The 9 wildest Met Gala themes of all time—ranked from couture chaos to sacred glam
The Met Gala isn’t just a red carpet—it’s often fashion’s surreal yearly fever dream. Equal parts runway, performance art, and celebrity power play, it’s where Rihanna can arrive as a bedazzled pope and Jared Leto can show up in a cat costume—or carrying a replica of his own head—without anyone blinking. Officially, it’s called the Costume Institute Benefit, raising millions for the Metropolitan Museum of Art. But in truth, it’s where the red carpet becomes a theme park of couture.
Each year, a new theme guides the accompanying exhibition and sets the tone for the dress code. Some are poetic (Heavenly Bodies), some campy (Camp: Notes on Fashion), others head-scratchingly vague (In America: An Anthology of Fashion). While some celebrities play it safe, others fully commit to the chaos, armed with couture, creativity, and the rare permission to go gloriously off-script.
After the relative restraint of this year’s Superfine: Tailoring Black Style, we look back at the most iconic, controversial, and downright wild Met Gala themes—the ones that made us gasp, giggle, and Google “what is camp, anyway?”
Also read: Met Gala 2025: Guest list, dress code, the theme’s significance and all the details you need to know
Camp: Notes on Fashion (2019)
The vibe: Maximalism. Irony. Feathered absurdity
Best described as: A drag brunch sponsored by Oscar Wilde
This theme, inspired by Susan Sontag’s 1964 essay “Notes on Camp", sent even seasoned style reporters into a tizzy. Was it over-the-top glam? Was it satire? Was it Celine Dion in a chandelier headdress? (Yes.) From Lady Gaga’s four-act striptease to Billy Porter arriving on a golden litter carried by shirtless men, Camp was the Met Gala at its most unhinged—and most unforgettable.
Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination (2018)
The vibe: Vatican chic. Gold leaf and guilt.
Best described as: If Sunday Mass were directed by Baz Luhrmann
Few themes have walked the sacred line between reverence and runway quite like this. The Met collaborated directly with the Vatican, lending artifacts that hadn’t left Rome in centuries. But it was the red carpet that stole the show: Rihanna in papal robes, Zendaya as Joan of Arc, and Lana Del Rey crowned with a heart of thorns. It was reverent and irreverent all at once—fashion at its most divine.
Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology (2016)
The vibe: Silicon Valley meets the House of Chanel
Best described as: “Siri, make it fashion”
This tech-forward theme invited designers to fuse tradition with innovation. Claire Danes lit up the carpet—literally—in a fibre-optic Zac Posen gown. Zayn donned robot arms. Karolina Kurkova’s dress, powered by IBM, changed colour based on social media feedback. For once, fashion out-coded the tech bros.
Superheroes: Fashion and Fantasy (2008)
The vibe: Comic Con, but make it Karl Lagerfeld
Best described as: Capes, corsets and couture chaos
Before the MCU took over the box office, the Met embraced comic book glam. Think metallics, armour, and unapologetically bold silhouettes. Beyoncé wore Mugler, Madonna channelled dominatrix energy in Givenchy, and the whole night felt like Gotham crossed with Paris Fashion Week.
Punk: Chaos to Couture (2013)
The vibe: Leather, studs, and safety pins disguised as Swarovski
Best described as: Anarchy meets Anna Wintour
Few themes sparked as much confusion (and couture rebellion) as Punk. One of the Met’s most divisive themes, Punk invited rebellion—but not everyone got the memo. Madonna understood the assignment in fishnets and no pants. Nicole Richie showed up in intergalactic silver hair. Others? Far too polished. Still, the night delivered drama, defiance, and just enough chaos to earn its name.
China: Through the Looking Glass (2015)
The vibe: Cinematic opulence. Silk-robed fantasy.
Best described as: A John Woo epic meets the House of Balmain
Lavish, lush and controversial in all the ways fashion often is, this theme explored Chinese influence on Western design but sparked necessary conversations about cultural appropriation. Fortunately, many guests took care to honour Chinese artistry, including Rihanna, who shut down the internet in a majestic 55-pound yellow Guo Pei gown that took two years to make and an eternity to get over.
See more: 22 memorable Met Gala beauty looks from the last decade, from Zendaya to Doja Cat
The House of Chanel (2005)
The vibe: Tweed, pearls, and a lot of smug elegance
Best described as: Coco’s closet, with a guest list
A rare tribute to a single fashion house, this Lagerfeld-approved gala was a monochrome fantasy. With Anna Wintour and Karl Lagerfeld steering the ship, the evening was a crash course in Chanel codes: elegant, disciplined, and immaculately styled.
The Glory of Russian Costume (1976)
The vibe: Romanov opulence meets disco-era excess
Best described as: Fabergé egg energy with Studio 54 lighting
Long before “quiet luxury” became the buzzword du jour, the Met Gala went full imperial. Inspired by czarist grandeur and folkloric flair, this exhibit pulled from centuries of Russian court dress. Think brocade, sable, embroidery and gold that gleamed like onion domes in moonlight. Diana Vreeland, who curated the show, brought theatricality to every inch of it. The gowns? Maximalist. The jewels? Real. The vibes? Dynasty meets Dostoevsky.
AngloMania: Tradition and Transgression in British Fashion (2006)
The vibe: Punk rebellion tucked under a tweed coat
Best described as: Buckingham Palace meets Camden Market on a tipsy night out
In true British fashion, AngloMania celebrated both the monarchy and the mayhem. The exhibit cheekily mashed up centuries of British style, from royal robes and Savile Row suits to tartan, latex, and safety pins, serving up tradition with a twist of anarchy. Vivienne Westwood’s punk couture stood alongside stiff Edwardian corsets, while mannequins wore tiaras with leather harnesses like it was just another Tuesday in London.
The red carpet had its share of pearl-clutching moments: designers pushed boundaries while celebrities played it slightly safe (though Sarah Jessica Parker’s tartan Alexander McQueen moment remains unforgettable). A tribute to British irreverence, AngloMania showed us that fashion history doesn’t have to be polite—it can be loud, weird and royally rebellious.
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