful, the star attended the event in a suit by Raul Lopez of Luar and jewelry by David Yurman. The cream-colored outfit was created with buttons on the seams, a rose motif, and 50,000 Swarovski crystals.
12. Alia Bhatt in Sabyasachi
Infusing the theme “Garden of Time” with her roots, Alia Bhatt chose a mesmerizing custom Sabyasachi saree. A masterpiece of meticulous craftsmanship, this timeless ensemble required over 1965 man-hours by 163 artisans. Adorned with intricate hand embroidery, precious stones, and delicate glass bead fringe, the Bollywood icon stood out as one of the best looks from the 2024 Met Gala.
13. Lewis Hamilton in Burberry
Lewis Hamilton understood the assignment well and brought meaningful fashion to the Met Gala this year. He revealed that his all-black outfit from Burberry is inspired by one of the UK’s first black gardeners, John Ystumllyn and his coat featured a poem called ‘The Gardener’ by Alex Wharton on the inside.
14. Mona Patel in Iris Van Herpen
Styled by Law Roach, the Indian Entrepreneur and Philanthropist, Mona Patel, made head turns in a custom Iris Van Herpen couture. The floor-length gown is delicately crafted with kinetic butterflies for a mesmerizing touch, and as she glided across the carpet, the butterflies on her arms fluttered in harmony with her movements.
