Only one event has the power to unite models, designers, musicians, actors and other A-listers: The Met Gala.
Otherwise known as the Costume Institute Benefit, the annual event is a who's who of fashion, with celebrities, athletes, politicians, influencers and more dressing to the nines (actually, make that the 20s) as they rub elbows at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
The Met Gala's dress codes complement the event's theme, derived from the Costume Institute's spring exhibit. For example, the 2024 event's dress code is "The Garden of Time," paired with the new exhibition, “Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion.”
Here's a look back at Met Gala themes over the years.
2023: ‘Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty’
Fashion lovers paid tribute to Karl Lagerfeld, the iconic and controversial fashion designer who passed away at the age of 85 in 2019 at this Met Gala. Lagerfeld was most known for working with Chanel and Fendi and developing his own line. Stars paid homage to Choupette, the cat he left behind.
2022: ‘In America: An Anthology of Fashion’
The 2022 theme was a sequel to the 2021 event. “Gilded Glamour" celebrated the exhibit called "In America: An Anthology of Fashion."
2021: ‘In America: A Lexicon of Fashion’
The Met Gala typically takes place in May, but the 2021 event was scheduled for September after a hiatus due to the pandemic. The theme centered around modern American fashion as the Costume Institute marked its 75th anniversary.
2019: ‘Camp: Notes on Fashion’
Writer and activist Susan Sontag’s 1964 essay “Notes on ‘Camp’” inspired the 2019 Met Gala theme, which drew out kitschy fashion, ironic and exaggerated styles.
2018: ‘Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination’
In collaboration with the Vatican, the 2018 exhibit highlighted traditions of religious dress. Attendees wore religious-inspired outfits replete with halos and angel wings.
2017: ‘Rei Kawakubo/Comme des Garçons: Art of the In-Between’
Rei Kawakubo, who is known for her fashion brand Comme des Garçons, was honored at the Met Gala in 2017. Celebrities showed up dressed to impress in stark silhouettes and frocks that brought the drama.
2016: ‘Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology’
Celebrities took creative license while interpreting this theme, listed as “tech white tie” on the invitation. Some opted for glamorous ensembles while others went for an edgier vibe.
2015: ‘China: Through the Looking Glass’
Per The Met, the 2015 exhibition explored "the impact of Chinese aesthetics on Western fashion and how China has fueled the fashionable imagination for centuries."
2014: ‘Charles James: Beyond Fashion’
Designer Charles James was known for his elaborate ball gowns, per The Met, and was most popular in the 1950s. Thirty-six years after his death in 1978, he was honored at the 2014 Met Gala with the theme "Charles James: Beyond Fashion."
2013: ‘Punk: Chaos to Couture’
Punk took over the red carpet in 2013, with celebrities and fashionistas donning studded gowns, faux mohawks and other edgy looks in honor of the Met Gala theme.
2012: ‘Schiaparelli and Prada: Impossible Conversations’
The Met Gala paid homage to not one, but two fashion designers in 2012: Miuccia Prada and the late Elsa Schiaparelli.
2011: ‘Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty’
After his death in 2010, Alexander McQueen's impact on the fashion industry was the focal point of the 2011 Met Gala.
2010: ‘American Woman: Fashioning a National Identity’
The Met Gala honored American women and their sense of style in 2019.
2009: ‘The Model As Muse: Embodying Fashion’
Models have long been designers' muses, so it seemed only natural that at least one of the Met Gala's themes would address their symbiotic relationship, as it did in 2009.
2008: ‘Superheroes: Fashion and Fantasy’
Met Gala guests found chic ways to incorporate superhero costume elements into their ensembles for this fun theme.
2007: ‘Poiret: King of Fashion’
The late fashion designer Paul Poiret, who died in 1944, was celebrated at the 2007 Met Gala.
2006: ‘Anglomania: Tradition and Transgression in British Fashion’
British fashion had a moment at the 2006 event. Per The Met, the exhibit examined "aspects of English culture that continue to capture the imaginations of Europeans and Americans, among them the class system, sport, royalty, pageantry, eccentricity, the gentleman, and the country garden."
2005: ‘The House of Chanel’
Chanel? Enough said.
2004: ‘Dangerous Liaisons: Fashion and Furniture in the 18th Century’
The theme in 2004 focused on "dress and its aesthetic interplay with art, furniture, and the broader decorative arts between 1750 and 1789," per The Met.
2003: ‘Goddess: The Classical Mode’
Activate goddess mode. The event's theme was relatively straightforward in 2003, with many guests opting for slinky styles that screamed "goddess."
2001: ‘Jacqueline Kennedy: The White House Years’
Few first ladies have had more influence on fashion than Jacqueline Kennedy. She was honored in 2001 as Met Gala attendees dressed in a range of elegant styles.
1999: ‘Rock Style’
Rock fashion has its own edgy look. Some attendees took a more casual approach to dressing for the 1999 Met Gala, as a result.
1998: ‘Cubism and Fashion’
Art and fashion are often intertwined, which the 1998 Met Gala acknowledged with the theme "Cubism and Fashion."
1997: ‘Gianni Versace'
Gianni Versace's career was highlighted at the Met Gala just months after he was murdered. Today, the Versace legacy is still going strong.
1996: ‘Christian Dior’
Say it after us: "J'adore Dior." Designer Christian Dior's gorgeous designs were celebrated at the 1996 event.
1995: ‘Haute Couture’
Haute couture, which translates to "high fashion," was on full display at the 1995 Met Gala and attendees dressed in varying levels of fancy frocks.
1994: ‘Orientalism: Visions of the East in Western dress’
East meets West! In 1994, the event committee dreamed up a theme — "Orientalism: Visions of the East in Western Dress" — that united eastern and western styles.
1993: ‘Diana Vreeland: Immoderate Style’
After former Vogue editor and Costume Institute consultant Diana Vreeland's death, the event honored her contributions to the Met Gala with the theme "Diana Vreeland: Immoderate Style" in 1993.
1992: ‘Fashion and History: A Dialogue’
Much was left up to interpretation with this theme, which explored the “fashions of radically different historical periods.”
1990: ‘Théâtre de la Mode — Fashion Dolls: The Survival of Haute Couture’
The Met Gala's 1990 theme had quite the poetic lilt to it and focused on high fashion: "Théâtre de la Mode — Fashion Dolls: The Survival of Haute Couture."
1989: ‘The Age of Napoleon: Costume from Revolution to Empire, 1789–1815’
Napoleon Bonaparte's influence on fashion was on display at the 1989 Met Gala, where guests were urged to wear frocks inspired by the period between 1789 and 1815.
1988: ‘From Queen to Empress: Victorian Dress 1837–1877’
Who hasn't dreamed of dressing like a queen? Met Gala attendees got their opportunity to do just that in 1988 when the event honed in on Victorian era attire, most specifically on the period between 1837 to 1877.
1987: ‘A Tribute to Diana Vreeland’
After working for Vogue, Diana Vreeland joined the Costume Institute’s event committee in 1972 and helped take the Met Gala up a notch per Architectural Digest. In 1987, the event honored Vreeland while it hosted an exhibit called "In Style: Celebrating Fifty Years of the Costume Institute."
1986: ‘Dance’
Traditionally, dancers have worn everything from elaborate costumes to toned down leotards. Met Gala guests were left to interpret the theme in 1986 and showed up dressed to impress.
1985: ‘Costumes of Royal India’
The country's fashions were put in the spotlight in 1985 when the Met Gala highlighted costumes of royal India.
1984: ‘Man and the Horse’
Equestrians are stylish in their own right, but they don't necessarily scream "glamour." Nonetheless, the 1984 Met Gala took a more casual approach, focusing on equestrian attire.
1983: ‘Yves Saint Laurent: 25 Years of Design’
Fashion A-Listers celebrated 25 years of Yves Saint Laurent's designs at the 1983 soirée.
1982: ‘La Belle Époque’
La Belle Époque, a period of European history that started in the late 19th century, was the theme du jour in 1982 at the Met Gala.
1981: ‘The 18th Century Woman’
How do you pack an entire century of fashion into one night? The Met Gala pulled it off with panache in 1981. A publication from the Met describes the theme and highlights the "opulence, charm, wit, intelligence" that women exhibited in the 18th century.
1980: ‘The Manchu Dragon: Costumes of China, the Ch’ing Dynasty’
Between 1644 and 1912, the Manchus ruled China during the Ch’ing dynasty, and the Met Gala encouraged attendees to dress in fashions inspired by this time in 1980. A publication from The Met highlighted Manchu dragon robes, ecclesiastical robes, theater costumes and more.
1979: ‘Fashions of the Hapsburg Era: Austria-Hungary’
The 1979 Met Gala event was a who's who of fashion and challenged attendees to dress in ensembles reminiscent of the Hapsburg Era.
1978: ‘Diaghilev: Costumes and Designs of the Ballets Russes’
Just two years after the "Glory of Russian Costume" theme, the Met Gala looked to Russia again with its 1978 theme, "Diaghilev: Costumes and Designs of the Ballets Russes." The Ballets Russes was a well-known ballet company in the early 20th century, which ceased to operate in 1929.
1977: ‘Vanity Fair: A Treasure Trove’
Per The Washington Post, the 1977 event featured items from the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s own collection.
1976: ‘The Glory of Russian Costume’
Met Gala attendees got a blast from fashion's past in 1976 as they explored the following theme: "The Glory of Russian Costume." The exhibition had clothes on display that, until then, hadn't been seen outside the Soviet Union.
1975: ‘American Women of Style’
The Met Gala put American women's passion for fashion in the spotlight in 1975.
1974: ‘Romantic and Glamorous Hollywood Design’
Is there anything more romantic than the Old Hollywood aesthetic? We think not, and the Met Gala committee seemed to agree in 1974 when it celebrated the glamour of Hollywood.
December 1973: ‘The 10s, the 20s, the 30s: Inventive Clothes’
Two Met Galas in one year? Yep, 1973 was a special year. The second event focused on the following theme: "The 10s, the 20s, the 30s: Inventive Clothes."
March 1973: ‘The World of Balenciaga’
The Met Gala began in 1948, but got its first theme in 1973, thanks to Vreeland. "The World of Balenciaga" highlighted the designs of Cristóbal Balenciaga.
