The Met Gala was once dubbed fashion’s biggest night out, with A-listers clamouring for a spot on Vogue matriarch Anna Wintour’s exclusive guest list.
However, the mood at Vogue HQ is likely to be more subdued this year after stars like Zendaya, Bella Hadid, and Meryl Streep shunned the event over Amazon boss Jeff Bezos’s involvement.
In a first, the charity fundraiser for the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s costume institute will be sponsored by Bezos and wife Lauren Sanchez, who are also this year’s co-chairs.
With the star power considerably dimmed, can couture save the day?
As fans across the world wait to watch how their favourite stars interpret the ‘Fashion is Art’ theme, we look back at some of the most bizarre, outrageous, and downright disastrous red carpet moments over the past decade.
From horse head costumes to naked dresses, these are the Met Gala dresses that threatened to ruin its fashionable reputation.
Gwyneth Paltrow
Gwyneth Paltrow picked an uninspiring Valentino gown for the punk-themed gala in 2013
Gwyneth Paltrow failed to impress at the 2013 punk-themed gala in an unadventurous pink Valentino gown.
While her outfit was decidedly bland, her comments about the Met Gala being ‘unfun’ spiced things up, with Gwyneth declaring she would never attend the ‘crowded’ event again.
She has since attended the Met Gala five times.
Cara Delevingne
Cara Delevigne’s China-inspired costume for the 2015 gala was branded a miss
Cara Delevingne turned to Stella McCartney to design her cutout, black jumpsuit when she walked the red carpet in 2015.
She also recruited celebrity tattoo artist Keith ‘Bang Bang’ McCurdy to create her China-inspired body art – but the look ultimately fell flat.
Sarah Jessica Parker
Sarah Jessica Parker wore one of her own designs to the 2015 event
Sarah Jessica Parker has delivered several memorable Met Gala moments, but the self-designed, one-shouldered gown she wore to the 2015 instalment is a look best forgotten.
However, the headpiece, designed by royal-approved milliner Philip Treacy, guaranteed the outfit internet infamy.
Madonna
Madonna’s Givenchy gown for the 2016 edition of the Met Gala is one of the most controversial outfits seen on the red carpet in recent years
The bondage-themed Givenchy gown designed by Italian designer Riccardo Tisci left little to imagination
Madonna’s derriere-baring, bondage-inspired Givenchy gown for the 2016 Met Gala is among the most controversial looks in recent years.
The dress, designed by former Givenchy and Burberry creative director Riccardo Tisci, included details like lace panelling, black leather thigh boots, and black tape over her nipples.
The theme for the 2016 edition was Manus x Machina: Fashion In An Age Of Technology, but the Queen of Pop’s interpretation missed the mark, according to commentators.
Pete Davidson
Pete Davidson’s 2023 look, including a bucket hat, trench coat, and sunglasses, was widely panned
The 2023 Met Gala honoured Karl Lagerfeld’s historic fashion legacy but Pete Davidson seemingly missed the memo as he rocked up wearing a bucket hat and trench coat.
The look was so bad, even his ex-girlfriend Kim Kardashian’s daughter North West had notes.
‘You’re going to the Met Gala, Pete. Not the gas station,’ she said during an episode of her family’s reality TV show, The Kardashians.
Kylie Jenner
Kylie Jenner’s bridal dress in 2022 fell short, fans said
Fans branded Kylie Jenner’s wedding dress Met Gala look for the 2022 all-American iteration a ‘walking tragedy’ at the time.
It featured a dramatic, ruffled skirt and fitted bodice that she paired with a mesh t-shirt, veil, and backwards baseball cap for a look that felt more confused than couture.
Kim Petras
Kim Petras opted for a bold, horse-themed look from Collina Strada for the 2021 Met Gala
One of 2021’s most bizarre looks, German singer Kim Petras’s horse-themed look is often first across the worst-dressed finish line.
Viewers felt the printed dress, paired with a 3-D horse head, was ‘tacky and ostentatious’ when she galloped down the red carpet in 2021.
Kim Kardashian
Kim’s floral-print gown became an instant meme when she attended the 2013 Met Gala as ex-husband Kanye West’s guest
Kim Kardashian, who is now a Met Gala mainstay, first attended the event as ex-husband Kanye West’s plus one in 2013.
However, the reality TV star’s debut, while pregnant with her first child North West, was derailed after her Givenchy gown became one of the most ridiculed outfits in Met history.
Kim’s floral-print gown became an instant meme, as social media users compared it to their grandmother’s couch.
Katy Perry
Katy Perry dressed as a life-sized chandelier for the 2019 event celebrating camp
Katy Perry’s 2019 look lit up the meme pages after the pop star transformed into a living, breathing chandelier that weighed 40 pounds.
In a bid to outdo herself, she later changed into a cheeseburger costume for the after-party.
Jared Leto
Jared Leto went to the 2023 Met Gala as Karl Lagerfeld’s cat Choupette
Jared Leto was unanimously voted the worst offender of the 2023 Met Gala when he hit the red carpet as the designer’s beloved cat, Choupette, the same year.
The mascot-style suit even topped the Suicide Squad’s camp outfit in 2019, when he posed on the red carpet while holding a replica of his decapitated head.
Halle Berry
Halle Berry’s risque La Quan Smith gown was trying too hard, fans suggested
Last year, Halle Berry risked a serious wardrobe malfunction when she walked the red carpet in a custom sheer panelled dress from La Quan Smith.
Fans were shocked when they noticed parts of the actress’s groin were visible as they branded the risque look ‘tasteless’.
‘The jacket distracts and the dress didn’t need to show her groin. It’s just obviously trying to be outrageous,’ one Reddit user wrote.
Venus Williams
Venus Williams teamed up with Lacoste for last year’s outfit, but the tennis-themed
Venus Williams is one of the co-chairs of this year’s Met Gala, but her 2025 twist on the dandy theme left fashion commentators scratching their heads.
The sports icon teamed up with Lacoste for what many felt was a ‘basic tennis outfit’ complete with a pleated skirt and ‘ill-fitting’ t-shirt
One person wrote: ‘This is a great concept. The execution though is a mess.’
