The Wildest Looks In Met Gala History

The first Monday in May marks the most glamorous night of the year, thanks to the Met Gala. The annual event, which raises money to benefit the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute, influences famous faces to get all dolled up in couture and climb the red-carpet-clad stairs of the Met. Hopefully, they're wearing something that adheres to that year's theme, which has featured a wide range of topics from "Camp: Notes on Fashion" to "China: Through the Looking Glass." 

The latter theme gave us this legendary number on Rihanna in 2015, a fur-trimmed cape that put Chinese designer Guo Pei on the fashion map in the U.S. and beyond. The risky ensemble made for one of the most memorable red carpet moments in history, and while this bold look certainly makes the list, it's not even the wildest selection made in Met Gala history. We're taking a look back at some of the strangest red carpet moments that have happened on these chic Monday nights.

After years of pointedly not being invited by Vogue, Kim Kardashian made her Met Gala debut as then-boyfriend Kanye West's-plus one in 2013 (take a peek into West's relationship history). The date served as her chance to show the world her best couture, so when she arrived wearing this frock that many compared to a grandmother's old couch, the fashion world was unimpressed. 

Kardashian reminisced about this Givenchy gown with People in 2019, explaining, "We chose a really stretchy fabric because I would be growing." Unfortunately for the reality star, this resulted in one of the most clowned-upon looks in Met Gala history. 

The 2018 Met Gala theme put religion on display with "Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination." Katy Perry took things incredibly literal, arriving as an angel clad in a pair of stunning feathered wings created by Versace. The look, which also included a golden minidress and matching thigh-high boots, was so extreme that Vogue reported that the pop star entered the museum sideways, which is also how she was probably looked at by her fellow gala-goers.

When it comes to Met Gala accessories, we're used to being wowed by impressive jewels. But in 2017, Jaden Smith's weird choices catapulted the concept to a new level. The musician turned up on that year's cream carpet in all black, clutching what he told Vogue was "his old hair." He told the outlet he brought the hair since he couldn't bring his sister, and posed flashing the blond dreadlocks. Perhaps even more oddly, after showing them off, he returned them to his pocket. 

When it comes to rock royalty, it doesn't get much bigger than the daughters of members of The Beatles and Aerosmith. So when the 1999 Met Gala theme was "Rock Style," Stella McCartney and Liv Tyler were obvious invitees. Their outfits, on the other hand, were surprising. They turned up in  ripped Hanes tank tops they had customized earlier that morning with ribbons and studs to read "Rock Royalty" in an impossibly cool, yet shockingly casual Met Gala showing.

The untold truth of Solange Knowles includes her penchant for fashion risks, but in 2015, that daring style didn't translate. The star turned up in a structural circular Giles minidress, meant to resemble a fan, though fashion fans couldn't quite see the vision. Knowles later explained to Refinery29 that she had adhered to the theme, noting, "It gave the illusion of a fan — the theme was '[China:] Through the Looking Glass,' and I wanted to be as respectful as possible to the theme."

In the untold truth of Ashley Parks, you'll realize that the popularity of "Emily in Paris" landed her a Met Gala invite in 2022, but the Prabal Gurung design she wore placed her on a few worst-dressed lists. She told People that the hot pink bodice and black ostrich-feathered skirt meant to impart a "deconstructed gilded-age look" to follow that year's "In America: An Anthology of Fashion" theme, but that's not easy to see at first glance, much like the neon shoes with which she paired it. 

Back in 2001, girl groups were all the rage. That's how the band 3LW landed a coveted Met Gala invitation. Members Adrienne Bailon, Kiely Williams, and Naturi Naughton arrived at that year's event in neon yellow and bright blue matching outfits, comprising a halterneck minidress, a sequined shorts and jacket, and a halter-style crop top paired with low-slung sparkly trousers. The only problem? The theme that year was "Jacqueline Kennedy: The White House Years."

A baseball cap on the Met Gala red carpet? Nicki Minaj's 2022 getup included a black leather ruffled bustier, leggings, and a matching hat. The rapper told Vogue she was "obsessed with the hat," but fashion lovers weren't as enamored with the unconventional accessory. An argument can be made that it fits the "In America: An Anthology of Fashion" theme, since what's more American than baseball, but the Burberry ensemble as a whole fell flat. It surprisingly wasn't the only baseball hat worn that night.

A ball cap-wearing bride? That was apparently Kylie Jenner's vision at the 2022 Met Gala. The reality star rocked a baseball hat backward that year and served as an almost-perfect foil to Nicki Minaj's look, but instead took a stark white approach and gave off a bridal vibe. The dress was designed by the late Virgil Abloh for his label Off-White, and included the brand's signature "Off" logo above the neckline. A veil draped over the baseball hat completed the bizarre fashion moment.

Rihanna's "China: Through the Looking Glass" interpretation in 2015 was both literal and legendary, leaving us with one of the most iconic looks in the event's history. The star told Vogue that she put time into selecting the ensemble and found this "beautiful piece" from Guo Pei while researching Chinese couture, revealing, "It's handmade by one Chinese woman. It took two years to make this." The intricate, unique piece certainly made a statement and spawned endless internet memes.

In 2023, a nearly unrecognizable Doja Cat arrived on the Met Gala red carpet. The reason? The singer was channeling legendary fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld's cat, Choupette. That year's theme, "Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty," was meant to pay homage to the icon, and Doja Cat's Choupette reference was certainly clever. Unfortunately, the prosthetics, paired with the hooded Oscar de La Renta gown that even included cat ears, were downright wild — and not in a good way.

We have a lot of questions about Lily Aldridge's 2017 Met Gala getup. There are so many strange elements, it's tough to know where to start. The model arrived in a custom Ralph Lauren asymmetrical design that featured daring cutouts, a cape, and a hip-high slit, which put her funky red thigh-high boots on full display. Making matters even worse? The odd pairing was accessorized with a bizarre matching red veil, draped only from the nose down. 

Tennis superstar Serena Williams is no stranger to making a big splash in the fashion world, but the reasoning behind her 2021 Met Gala might surprise you. She told "Entertainment Tonight" that it was meant to be a "super hero"-esque look, but aside from that splashy outerwear technically being considered a cape, we're just not seeing it. The star arrived in this outlandish pink ombré feathered piece draped over a slinky silver embellished bodysuit, all by Gucci. It's still unclear how it tied into that year's "In America: A Lexicon of Fashion" theme. 

Jared Leto took odd accessories to the next level with his 2019 Met Gala appearance. If you thought Jaden Smith's dreadlocks were a strange thing to carry around, Leto raised the stakes by bringing a replica of his head. Wearing a dramatic red gown by Gucci, which started this odd trend at its runway show a few seasons prior, the star clutched a replica of his severed head: goatee, long hair, and all. Despite how creepy it looked, the strange stunt, at least, tied into that year's theme, "Camp: Notes on Fashion." 

"The Crown" star Emma Corrin made headlines when she seemingly hinted at her sexuality. But the conversation quickly shifted when she arrived at the 2022 Met Gala looking like she borrowed her grandfather's coat. The star was dwarfed by the Miu Miu getup, which featured an oversized, double-breasted plaid sport coat over short black shorts and a massive black top hat. White tights and pointy-toe boots completed the look. Of the strange ensemble, Corrin's stylist, Harry Lambert, summed up the strategy to Vogue, sharing, "Emma likes to take risks, and there's no better place for her to wear a top hat than at the Met Gala." 

Two thousand and eighteen's Met Gala theme, "Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination," may have had some of the most unique and on-theme looks of all time. But for all the papal-inspired headwear and angel wings, some stars opted not to even try. That was Frances McDormand, who made headlines for another reason — this bizarre custom Valentino showing. From the bold teal cape to the bright green frock underneath to the truly puzzling array of leaves arranged around her head, we would love to know the full thought process behind this one. 

Elle Fanning is a fashion darling, regularly at home on best-dressed lists, so when she interpreted "Camp: Notes on Fashion" at the 2019 Met Gala, it was a bit of a surprise. She arrived in Miu Miu coordinates, a bold pink crop top with exaggerated sleeves paired with dramatic bell-bottoms, and topped them with kitschy charm necklaces. Her stylist, Samantha McMillen, told Vogue that the inspiration behind this wild outfit was "a 1970s Barbie." McMillen also revealed that the charms included the word "Camp," alongside flowers, unicorns, and one of Fanning from her last Met Gala appearance, noting, "So it's meta and it's camp!" 

In the fashion department, Rita Ora is somewhat of an antithesis to Elle Fanning. She lands on many worst-dressed lists, taking risks that rarely pan out. This 2024 Met Gala getup is no exception, pushing the envelope with the trendy barely-there dress while failing to make any sense with that year's theme, "Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion." Ora's Marni dress was custom and featured a sheer bodysuit underneath strings of colored beading strategically placed to avoid a wardrobe malfunction. She paired the daring, questionable design with an equally puzzling wet-hair look.

Vogue called it a "date," but we like to think of Frank Ocean's robot baby as more of an accessory at the 2021 Met Gala. Yep, you read that right — the stylish singer hit that year's cream carpet holding a creepy green robot baby, complete with a grill. While Ocean wore a black velvet Prada suit, his bizarre robot buddy donned a printed onesie. We're still clueless on how this ties into the "In America: A Lexicon of Fashion" theme to this day. 

That same year at the Met Gala, another usually fashionable gentleman wore an unfortunate look. Dan Levy's colorful J.W. Anderson ensemble included dramatic puffy sleeves, sequins, and conflicting black combat boots, but there was a sweet meaning behind this fashion misfire. In a since-deleted post on Instagram, Levy shared that the design on the front had a backstory (via Today), revealing, "With support from the estate of American multimedia artist and LGBTQIA+ activist, David Wojnarovicz (1954-1992), Jonathan and the design team built upon an image of two men kissing from Wojnarovicz's work."

A fact about Janelle Monae is that she loves an outlandish fashion moment, so this one may not have been a surprise, but it still marks one of the wackiest looks in Met Gala history. For the "Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty" theme in 2023, Monae arrived in this comically oversized black-and-white tweed design by Thom Browne, complete with a hoop skirt underneath for dramatic effect. While strange, the tweed was the perfect nod to Lagerfeld's history with Chanel, and the cat-shaped purse served as a wink to his beloved cat, Choupette.

Sometimes, Met Gala fashion fails are so flagrant that they take the internet by storm. That's what happened when Beyoncé arrived in this unforgettable Givenchy dress at the 2016 Met Gala. But this nude-hued gown didn't make waves for being super stylish or something everyone wanted to rush out and buy; it went viral for being bizarre. The puffy-sleeved latex frock featured strange beaded embellishments throughout the top half, which some people on the internet likened to pimples.

You might not believe it, but back in 2010, the words Kristen Stewart and sheer skirt were put in the same sentence thanks to her Met Gala appearance. These days, the actor isn't known for her scandalous couture, but back then, she arrived at the glamorous event in a strapless black Chanel design. The frock featured a structured sweetheart neckline and a shockingly sheer skirt that started at the top of her thigh, putting her legs on full display and landing her on the fashion-miss list. 

In 2021, the very fashionable A$AP Rocky arrived at the Met Gala in someone's great-grandmother's quilt. Though it sounds too crazy to be true, the designer ERL, Eli Russell Linnetz, was inspired by a thrifted patchwork quilt while designing this coat. Grazia reported that an Instagram user named Sarah, in a now-deleted post, revealed, "So my great grandmothers quilt was donated to an antique/thrift store a while back. When I saw the #metgala Photo I realized instantly that it had to be the same quilt." It turns out, Sarah's great-grandmother's quilt inspired this strange Met Gala moment!

Lupita Nyong'o picked a Prada dress for the 2014 Met Gala. Unfortunately, the flapper-style frock left a lot to be desired, from the neon green and chocolate brown color combo to the wild embellishments and large feathered fringe down the sides. The internet obviously went to work after photos made their rounds — comparing her look to a dreamcatcher, a tennis net, a cat toy, and even a jungle-gym climbing ladder.