Every year, celebrities grace the Met Gala red carpet with oomph, drama and eclectic poise to give their customized take on fashion’s biggest night’s theme. The exclusive annual fundraising event occurs at the Metropolitan Museum of Arts in the Big Apple. This year’s theme was dubbed Gilded Glamor, and some of the celebrities who graced the red carpet served unforgettable looks. Here are 20 celebrities who ATE.
Chloe Bailey
We have all established that Chloe Bailey is that girl. Bailey has solidified her identity, sound, and brand in the music world. She has equally done that in the fashion aspect as well, and at the Met Gala red carpet, it became so clear to see why she is a fan favorite. She looked stunning in a glittering gold dress with a well-defined thigh-high leg slit and a structured waist. The “Have Mercy” singer upped the ante by accessorizing with bold, gold wings that served as a choker necklace and a pair of open-toed, metallic pumps.
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Lizzo
Leave it to the vibrant and vivacious Lizzo to unapologetically bring her confident self to an occasion. The “About Damn Time” singer and “Yitty” mastermind wowed the red carpet in an exuberant black and gold embroidered coat that reportedly took 22,000 man-hours to create. Her makeup and hair tied the entire look together, giving her a timeless elegance. The singer did not fail to also give an impromptu flute performance. We love a fashional flute-tooting queen, yaas!
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Alicia Keys
One thing about Alicia Keys is that she will never miss out on an opportunity to show her love for the Big Apple. One of her most memorable musical performances is her chorus on Jay-Z’s “Empire State of Mind.” On the Met Gala red carpet, Keys paid homage to the concrete jungle by stunning the crowd in a metallic, silvery gown and black cape embellished with the Manhattan skyline and designed by Ralph Lauren.
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Nicki Minaj
The Queen of Rap did not hold back when it came to having creative fun with this year’s Met Gala theme. To achieve her all-black Burberry ensemble, Nicki Minaj collaborated with renowned designer Riccardo Tisci.
The outfit included a feathered, low-cut bustier with a train paired with leather leggings and high-heeled boots, giving the petite 5’2 rapper an extra ounce of va va voom. Never one to leave any stone unturned, Minaj teamed up with celebrity makeup artist Pat McGrath to top off the look by strategically adorning Minaj’s face, shoulders, arms and collarbone with hand-placed jewels.
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Lori Harvey
When it comes to fashion, Lori Harvey has always had a penchant for serving looks. For the Met Gala this year, Harvey opted for an eye-catching custom Michael Kors Collection gown that featured a cutout along the bodice that showcased those flawless abs. The all-black dress also included flowy sashes that gave off an aura of confidence, elegance, and undeniable sex appeal. Harvey used bright jewels to add an extra layer of drama to the look.
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Meg Thee Stallion
Meg Thee Stallion gave off angelic vibes in a pair of metallic golden wings that were draped over her shoulders. Her vibrant all-gold Moschino head-to-toe gold look complemented her melanin flawlessly. The sequined gown also boasted a finely tailored thigh-high leg slit and sheer cutouts around her waist that gave the dress’s bodice an extra flare. Her makeup consisted of a stunning metallic eyeshadow and smokey eye duo.
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Janelle Monáe
Janelle Monáe has always expertly made the monochrome look an edgy and exciting part of their brand. Monáe arrived at the Met Gala’s red carpet in an embellished figure-flattering Ralph Lauren gown. The
The Grammy-nominated singer topped off their glittery look by opting for a sparkling headpiece intricately attached to the back of their gown.
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Cynthia Erivo
As usual, Cynthia Erivo did not fail to deliver on the assignment. The talented English actress has always had the ability to step out on any red carpet looking demure and yet, incredibly sexy. This year, her look for the Met Gala did not fail to turn heads. Her all-white lace ensemble, complete with headgear, gave off a vibe of an ancestral ode to African predecessors. The gown also featured a feathered train that gave the look a dose of added glamor. Erivo opted for vibrant gold jewelry and a miniature Louis Vuitton purse to round up the look, and it’s definitely a ten for us.
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Cardi B
Cardi B graced the red carpet with a head-turning custom Versace gown. According to a statement from Versace, 20 people and approximately 1,300 hours went into creating and designing the dress. Like a few other stars, Cardi opted to make gold the major color palette for her look. The haltered, figure-flattering dress boasted Versace Greca embellished in crystal decorated chains and Medusa medallions. The whole dress featured a metal mesh with eye-catching gold embroidery. The “Be Careful” rapper then opted for dramatic, layered jewelry in line with Versace’s signature gold palette.
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Naomi Campbell
Naomi Campbell is one of the most iconic beauty sensations of all time. Her legacy, resume, and fashion repertoire speak for themselves. Campbell did not fail to deliver when it came to sticking to the “Gilded Glamour” and “white tie” theme of this year’s Met Gala. Campbell’s look was dripping in diamonds, and one of her accessories especially caught the audience’s eyes: the $6.6 million yellow diamond necklace, which complemented her embellished black Burberry dress. Her face itself was glammed up in diamonds! We can all take lessons from THE icon herself when it comes to glam.
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Erykah Badu
THEE Erykah Badu has carved out a legendary career for herself by being unapologetically herself. Badu did not fail to channel herself on the red carpet with this eclectic look. While her fashion choices have always been out-of-the-box, her fierce self-confidence, swagger, and carriage have always served as excellent accessories.
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Sza
It is impossible not to fall in love with Sza. Apart from the singer’s personality and her beautiful, memorable voice, Sza also has an undeniable allure that is both sultry and demure. At the Met Gala red carpet, she opted for a hot pink dress with an opening that exposed a pair of latex pants and black boots. She also donned a matching pair of black latex gloves and a black hat. Iconic.
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Tessa Thompson
Tessa Thompson looked stunning in a custom blush pink Carolina Herrera gown. The talented actress looked elegant in a corset gown that detailed a long train. Thompson’s look was one of a quintessential modern-day princess and her knee-length satin boots. Thompson’s dramatic makeup was equally as eye-catching and complemented the entire look.
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Teyana Taylor
Teyana Taylor has always been experimental with fashion. Taylor wore a spirited Iris Van Herpen purple gown that exuded regal glamor for the event. The dress featured a sleek cutout design and halter neck style, and animated shoulders. The dress also had an eye-catching, sheer look.
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Normani
It is impossible to get enough of Normani. The chocolate goddess represents unrelenting persistence and grit. Her passion for her music is evident even in how she carries herself. For this year’s Met Gala, Normani creatively showed up and showed out in an all-black velvet gown that dramatically paid homage to the Gilded Age while still showcasing her stunning figure and flawless skin. The look was playfully alluring yet, demure. Also, did we mention that her abs are to die for?
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Kiki Layne
Kiki Layne did not come to play! Her overflowing bright pink Prabal Gurung dress was an excellent canvas to showcase her rich, brown skin tone and finely combed Afro. Her white gloves with the pink ruffles that matched the top of the dress made her look breathtaking on the red carpet. Layne’s dramatic pink eyeshadow, dainty nose ring, and jewelry all came together to make her look like a dream come true.
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Danai Gurira
Our good sis Danai Gurira knows how to put on a show, and she did not hesitate to do so with her striking Met Gala look. She certainly embraced the Gilded Glamour dress code with a one-shouldered gown designed by Nigerian designer Taofeek Abijako. Gurira, who was born in Zimbabwe, wanted to collaborate with Abijako to infuse their African heritage into the creation of the dress, and so they designed the dress as an ode to African culture, but with the twist of the Gilded Age.
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Laura Harrier
Laura Harrier stayed on theme by wearing a custom-designed, hand-stitched look created by H&M in collaboration with Victor Glemaud. The corseted black-and-silver gown was edgy, stunning, and victorian with a modern twist. In true Gilded Age fashion, the dress had a fitted that created a cinched waistline and a big, bold skirt with buckles and underlays. The look came together with a pair of arm-length gloves.
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Jodie Foster-Smith
Jodie Foster-Smith hit the red carpet in a bold, custom Gucci silver dress that was carefully designed with the underlying of a crystal chain bra and a fringed mini-skirt. The embellished dress gave room for her skin to glisten, and the peach-colored cape attached to the dress exuded audacious regal glamor.
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Gabrielle Union
Sometimes, dresses with light silver and white in their color palette can be challenging to pull off outside of a wedding ceremony. Gabrielle Union was able to pull it off on the red carpet flawlessly. The actress exuded youthful energy in a sparkly, plunging Versace gown that was tied together with an embellished feathered train and a bright red floral accent around her waist. Her sleek, black bun was tied together with a pair of dangling, elegant Tiffany & Co. earrings.
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