This year’s Met Gala theme would not have impressed The Devil Wears Prada’s demon magazine editor Miranda Priestly, but it hasn’t stopped a string of stars from walking the green carpet in their garden-inspired garments.
A-listers were invited to be imaginative with the 2024 dress code, The Garden of Time, which was inspired by a short story of the same name by JG Ballard.
Here are 26 of the most eye-catching outfits:
1. Camila Cabello badly needs a pair of gloves
Normally when stars talk about wearing ice, they’re referring to diamonds. In Camila Cabello’s case, however, she’s referring to actual frozen water.
“My hands are really cold,” the singer said, explaining she was planning to pass the ice on to someone else after she reached the top of the stairs. “I can’t feel my hands.”
The large block of ice featured a rose in the centre and accessorised her Ludovic de Saint Sernin gown, which reportedly featured 250,000 crystals and took more than 450 hours to make.
2. Levy and Edebiri split themselves in two
The Bear star Ayo Edebiri and Schitt’s Creek actor and writer Dan Levy both opted to keep their floral designs on the down low, with outfits that looked traditional from the top but bloomed from the waist down.
Edebiri wore a backless column dress with a hand-embroidered floral pattern intended to create the illusion of gradual blossoming.
Similarly, Levy wore what looked like a classic suit from the top half, but which faded a into a bright floral motif lower down.
3. Demi Moore is ready for a spot of archery
We’ve got to hand it to her, Demi Moore had one of the best looks of the night, even if she forgot to bring a bow to go with her arrows.
The actress’s velvet dress, designed by Harris Reed, was adorned with huge pink peonies made from vintage archival wallpaper.
Reed said the dress took more than 5,000 hours to make, adding that it was designed so the flowers would appear to decay as the design flowed further down the dress.
4. Lana Del Rey branched out
Singer Lana Del Rey had not attended the Met Gala since 2018, so decided she needed to give her fashion sense a root and branch overhaul.
She wore a corseted dress in silk, double georgette and tulle. The dress referenced an Alexander McQueen piece from nearly two decades ago, brought up to date by the fashion house’s current creative director Seán McGirr.
But the highlight was the special headpiece, which made use of natural hawthorn branches.
5. Lea Michele was in full bloom
A glowing Lea Michele walked the carpet wearing a Rodarte turqoise gown with a tulle cape, two months after announcing she was pregnant for the second time.
The Glee star and her husband Zandy Reich, who have a three-year-old son, Ever Leo, said they were “overjoyed” to be expecting again.
6. Nicki Minaj may need watering
If you ever need someone to bring you flowers in the pouring rain, Nicki Minaj has got you covered.
The singer’s yellow Marni mini-dress was adorned with 3D metal flowers in varying shapes and sizes – one of the most colourful and committed looks of the night.
Her look was completed by a bob hairstyle with an arched bubble ponytail.
7. Bad Bunny brought a bouquet
Did Bad Bunny look as if he had yanked his suit jacket out of the sewing machine before the tailor had actually finished making it? Yes. But he still looked great.
The rapper and singer wore a Renaissance-inspired custom Maison Margiela suit in navy blue with white threading which resembled pinstripes.
He carried a floral bouquet made from the same material as his jacket, reportedly intended to resemble a mixture of roses, Flor de Maga (the national flower of Puerto Rico), and the flax plant, which Sleeping Beauty pricked her finger on in the fairy tale.
The latter is a reference to the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s new exhibition Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion, which explores seminal pieces spanning four centuries.
8. Seyfried went silver
A large roll of non-stick tinfoil couldn’t hold a candle to Mamma Mia actress Amanda Seyfried, who wore a shiny metallic gown featuring flower appliques.
But as eye-catching as the Elizabeth Stewart dress was, all eyes were on Seyfried’s matching platinum hair and gemstone headpiece, which resembled leaves on a vine.
9. Lil Nas X nailed it
The singer and rapper wore a white suit by Luar, which featured asymmetrical panels of sparkly silver sequined fabric, and curved lines of buttons.
In terms of adherence to the dress code, we think the outfit could have done with a few more marigolds, but we’ll settle for the single white rose which decorated his collar.
Speaking on the green carpet, Lil Nas X told the BBC’s Brandon Drenon he had reconsidered his attendance earlier in the day, but had ultimately decided: “You know what, I wanna go, this is always a really nice opportunity to be a part of the cool kids club.”
10. Rebecca Ferguson was feeling peckish
Why dress to look like flowers and trees, when you could pay tribute to the birds who fly among them?
When actress Rebecca Ferguson first appeared at Monday’s Met Gala, she was draped in a plain black cloak.
But the star later opened it up to reveal a beautiful blue Thom Browne gown decorated with black ravens – a memorable look for her inaugural Met.
11. Sydney Sweeney debuted a new aesthetic
Looking just as ready for the Met Gala as she is to do the washing up, Sydney Sweeney dazzled in a powder blue Miu Miu gown with black flower stems.
The Euphoria star ditched her traditional blonde hair in favour of black, handily colour coordinating with her latex gloves.
12. Doja Cat came straight from the shower
The singer and rapper was wearing a towel on her head and another around her waist as she arrived, but later tossed them aside to reveal a soaking wet white oversized T-shirt.
It’s possible she was demonstrating what’s likely to happen if you venture into your garden during April in the UK.
British make-up artist Pat McGrath gave her bronzed eyes with streams of silver mascara seemingly pouring from her eyes.
13. Josh O’Connor’s shoes stole the show
Not that the rest of his outfit isn’t lovely, but we simply have to zoom in on Josh O’Connor’s shoes.
The Crown star wore custom Loewe with an avant-garde tail train, but it was his shoes, accented with floral motifs, which really captured the photographers’ attention.
14. Tyla was a sand sculpture
For her first ever Met Gala, singer Tyla enlisted Balmain for a dress made of sand – a reference to the sands of time.
“We were looking to do something creative, something completely different for my first Met Gala,” Tyla told Vogue.
“So when Balmain showed me the idea and sketch, I just knew it was perfect. The idea was crazy, and I loved it.”
An innovative idea, perhaps, but one which meant Tyla’s movement was so restricted she had to ask for help to climb the stairs.
15. Uma Thurman channelled an extinct butterfly
The Kill Bill star teamed up with Tory Burch to pay tribute to the insects, with a purple and blue dress made of taffeta and affixed with 3D butterflies.
Burch said her original inspiration was an extinct butterfly, the American Xerces Blue. “It had the most extraordinary iridescent blue wings that reminded me of Uma’s eyes,” she told Vogue.
16. Adwoa Aboah revealed her pregnancy
Last year, Serena Williams and Karlie Kloss revealed their baby bumps at the Met Gala. This year, it was Adwoa Aboah’s turn.
The British model sported a red H&M skirt with a matching ruffled crop top as she confirmed she was pregnant with her first child.
But something else which caught fans’ attention was her make-up – or lack of it. Aboah opted for an almost entirely natural look, with her only Met Gala make-up being some red lipstick.
17. Ariana and Cynthia looked Wicked
Get used to seeing these two together – because they’ve just shot a movie which is likely to be one of the year’s biggest releases.
Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo will star in the film adaptation of the smash hit stage musical Wicked, set to hit cinemas in November.
At the Met Gala, Grande sported a white Loewe gown, while Erivo wore a Thom Browne outfit featuring pink petals and scattered insects.
18. Gigi Hadid wore yellow roses
Gigi Hadid is no stranger to the Met Gala – in fact, the event arguably isn’t complete without her.
This year, the model wore a flowing white Thom Browne gown, with an eye-catching pattern of yellow roses.
Crafting the dress took a team of more than 70 people over 13,500 hours to make entirely by hand.
19. Gwendoline Christie went theatrical
The Game of Thrones star looked as if she had come straight from appearing as the evil queen in a fairy tale.
Wearing a striking red dress with a black sheer striped cape designed by Maison Margiela, Christie is surely firmly on the radar for Tim Burton’s next movie.
20. Cardi B did not get the flower memo
We’re not sure how the her dress linked with the theme but who cares – there is quite simply no situation in life that cannot be improved by the arrival of Cardi B.
The star briefly took over the entire landing with her black bespoke gown by Chinese designer Windowsen.
We counted nine men helping to carry her dress.
21. Sabrina Carpenter and Barry Keoghan made their red carpet debut
For her Met Gala look, Sabrina Carpenter wore an Oscar de la Renta dress, including a bouffant skirt which drew inspiration from an orchid.
Over the last few months, Carpenter has been dating Saltburn star Barry Keoghan, who also attended the Met Gala wearing a Burberry suit.
The pair took the opportunity to make their red carpet debut as a couple, posing for pictures at the top of the famous staircase.
22. Kim Kardashian brought grandma chic
The reality star wore a silver John Galliano corset paired with a sheer dress featuring a lace trim with leaves and flowers.
Her look was completed with a matching grey cardigan draped over her shoulders.
23. Jennifer Lopez was not prioritising comfort
J. Lo was having similar mobility issues to Tyla, as the singer and actress admitted she could barely walk in her dress.
“The Met Gala looks… are not about comfort,” Lopez noted ahead of the event, delivering perhaps the understatement of the year.
The star, one of this year’s Met Gala co-chairs, wore a strapless sheer Schiaparelli couture gown that took 800 hours to create and featured more than 2.5 million silver bugles and beads.
24. Dua Lipa is bringing back belly chains
Fresh from releasing her latest album, Dua Lipa hit the green carpet embraced boudoir dressing at the Met Gala with a custom Marc Jacobs dress.
The singer spruced up a lacy all-black dress with bedazzled belly chains, mesh polka-dot gloves and a huge black feather boa over her shoulder.
25. Serena Williams set a gold standard
The tennis star sported a metallic gold one shoulder Balenciaga dress and paired it with black gloves, tights and shoes.
Made from 25 metres of gold foil-laminated taffeta sourced from Italy, the dress was complemented by headpiece featuring golden floral accessories.
26. Zendaya sprung a costume change
The actress, who recently starred in Dune: Part Two and Challengers, was one of the co-chairs of this year’s Met Gala.
Wearing a John Galliano creation based on a 1999 Dior piece, Zendaya was striking in a royal blue and emerald green dress, with embellishments which looked as if they were inspired by fruit trees.
But the hottest star in the world right now wasn’t done.
Around two hours after she first walked the carpet, she returned to give fans an encore, with new make-up, a new dress and a whole new vibe.
Zendaya reappeared wearing a black gown – a 1996 piece from John Galliano’s Givenchy era – paired with an entire bouquet of flowers on her head.
Florals? For spring? Sorry, Miranda, we’re here for it.
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