The 10 Best-Dressed Celebrities at the 2024 Met Gala

Zendaya was one of the first to walk the red carpet tonight, in a custom Margiela gown by John Galliano—a clear reference to the designer’s Spring 1999 couture collection for Dior. With makeup by Pat McGrath and a headpiece by Philip Treacy, the Challengers star delivered a look the internet declared it had “no notes” for.

But because this was Zendaya, she gave us all something else to write about when she showed up in another look to close out the carpet: a Givenchy Spring 1996 couture gown, topped with a flower bouquet headpiece from the Alexander McQueen Spring 2007 collection, by Philip Treacy.

Before the night even began, there were more “Florals for spring? Groundbreaking” jokes being made on fashion Twitter than usual. But Gigi Hadid’s Thom Brown gown felt like the freshest possible way to tackle the garden theme. The look was embroidered with over 2.8 million beads and took 5,000 hours to make, with over 70 people working on it.

When Rosalía heard the theme of the Costume Institute’s exhibit was “Sleeping Beauties,” the Spanish singer instantly began to envision her look for the gala. “I thought about sleeping beauties,” she told interviewers, “and about how when you fall asleep, you just see all black.” Her Dior gown was a re-creation of the house’s Ciseaux dress from 1949, and she said it made her feel like a “black tulip.”

Greta Lee told red-carpet interviewers her main concern about her Loewe dress was that she wasn’t sure how she would eat in it. But one thing the Past Lives star doesn’t have to worry about is serving, as she always does in Loewe, a brand she’s told Bazaar makes her feel “emo” because of how emotional she gets when wearing it and seeing it. (Same.)

Kendall Jenner had the most insane archival pull we have seen…maybe ever? The haute couture dress was designed by Alexander McQueen for his Givenchy 1999 collection, and was shown only on mannequins before going back to the designer’s archive. It hasn’t been worn by anyone until today, when Jenner put it on.

Jennie Kim’s Alaïa cutout dress was inspired by the looks seen during the Summer/Fall 2024 show and took more than 200 hours of work and 13 meters of fabric to create. According to the show notes, the collection was all about reducing intimacy to an essence. And the Blackpink singer’s look certainly feels like the essence of what the Met Gala is all about: glamour, fun, and just the right amount of skin.

A section of the Costume Institute exhibit is dedicated to the influence the mythical mermaid has had on fashion. And while some might argue Kaia Gerber’s more subtle all-white look isn’t on theme, it certainly feels like a nod to the aquatic creature, with shimmery scale-like embroidery throughout. So, yes, according to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, there are mermaids in fashion’s eternal garden.

On a similar note, Venus Williams opted for no florals and instead wore a custom satin and mirror-sequin-embellished bustier gown by Marc Jacobs, inspired by the most recent runway.

When one thinks of sleeping beauties, one thinks of fairy tales—and no one does an ethereal storybook look quite like Michelle Williams, who may as well be a pixie masquerading as an actor. Her white flowing Chanel look engulfed her like a dreamy cloud, with puffed sleeves that jetted out from her sides like flighty wings.

While most attendees opted for a more literal interpretation of “The Garden of Time” with floral pieces, Demna of Balenciaga was more interested in exploring the time aspect. Each guest dressed in Balenciaga was wearing a look that referenced another that had come from long before it—like Nicole Kidman’s gown, inspired by a Cristóbal Balenciaga Haute Couture piece from 1951, with tiers of feathered details.