Met Gala 2021: 17 Best Looks From The Biggest Night In Fashion

With last year’s edition cancelled and this year’s postponed, anticipation for The Met Gala 2021 was higher than ever before, and thankfully the A-listers didn’t hold back in giving us the ultimate sartorial spectacle. Fashion, fun and fresh faces reigned at this year’s youth-driven fundraising extravaganza, held at New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art on Monday. And the event usually referred to as “fashion's biggest night out” certainly delivered its usual mix of the weird and wonderful as stars celebrated this year’s theme of ‘In America: A Lexicon of Fashion,’ a reflection of the  Metropolitan Museum Costume Institute new exhibition. 

Celebrities really understood the assignment, coming up with fabulous innovative patriotic looks.  Co-chair Billie Eilish shunned the usual loungewear for a frothy peach custom Oscar de la Renta dress that screamed old Hollywood glamour. The Holiday Barbie-inspired gown, which also gave off major Marilyn Monroe vibes, came with a full tulle skirt, train, shoulder wrap and printed tulle ombré bustier top. Jennifer Lopez, meanwhile, looked to the American West, with a cowgirl meets couture look by Ralph Lauren. The custom rich dark brown gown came with a plunging neckline and intricate embroidery that mixes crystal and beads with braided silk and leather trims. A faux fur shearling cape, constructed completely by hand and embellished with a light shower of crystal beadwork, which took over 200 hours to create, and cowboy hat completed the look.  

Another celebrity that owned the theme was Lupita Nyong’o with her strapless custom Atelier Versace denim dress with sculptural haute couture silhouette, adorned with a crystal gorgette underskirt with a thigh high slit and dramatic train. Additionally, Ciara rocked a sparkly green American football-themed Dundas gown with her husband’s jersey number and cutout detail. Plus, Imaan Hammam stunned in a white Atelier Versace spring 2020 gown with a sheer bodice and intricately embroidered sparkling stars representing the American Flag. 

In fact, as well as all things American fashion, see-through and sparkling was a big trend during the event that’s formally called the Costume Institute Gala or the Costume Institute Benefit. Kendall Jenner went for a Givenchy Haute Couture custom-made naked dress by Matthew M. Williams. Created from illusion tulle, the look was embroidered with crystals, crystal flowers and crystal fringe. Worn over a corset body suit, the creation was a homage to the Givenchy dress Audrey Hepburn wore in “My Fair Lady” during the ball scene.  Another sensational sheer and bedazzling look came from Zoë Kravitz in a gown with chains and monogram strass from Saint Laurent by Anthony Vaccarello. 

Elegant looks also ruled during the celebratory night highlighting high fashion. Yara Shahidi paid homage to Josephine Baker in a vintage 1920’s look. The custom Dior sleeveless gown, embroidered with intricate beading and featuring a thin belt, was paired with a floor-length gauzy veil and gloves. Plus, social media superstar Emma Chamberlain donned an embroidered silk organza gown with a mini side train. According to a statement from Louis Vuitton, the dress with days of microbeads, rhinestones, sequins, rococo style beads and Swarovski crystals took 290 hours to hand-embroider.

However, for her Met Gala debut, Kaia Gerber avoided the glitter and looked super classy in a strapless lightweight faille black gown by Oscar de la Renta. With a fitted bodice decorated with embroidered ivy vines and a billowing skirt. , the dress was a reference to a Halston gown Bianca Jagger wore to the storied event in 1981. Gigi Hadid also nailed it in the tasteful department with a strapless ivory silk radzimir column gown with contrasting duchesse black bodice by Prada, which came with a thigh-high leg slit in the back. The supermodel, who made waves with her new fiery red hair colour and cute reunion with pal Kendall, accessorised the gown with black leather arm-length gloves.