(Red Carpet)
These Were Hands Down The Best 2021 Met Gala Looks
Don’t miss out on America’s biggest fashion night.
After a postponement and even confusion over if the Met Gala would ever return, the day has finally come. The fashion industry’s equivalent of the Super Bowl is back — and happening in two parts. The first gala aka the red carpet you all know and love takes place tonight on Sept. 13, 2021, and the second part, an exhibition, will occur on May 5, 2022. With early celebrity arrivals like Ilana Glazer and Emma Chamberlain setting the bar high for the rest of the attendees, the best 2021 Met Gala’s fashion looks will have you wanting to blow up the group chat with photos immediately. Keke Palmer arrived in a shimmering, long-sleeve gown while on the opposite end of the spectrum, Glazer opted for a playful feathered dress.
This year’s theme centers on the evolution of American fashion (titled “In America: A Lexicon Of Fashion”) and will celebrate the role of American labels in championing sustainability, diversity, and inclusion. You can expect most stars to dress according to the theme, but how they choose to interpret it will vary widely, as that is where the fun and creativity comes in. If you recall the subject matter for the 2019 Met Gala — it was “Camp: Notes On Fashion” — led celebrities to arrive in their campiest, most outrageous garments, with Lady Gaga leading the charge in Brandon Maxwell. Though this year’s topic might be a little less on the nose, make no mistake — Hollywood stars, with the help of their stylists, debuted some magnificent red carpet looks.
Ahead, see all the celebrities who participated in this year’s Met Gala festivities and what they wore. You won’t want to miss all the re-emergence red carpet fashion.
A$AP Rocky & Rihanna
The couple coordinated in the comfiest, puffiest looks. Rihanna’s all-black number was from Balenciaga’s Fall/Winter 2021 Haute Couture collection. She wore over 267 carats worth of Bvlgari jewelry in addition to a five-carat diamond ring from Nigerian designer Thelma West.
Zoë Kravitz
Kravitz left very little to the imagination in a completely sheer dress from Saint Laurent.
Kristen Stewart
The star skipped the gown in favor of a printed pink top and white pants combo from Chanel’s Spring/Summer 2021 Haute Couture collection.
Jennifer Lopez
Lopez brought the Western vibes in her Ralph Lauren ensemble. She wore JLO Jennifer Lopez heels from her DSW collection.
Lil Nas X
The singer showed up with not one, not two, but three Versace outfit changes.
Justin Bieber & Hailey Bieber
The Biebers decided to keep it understated and classic with their coordinating black outfits. Hailey wore a strapless Saint Laurent dress and dazzled in Tiffany & Co. jewelry.
Kim Kardashian
The entrepreneur and reality star looked unrecognizable in Balenciaga.
Kendall Jenner
Jenner wore a bedazzled ensemble, inspired by My Fair Lady, courtesy of Givenchy.
Gigi Hadid
Hadid tapped into the opera gloves trend for the night at the Met Gala in custom Prada.
Rosé & Anthony Vaccarello
Blackpink’s Rosé attended the Met Gala with Saint Laurent’s Creative Director Anthony Vaccarello, who designed her mini dress.
Jordan Alexander & Christopher John Rogers
The Gossip Girl star and designer Christopher John Rogers accompanied each other to the Met Gala. Rogers created the beautiful strapless, multicolored dress for Alexander. She wore Tiffany & Co. jewelry.
Kate Hudson
Hudson, who just announced she is engaged, wore a custom Michael Kors outfit. She covered up her bralette and skirt two-piece set with a fuzzy coat, which she rocked off-the-shoulders for the cameras.
Emily Ratajkowski
The model arrived in a floral motif dress from Vera Wang and wore Stuart Weitzman custom dyed heels underneath her dress.
Hailee Steinfeld
Steinfeld looked unrecognizable with her new hair color. She wore an Iris van Herpen dress that took over 640 hours to make. The panels on the dress were designed using Parley Ocean Plastic, sourced from upcycled marine debris in collaboration with Parley for the Oceans, and she wore Jimmy Choo heels.
Camila Cabello
Can you guess what Cabello’s favorite color was for the Met Gala? Her purple ensemble was from Michael Kors while her heels were from Jimmy Choo.
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez
AOC attended the Met Gala in a white dress that said “Tax The Rich” in bright red letters. She was accompanied by Aurora James of Brother Vellies, who designed her look. For accessories, she turned to Mejuri for its Large Tube Hoops and Dôme Ring.
Cara Delevingne
Like AOC, Delevingne chose to use the Met Gala as an opportunity to make a political and social statement. Her Dior top said, “Peg the Patriarchy,” which she wore with white pants, also from the luxury fashion house. She styled her outfit with Jimmy Choo heels.
Gabrielle Union
Union’s Iris van Herpen dress took 1,400 hours to make — and the exquisite craftsmanship showed on the red carpet. Dubbed the Aeternus gown, it’s composed from 10,000 spheres, cut and layered in size gradients from a translucent white “liquid” fabric and laser-cut with a fine silver reflective outline. Her jewels were from Messika’s High Jewelry collection while her shoes were Jimmy Choo.
Hunter Schafer
The Euphoria actor showed up in a metallic silver ensemble from Prada and her avant garde makeup look might have left you feeling slightly unnerved.
Lily Rose-Depp
The actor and Chanel muse wore a two-piece sequined set from the luxury fashion house.
Lupita Nyong'o
The chicest denim dress ever. Nyong’o wore a strapless Atelier Versace creation and De Beers jewelry totaling 143.6 carats.
Emma Raducanu
The 2021 U.S. Open winner, Emma Raducanu, made her first Met Gala appearance in a three-piece printed outfit from Chanel. She wore Tiffany & Co. jewelry.
Olivia Rodrigo
Rodrigo tapped into the feather trend on the red carpet with her sheer, lacy catsuit from Saint Laurent.
Megan Fox
It took 50 people to embroider Fox’s lace-up, long-sleeve dress from Dundas. She styled the look with matching red heels from Jimmy Choo.
Gemma Chan
Chan paid tribute to Anna May Wong, the first Chinese-American film star during Hollywood’s golden era, with her Prabal Gurung look.
Alicia Keys
You can certainly wear white after Labor Day, according to Keys who showed up in a sheer button-down top tucked into a white tulle skirt from AZ Factory. She wore Van Cleef & Arpels jewelry.
Emily Blunt
The actor tapped into the celestial vibes with her star headpiece and shimmering fringe gown from Miu Miu. Her jewels were from Messika’s High Jewelry collection.
Serena Williams
Williams made her dramatic Met Gala night entrance in a custom Gucci silver catsuit with scattered stars. She layered on the fluffiest pink and black coat on top. For accessories, she was decked out in custom Zales jewelry with a total value of up to $1 million.
Venus Williams
Venus also attended the Met Gala and walked the red carpet separately from her sister Serena. Venus wore a strapless Atelier Prabal Gurung crimson silk and satin gown with a dramatic train.
Lorde
Lorde arrived to the red carpet in a nature and sun-inspired two-piece ensemble from Bode. The headpiece itself was already a statement look.
Gillian Anderson & Gabriela Hearst
Anderson wore a charcoal gray dress in repurposed organic silk crepe from Chloé, designed by Creative Director Gabriela Hearst, with an Etruscan Cuff from Van Cleef & Arpels. At the center of her dress was an ammonite nautilus shell, which was seamlessly incorporated into the dress with hand-knotted macrame techniques. Meanwhile, Hearst wore a chalk white nappa leather dress with perforated scallops from the Chloé’s Fall/Winter 2021 collection paired with Gabriela Hearst boots.
Taraji P. Henson
Henson’s Moschino dress had it all — the sparkles, the cutouts, the off-the-shoulder moment. She wore Stuart Weitzman’s black satin SOHOT platform shoes and Roberto Coin jewelry.
Tracee Ellis Ross
Ross pulled out all the stops with her Balenciaga Fall 2021 couture outfit and Tiffany & Co. jewelry.
Irina Shayk
The model kept it whimsical and sweet in a strapless, beige gown from Moschino. It featured colorful florals on the train and throughout the bodice. Her shoes were custom dyed from Stuart Weitzman.
Iman
The 66-year-old supermodel’s outfit resembled that of the sun. Her unforgettable look was from Harris Reed.
Kaia Gerber
The model proved a classic black dress from Oscar de la Renta is always a timeless choice.
Naomi Osaka
The tennis star and co-chair brought the drama in a colorful gown, black cape, and black boots. Her Louis Vuitton look was a nod to her Japanese and Haitian roots and was created in collaboration with the fashion house’s Creative Director Nicolas Ghesquière and Osaka’s sister, designer Mari Osaka.
Diane Kruger
Kruger’s neon green dress was from Atelier Prabal Gurung, which she paired with hot pink Jimmy Choo heels. She accessorized with Tasaki iridescent earrings in white gold, sapphires, rubies, and garnet.
Kit Harington & Rose Leslie
The former Game of Thrones stars arrived arm in arm to the Met Gala. Leslie wore a strapless yellow tulle dress with Roger Vivier heels while Harington looked dashing in his pantsuit from Saint Laurent.
MJ Rodriguez
The Emmy-nominated Pose star arrived in a corset, pleated dress that featured billowing sleeves. She told E! News that her look was inspired by the Victorian era. Her jewelry was from Ana Khouri.
Ciara
Ciara brought the sporty vibes in her strong shoulder cutout green dress. The sequin gown featured the number three on the front — a nod to her husband Russell Wilson’s jersey number. (He is a quarterback for the Seattle Seahawks.) She wore Stuart Weitzman shoes.
Grimes
Leave it to Grimes to stun everyone with her sheer Iris van Herpen dress. It was inspired by a distant future as part of the upcoming Dune movie and the Bene Gesserit cult that exists in the film. The moody creation was made from silver liquid silicone with a mirror finish and arranged in a laser-cut labyrinth that culminated in a three-dimensional relief on a nude illusion bodice. She accessorized her look with a tiny book, a metal face mask, and a sharp sword.
Megan Thee Stallion
The singer told E! News that she wanted to channel old Hollywood glamour for the night — and she effectively achieved that vibe in this strapless tulle dress from Coach. The silk georgette evening number featured all-over crystal embroidery embellished by hand at the Coach atelier in New York City. Stallion complemented her look with a Coach kiss lock frame bag, Fernando Jorge jewelry, and Stuart Weitzman heels.
Billie Eilish
Eilish ditched her more typical red carpet looks for an ultra glamourous retro gown from Oscar de la Renta. She wore Jimmy Choo platforms underneath her dress and Cartier jewelry.
Barbie Ferreira
The Euphoria star opted for a gown with draped pear details. The custom corseted Swarovski crystal and pearl bustier fringe gown, made by Jonathan Simkhai, took over 100 hours to create.
Yara Shahidi
Shahidi brought retro glamour in a strapless gown and gloves from Dior’s Haute Couture collection. Her jewels were from Cartier.
Mary J. Blige
Blige looked like a golden goddess in a Dundas plunging neckline dress.
Laura Harrier & Joseph Altuzarra
Harrier wore a custom Altuzarra gold lame pleated dress with Turkish knit embroidery and Roger Vivier Queen sandals. Her jewels were from Tiffany & Co.
Ella Emhoff
Emhoff’s Stella McCartney look included a red bodysuit, red high-shine trousers, and Adidas by Stella McCartney Earthlight sneakers. She wore Cartier jewelry.
Saweetie
Dramatic cutouts made this shimmering pink gown a standout on the red carpet. The look was from Christian Cowan.
Maisie Williams
Williams brought dark drama to the carpet in a black bodysuit with sheer leggings and a black belted coat. "It was designed by Reuben Selby, who is my boyfriend, and it's inspired by The Matrix," she told E! News. "I have my coat and my Matrix nails. I've grown up on these American icons — women in film, these heroines. It shaped the woman that I became, and so it kind of made sense for me to honor those people tonight." Her jewels were from Cartier and she wore a pair of Nodaleto Bulla Jones pumps.
Julia Garner
The actor chose a sheer Stella McCartney crystal mesh gown crystal with a swirling white panel under-layer.
Amanda Gorman
Gorman, one of the Met Gala’s co-chairs, arrived to the red carpet in a strapless, high-low blue gown from Vera Wang and custom Stuart Weitzman nudist sandals. She accessorized with Chopard jewelry.
Timothée Chalamet
The Met Gala co-chair host kept it casual in Converse sneakers. He wore a turtleneck top underneath his cropped jacket and scrunched up his pants for a purposefully undone look. His jewels were from Cartier.
Tessa Thompson
Thompson also chose an Iris van Herpen dress for the fashionable night. She injected some western vibes into her look by way of her boots and hat. The dress’ chronophotographic lines were inspired by bird wing movements and were cut from mylar and black cotton, to then be heat-bonded to over 200 layers of two-toned dyed red organza, to flow like a time lapse motion.
Mindy Kaling
The multi-hyphenate wore a navy gown from Tory Burch with a cinched in waist and Jimmy Choo heels.
Karlie Kloss
Kloss and designer Wes Gordon attended the Met Gala together. Gordon designed the model’s high-low red gown, which was inspired by America’s flower: a rose. Kloss wore De Beers jewelry.
Zoey Deutch
Deutch arrived in a glittering purple Versace dress and custom dyed Stuart Weitzman heels.
Regina King
King brought the ultimate boss woman vibes in a pinstripe dress and matching coat from Michael Kors. The inside was lined with gold sequins for a camera-ready moment.
Ilana Glazer
The Broad City star was one of the first celebrity arrivals on the red carpet. She wore a feathered-sleeve dress from Aliette and carried a neutral-hued clutch to match her gown.
Emma Chamberlain
The 20-year-old internet personality arrived on the red carpet in an embellished cutout dress with a plunging neckline from Louis Vuitton.
Keke Palmer
Palmer’s shimmering long-sleeve gown flowed straight to the floor. She added glamor and drama into her Sergio Hudson look with dark eyeshadow. Her jewelry was from Ana Khouri.
Sophia Roe
True to the evening’s theme, Roe wore a custom gown from famed American fashion house Halston.
Eva Chen
Chen wore one of the most colorful looks on the red carpet. She teamed her multicolored striped Christopher John Rogers dress with black and white checkered long gloves. Her jewelry was from De Beers.
Brooklyn Beckham & Nicola Peltz
Beckham wore a standard black and white suit while his girlfriend Peltz kept it pretty in pink. Both their looks were from Valentino.
Elliot Page
Page attended the gala while wearing an oversized blazer, pants, and sneakers outfit from Balenciaga.
Paloma Elsesser
The model kept it timeless in a Zac Posen red dress and wore Ana Khouri jewelry.
Carolyn B. Maloney
Maloney, the United States Representative for New York's 12th congressional district, made a statement on the red carpet in a cape dress with suffragist colors from Antonios Couture. The phrases read “Equal Rights For Women” while her circle purse said “Era Yes.”
