That’s right, the time has finally come. After a two-and-a-half-year hiatus, the Met Gala is back, and believe us when we say it’s really back. While we typically find ourselves counting down the days in the lead-up to the first Monday in May, this year has us especially on our toes and not just because we’ve been missing the epic red carpet looks. The 2021 Met Gala, who’s theme is In American: A Lexicon of Fashion, will be an “intimate gala” with a guest list that skews notably Gen Z, if the night’s co-chairs Billie Eilish, Amanda Gorman, Naomi Osaka, and Timothée Chalamet are any indication.
The looks you’re about to bear witness to feature everything from over-the-top feathers and showstopping shimmer to sultry cutouts—many of them fresh off the spring/summer 2022 runways that just wrapped up in New York. They may be all we can talk about right now, but we just know they’ll leave an impact on fashion dialogue for years to come. With plenty of breathtaking moments and epic celebrity sightings to enjoy, scroll down to see all the best red carpet looks from the 2021 Met Gala.

Photo:
Getty Images
WHO: Rihanna
WEAR: Balenciaga; Bulgari and Thelma West jewelry; custom Maria Tash earrings

Photo:
John Shearer/WireImage
WHO: Billie Eilish
WEAR: Oscar de la Renta; Jimmy Choo shoes; Cartier jewelry

Photo:
John Shearer/WireImage
WHO: Amanda Gorman
WEAR: Vera Wang; Stuart Weitzman shoes; Chopard jewelry

Photo:
Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for The Met Museum/Vogue
WHO: Emma Chamberlain
WEAR: Louis Vuitton

Photo:
John Shearer/WireImage
WHO: Keke Palmer
WEAR: Sergio Hudson; Giuseppe Zanotti shoes; Ana Khouri jewelry

Photo:
Getty Images
WHO: Olivia Rodrigo
WEAR: Saint Laurent

Photo:
John Shearer/WireImage
WHO: Timothée Chalamet
WEAR: Haider Ackermann jacket; Rick Owens pants; Converse shoes; Cartier pin and brooch

Photo:
Getty Images
WHO: Zoë Kravitz
WEAR: Saint Laurent

Photo:
John Shearer/WireImage
WHO: Yara Shahidi
WEAR: Custom Dior; Cartier jewelry

Photo:
Getty Images
WHO: Gigi Hadid
WEAR: Prada

Photo:
Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for The Met Museum/Vogue
WHO: Saweetie
WEAR: Christian Cowan

Photo:
Getty Images
WHO: Kendall Jenner
WEAR: Givenchy

Photo:
John Shearer/WireImage
WHO: Iman
WEAR: Harris Reed

Photo:
Getty Images
WHO: Lily Rose-Depp
WEAR: Chanel

Photo:
Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for The Met Museum/Vogue
WHO: Megan Thee Stallion
WEAR: Coach; Stuart Weitzman shoes; Fernando George jewelry

Photo:
John Shearer/WireImage
WHO: Serena Williams
WEAR: Gucci

Photo:
Getty Images
WHO: Emily Ratajkowski
WEAR: Vera Wang

Photo:
Shutterstock
WHO: Jennifer Lopez
WEAR: Ralph Lauren

Photo:
Mike Coppola/Getty Images
WHO: Addison Rae
WEAR: Vintage 2003 Gucci

Photo:
Mike Coppola/Getty Images
WHO: Naomi Osaka
WEAR: Louis Vuitton

Photo:
Getty Images
WHO: Hailey Bieber
WEAR: Saint Laurent

Photo:
Getty Images
WHO: Gabrielle Union-Wade
WEAR: Iris Van Herpen dress; Jimmy Choo shoes; Messika jewelry

Photo:
John Shearer/WireImage
WHO: Brooklyn Beckham and Nicola Peltz
WEAR: Both in Valentino

Photo:
Theo Wargo/Getty Images
WHO: Barbie Ferreira
WEAR: Jonathan Simkhai

Photo:
Getty Images
WHO: Kristen Stewart
WEAR: Chanel

Photo:
Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for The Met Museum/Vogue
WHO: Storm Reid
WEAR: Prada

Photo:
Mike Coppola/Getty Images
WHO: Eva Chen
WEAR: Christopher John Rogers

Photo:
Getty Images
WHO: Ella Emhoff
WEAR: Adidas by Stella McCartney

Photo:
Mike Coppola/Getty Images
WHO: Tracee Ellis Ross
WEAR: Balenciaga dress and clutch; Tiffany and Co. jewelry

Photo:
John Shearer/WireImage
WHO: Kaia Gerber
WEAR: Oscar de la Renta dress; Christian Louboutin shoes

Photo:
John Shearer/WireImage
WHO: Maisie Williams
WEAR: Reuben Selby dress; Nodaleto shoes; Cartier jewelry

Photo:
Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for The Met Museum/Vogue
WHO: Evan Mock
WEAR: Thom Browne; Lorraine Schwartz

Photo:
Mike Coppola/Getty Images
WHO: Nia Dennis
WEAR: Adidas by Stella McCartney dress; Ana Khouri jewelry

Photo:
Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic
WHO: Anna Wintour
WEAR: Oscar de la Renta

Photo:
Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for The Met Museum/Vogue
WHO: Ilana Glazer
WEAR: Aliette

Photo:
John Shearer/WireImage
WHO: Tom Ford

Photo:
Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for The Met Museum/Vogue
WHO: Anok Yai

Photo:
Getty Images
WHO: Kim Kardashian
WEAR: Balenciaga

Photo:
Getty Images
WHO: Emily Blunt
WEAR: Miu Miu; Messika jewelry

Photo:
Getty Images
WHO: Simone Biles
WEAR: Area

Photo:
Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic
WHO: Troye Sivan
WEAR: Altu dress; Rick Owens shoes; Cartier jewelry

Photo:
John Shearer/WireImage
WHO: Dixie D’Amelio
WEAR: Valentino Haute Couture

Photo:
John Shearer/WireImage
WHO: Finneas
WEAR: Givenchy; Cartier jewelry

Photo:
Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic
WHO: Chance the Rapper and Kirsten Corley
WEAR (Chance the Rapper): Ralph Lauren

Photo:
Theo Wargo/Getty Image
WHO: Lil Nas X
WEAR: Versace

Photo:
Mike Coppola/Getty Images
WHO: Jennifer Hudson
WEAR: AZ Factory

Photo:
Theo Wargo/Getty Images
WHO: Valentina Sampaio

Photo:
Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for The Met Museum/Vogue
WHO: Laura and Kate Mulleavy

Photo:
Getty Images
WHO: Paloma Elsesser
WEAR: Zac Posen

Photo:
John Shearer/WireImage
WHO: Kim Petras
WEAR: Collina Strada

Photo:
John Shearer/WireImage
WHO: Zoey Deutch
WEAR: Versace dress

Photo:
Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for The Met Museum/Vogue
WHO: Grimes
WEAR: Iris Van Herpen

Photo:
Mike Coppola/Getty Images
WHO: Normani
WEAR: Valentino dress; Lorraine Schwartz jewelry

Photo:
Theo Wargo/Getty Images
WHO: Debbie Harry
WEAR: Zac Posen

Photo:
Mike Coppola/Getty Images
WHO: Kit Harrington and Rose Leslie
WEAR (Leslie): Oscar de la Renta

Photo:
Mike Coppola/Getty Images
WHO: Ben Platt

Photo:
Mike Coppola/Getty Images
WHO: Nikkie de Jager

Photo:
John Shearer/WireImage
WHO: Karlie Kloss
WEAR: Carolina Herrera dress; Christian Louboutin shoes; De Beers jewelry

Photo:
Theo Wargo/Getty Images
WHO: Adrien Brody and Georgina Chapman

Photo:
John Shearer/WireImage
WHO: Madison Beer

Photo:
Theo Wargo/Getty Images
WHO: MJ Rodriguez

Photo:
Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for The Met Museum/Vogue
WHO: Eiza Gonzalez
WEAR: Versace dress; Bulgari jewelry

Photo:
Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for The Met Museum/Vogue
WHO: Dan Levy
WEAR: Loewe; Cartier jewelry

Photo:
Mike Coppola/Getty Images
WHO: Sophia Roe
WEAR: Halston

Photo:
Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for The Met Museum/Vogue
WHO: Mary J. Blige
WEAR: Dundas

Photo:
Theo Wargo/Getty Images
WHO: Megan Fox
WEAR: Dundas dress; Jimmy Choo shoes

Photo:
John Shearer/WireImage
WHO: Channing Tatum
WEAR: Versace

Photo:
Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for The Met Museum/Vogue
WHO: Precious Lee
WEAR: Area

Photo:
ANGELA WEISS/AFP via Getty Images
WHO: Felix Auger-Aliassime and Nina Ghaibi

Photo:
Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for The Met Museum/Vogue
WHO: Virgil Abloh

Photo:
Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for The Met Museum/Vogue
WHO: Audra McDonald

Photo:
Getty Images
WHO: Chloe Fineman
WEAR: Tory Burch

Photo:
Getty Images
WHO: Maluma
WEAR: Versace; ASLAN custom 14k gold glove

Photo:
Getty Images
WHO: Lorde
WEAR: Bode

Photo:
Getty Images
WHO: Donatella Versace

Photo:
Getty Images
WHO: Rachele Zegler
WEAR: Christian Dior

Photo:
Getty Images
WHO: Pete Davidson
WEAR: Thom Browne; Silhouette sunglasses

Photo:
Getty Images
WHO: Cynthia Erivo

Photo:
Getty Images
WHO: Taraji P. Henson
WEAR: Stuart Weitzman shoes

Photo:
Getty Images
WHO: Lourdes Leon

Photo:
Getty Images
WHO: Irina Shayk
WEAR: Stuart Weitzman

Photo:
Getty Images
WHO: Alicia Keys and Swizz Beatz

Photo:
Getty Images
WHO: Rita Ora
WEAR: Prada

Photo:
Getty Images
WHO: Sienna Miller
WEAR: Gucci

Photo:
Getty Images
WHO: Tyler Mitchell
WEAR: Bode

Photo:
Getty Images
WHO: Kacey Musgraves
WEAR: Ralph Lauren

Photo:
Getty Images
WHO: Lupita Nyong’o
WEAR: Versace

Photo:
Getty Images
WHO: Justin Bieber
WEAR: Balenciaga

Photo:
Getty Images
WHO: Erykah Badu
WEAR: Thom Browne

Photo:
Getty Images
WHO: Mindy Kaling
WEAR: Tory Burch dress; Jimmy Choo shoes

Photo:
Getty Images
WHO: Whoopi Goldberg
WEAR: Valentino

Photo:
Getty Images
WHO: Taylor Hill
WEAR: Versace

Photo:
Getty Images
WHO: Hunter Schafer
WEAR: Prada

Photo:
Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for The Met Museum/Vogue
WHO: Julia Garner
WEAR: Stella McCartney
Up next, see the VMAs red carpet looks that shocked and amazed us.
- Explore More:
- Red Carpet
- Met Gala
- Celebrity Style