Since the first “Fashion Plate”-themed event in 1971, the Met Gala has continued to be a great showcase for fashion looks, beauty looks and outstanding performances. The event, which takes place annually at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, in New York, brings together great personalities from the artistic universe, who cross the red carpet aboard iconic dresses, makeup and hair. Some of them stand out from the crowd and stay in the public’s memory even after years – how not to forget Cher’s lavender smokey eye in the 80’s or Lupita Nyong’o’s sculptural hairstyles from more recent Met Galas?
Below, the Vogue team made a selection with beauty looks that stood out the most in the history of the Met Gala:
Cher, 1985
Inspired by the year’s theme “Royal India Costumes”, Cher chose a sheer jumpsuit and lavender smoky eyes.
Christy Turlington, 1992
At the 1992 event, the American top model appeared with a classic look and a retro bun for the theme “Fashion and History: A Dialogue”.
Diana, 1996
The British princess shone at the Met Gala themed “Christian Dior” with her custom cut and burgundy lipstick, a classic of the time.
Liv Tyler, 1998
Inspired by the theme of “Cubism and Fashion”, Liv Tyler rocked a bob haircut with spiked bangs at the 1998 Met Gala.
Iman, 2003
To live up to the “Goddess: The Classic Mode” theme, Iman went to the 2003 Met Gala with a braided braid, waves atop her head and shimmering lips.
Amber Valletta, 2004
“Dangerous Liaisons: Fashion and Furniture in the 18th Century” was the theme that set the tone for Amber Valleta’s 18th century hairstyle.
Linda Evangelista, 2005
Inspired by the theme “The House of Chanel”, the top model opted for simple makeup and half-up hair.
Madonna, 2011
Madonna went in brushed hair with waves at the ends and a classic vibrant red lipstick for the “Alexander McQueen: Beauty in the Wild” themed Met Gala.
Gisele Bundchen, 2014
The Brazilian model maintained her trademark at the 2014 Met Gala: nude makeup and golden waves.
Beyonce, 2014
Inspired by the “Charles James: Beyond Fashion” theme, Beyoncé accented her lips with a dark burgundy hue and added a black bejeweled screen atop her head.
Zendaya, 2017
The actress colored her lips with an orange-red matte lipstick and highlighted her hair by activating the frizz on purpose for the Met Gala themed “Rei Kawakubo/Comme des Garçons: Art of the In-Between”.
Rihanna, 2017
Rihanna also shined with the bun on top of her head, bangs and brightened blush on her cheeks, temples and eyes.
Ashley Graham, 2017
The model opted for a classic beauty look for the 2017 Met Gala with long eyelashes, red lipstick and sleek hair.
Priyanka Chopra, 2018
For the theme “Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination,” Chopra hit the red carpet in a deep burgundy velvet gown with a stunning hood of gold and colored stones, paired with gold eyeshadow and red mouth.
Laura Harrier, 2018
Harrier turned heads at the 2018 Met Gala with her “Bardot” hair (semi-up with volume on top of her head).
Zoe Kravitz, 2018
Lover of braids, Zoe styled hers with a low bun secured by a big black bow and brown eyes.
Bella Hadid, 2019
For the theme “Camp: Notes on Fashion”, sister Haddid appeared at the Met Gala with a pixie cut split on the side and eyes elongated by a outlined cat.
Gigi Hadid, 2019
Wearing an ensemble from the Michael Kors Collection that consisted of a silver jumpsuit with cape, boots and helmet, Gigi highlighted her eyes with ultra-long, pointed white lashes.
Dua Lipa, 2019
The British singer opted for mega hair with volume on top of her head and a bright pink and purple flower tiara for the 2019 Met Gala.
Lupita Nyong’o, 2021
Sculptural hairstyles and braids are Lupita Nyong’o’s trademark on the red carpets and in 2021 it was no different. The actress stylized the curly strands with rounded and voluminous shapes.
Emma Chamberlain, 2021
At her first Met Gala, Chamberlain opted for the timeless bob cut and highlighted her look with neon lines on the eyelids and inner corner.
Rose from the Blackpink group, 2021
The star of K-pop fans invested in neutral makeup and added a floating eyeliner in the crease of the eyelids for the theme “In America: A Fashion Lexicon”.
Paloma Elsesser, 2022
The model turned heads at the 2022 Met Gala with a reddish mini bob accompanied by mini bangs for the “In America: A Fashion Anthology” theme.
Maude Apatow, 2022
Maude rocked her retro hair with a classic brushed bob and deep red lipstick for last year’s Met Gala.