The 2021 Met Gala is just around the corner and with a theme being “In America: A Lexicon Of Fashion”, the fashion world is on edge waiting to see what beauties, and atrocities, we may get to witness. The Met Gala, formally called the Costume Institute Gala or the Costume Institute Benefit, is an annual fundraising gala for the benefit of the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institue in New York City. Each years event celebrates a theme that matches that of the Costume Institue exhibitions, with guests expected to dress for that theme. Sometimes the famous guests get their costumes perfect and other times you have the 2019 Met Gala.

Since its birth in 1948, the Met Gala has seen an array of different celebrities and styles, but let’s take a look at some looks that will go down in the Met Gala history books as some of the most iconic.

To note: Iconic does not necessarily equate to good. A look can be objectively atrocious yet also be iconic.

Lady Gaga in Brandon Maxwell (2019)

The 2019 theme was “Celebrating Camp: Notes on Fashion” and nothing says camp like Lady Gaga in an enormous fuchsia cape coat (25 yards of fabric, to be precise.) Over the course of her live red-carpet performance, the cape was unfastened to reveal a black strapless bustier gown. Which was, in turn, shed to showcase a shocking-pink gown. This was then removed to unveil a sparkling bra and knickers.

Diana, Princess of Wales in Dior (1996)

Princess Diana made her one and only appearance at the Met Gala in 1996, three months after news of her divorce from Prince Charles was first made official.

By today’s red carpet standards — and the Met Ball’s ‘naked dress’ phenomenon — Princess Diana’s look could be mistaken as demure, but this navy blue lingerie gown, a Dior classic designed by then creative director John Galliano, signalled a new, liberating moment. We also can’t ignore the jewellery: a seven-stranded pearl choker necklace, with an enormous sapphire and diamond clasp.

Rihanna in Gou Pei (2015)

Rihanna stole the show (and arguably the entire year in style), nailing the “China: Through the Looking Glass” theme in one fabulous fell swoop, with a piece weighing in at 25kg, which took more than two years to create. It became one of the biggest memes of the year, literally.

Billy Porter in The Blonds (2019)

Once again we are talking about camp. And who else stole the show that night, other than Gaga and honestly not many other people, it was a disappointing night, was billy porter. Arriving in a sedan chair, carried atop of the shoulders of 6 bare-chested men in a stunning homage to Liz Taylor’s Cleopatra.

Zendaya in Versace (2018)

For the 2018 theme of “Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination” Zendaya wore Atelier Versace - inspired by Joan of Arc. Everyone still loves this, there is nothing more to say honestly.

Cher in Bob Mackie (1974)

Cher attended the 1974 Met Ball wearing a risqué custom feather-trim gown by Bob Mackie, her go-to costume designer. The singer’s shimmering cobweb dress kickstarted the Met’s ‘naked dress’ phenomenon and gave rise to a slew of homages, including the Roberto Cavalli gown Kim Kardashian West wore in 2015, Beyoncé’s legendary Givenchy by Riccardo Tisci moment (also in 2015) and Madonna’s thong-backed lace dress (also Givenchy) in 2016.

Kim Kardashian in Givenchy (2013)

How to forget this image? You can't, no one can. It's imprinted in everyone's memories. A very pregnant Kim Kardashian-West in her memorable Givenchy dress *and* gloves.

Donatella Versace (1996)

Everyone has seen this dress, or a recreation of it, at least once. The dress, designed by Donatella herself, has been used as inspiration for many other looks. Notable looks include Kim Kardashian and Beyonce.

Rihanna in Maison Margiela (2018)

On this list more than once is Rihanna, a true icon of the met gala, very rarely getting even remotely wrong. For the 2018 theme of “Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and The Catholic Imagination”, she came dressed, quite literally, as a pope. Iconic.