Over the past 15 years, the Met Gala red carpet has become increasingly jaw-dropping. The star-studded event—and its various themes—have encouraged attendees to have unabashed fun on the red carpet, and it’s a spirit that is amplified year after year. If you compare the 2010 Met Gala to 2019’s camp theme, for instance, the difference is drastic: What was once a sea of beautiful evening gowns has transformed into an evening of showmanship, pure extravagance, and risk-taking.

This year’s Met Gala will celebrate the Costume Institute’s new exhibition, titled “Costume Art.” The exhibition will examine and celebrate the centrality of the dressed body, featuring clothing and artworks from a majority of the museum’s 19 collecting areas. The Met Gala will be co-hosted by Beyoncé, Nicole Kidman, Venus Williams, and Anna Wintour. The red carpet dress code for the night is “Fashion is Art.”

While we’ll all have to wait to see how that plays out, we can satisfy our craving for elaborate dressing by looking at past Met Gala events. Consider it prime time to refresh your memory of all the past iconic looks to grace the carpet—and also, brush up on the moments and themes that you may have missed or forgotten. (Take Helen Lasichanh’s 2017 Comme des Garçons shapely look, the Olsen twins’ unexpected take on the 2013 punk theme, and many more.)

Below, Vogue has collected all of the Met Gala looks since 2010.

Last year’s Met Gala theme, “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style,” focused on Black dandyism—examining the importance of clothing and style to the formation of Black identities in the Atlantic diaspora. “Superfine” was only the second men’s-oriented exhibit at the Met, and it honored over 300 years of Black style, culture, and aesthetic expression. The Met was co-hosted by Colman Domingo, Lewis Hamilton, A$AP Rocky, Pharrell Williams, and Anna Wintour, while LeBron James served as an honorary chair. The dress code was “Tailored for You.”

The 2024 Met Gala theme, “Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion,” spotlighted one-of-a-kind fashions of the past. Approximately 250 items were drawn from the Costume Institute’s permanent collection—some very rarely seen in public before—and were displayed in entirely new ways, thanks to video animation, light projection, soundscaping, AI, CGI, and other forms of sensory stimulation. It was co-hosted by Zendaya, Jennifer Lopez, Chris Hemsworth, Bad Bunny, and Anna Wintour. The dress code was “The Garden of Time.”

The 2023 Met Gala theme, “Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty,” served as a celebration of Karl Lagerfeld—highlighting the late designer’s one-of-a-kind contributions to fashion while helming major fashion houses such as Chanel, Fendi, Balmain, and more. It was co-hosted by Michaela Coel, Penélope Cruz, Roger Federer, Dua Lipa, and Anna Wintour.

The 2022 Met Gala theme, “In America: An Anthology of Fashion,” kicked off the Costume Institute’s exhibition of the same name: It centered on the tenets of American style, and highlighted the anonymous and unsung heroes of U.S. design. On the red carpet, stars served up their best takes on the Gilded Glamour, White Tie dress code. The red carpet dress code was “in honor of Karl,” and celebrities paid homage to the designer via refined, black and white looks.

The 2019 Met Gala celebrated the Costume Institute’s newest exhibition, “In America: A Lexicon of Fashion,” which opened to the public in the Anna Wintour Costume Center on September 18th. On the red carpet, the celebrity guests embodied the theme of American style, from flashy, star-spangled ensembles, to more discreet nods to Americana motifs.

The camp-themed Met Gala was one of the most daring and outré red carpets in Met Gala history. The theme was a play on Susan Sontag’s 1964 essay “Notes on ‘Camp,’” and guests were encouraged to go eccentric and rock looks that deliberately toed the line between silly and sublime. From Jared Leto carrying a prosthetic version of his own head to Lady Gaga pulling off four outfit changes, it was an unforgettable spectacle.

The theme for the 2018 Met Gala connected the holy with the haute. The exhibit explored Catholic iconography in fashion, from papal vestments to more inspired takes from Gianni Versace, Coco Chanel, and more. Guests embraced this focus, choosing ensembles with nods to crosses, crowns, and, in Rihanna’s case, cardinal hats.

Paying homage to Rei Kawakubo, the 2017 Met Gala exhibition examined more than 100 pieces of the designer’s work at Comme des Garçons, spanning the brand’s history from the 1980s onward. While few stars wore Comme on the carpet, save for Rihanna in a fall 2016 look, many did embrace Kawakubo’s avant-garde spirit.

“Manus x Machina” explored the role of technology in fashion, from the 20th century to the present. The exhibit spotlighted more than 170 ensembles, and on the carpet, many guests went along with the futuristic theme. It was a particularly strong year for couple moments: Kim Kardashian West and Kanye West showed up in metallic silver Balmain looks, while Gigi Hadid and Zayn Malik did his-and-hers bionic eveningwear.

The 2015 Met Gala theme examined the influence of Chinese art, film, and pop culture on Western fashion, doing so through a collection of traditional artworks and more than 130 haute couture and ready-to-wear looks. The stars who won the red carpet were those who embraced Chinese designers: Rihanna’s much-meme’d yellow Guo Pei design is still talked about today.

If you love sweeping gowns, this is the year for you. The 2014 exhibition acknowledged the work of designer Charles James, one of the biggest names in mid-20th-century American fashion, and whose work inspired countless names after him, including the couturier Christian Dior. As for the carpet dress code, stars embraced couture designs that evoked the spirit of his work (read: feminine dresses like Dakota Johnson’s Jason Wu and Florence Welch’s Valentino Haute Couture), and the men dressed in white tie.

One of the wildest Met Galas in history, the 2013 theme focused on punk subculture and its influence on fashion. There were loads of safety pins, fishnet, and spike heels on the carpet. Sarah Jessica Parker even wore a mohawk headpiece by Philip Treacy.

The 2012 Met Gala exhibition examined the striking similarities between the works of Elsa Schiaparelli and Miuccia Prada, and the push-and-pull tensions between their two aesthetics. On the carpet, many chose Prada for their evening attire, like Carey Mulligan, Jessica Biel, Amber Valletta, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Eva Mendes.

This year’s theme was an ode to the incomparable work of the late Lee Alexander McQueen. Naomi Campbell, Sarah Jessica Parker, and many more paid homage to the designer by wearing his frocks that were heavy on the fantasy. While Beyoncé did not wear McQueen, she did steal the show that year in an embroidered Emilio Pucci number.

The 2010 Met Gala exhibit showcased evolving perceptions of the modern American woman from 1890 to 1940, and how those perceptions have affected the way American women are seen today. A certain timelessness was maintained though the red carpet, though more daring stars, such as Katy Perry, took risks by wearing an LED-light gown.

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