The Met Gala’s most memorable looks: From Pope Rihanna to Lady Gaga’s striptease, six red carpet outfits that went viral

A fashion’s biggest night approaches, stylist Orla Dempsey recaps six of the standout looks from recent years

Met Gala’s most memorable moments

Orla Dempsey

Rap star Lil Nas X caused a stir last year at the Gala in his silver thong and Swarovski-encrusted body to pay homage to Karl Lagerfeld’s beloved cat Choupette. He also grabbed the attention in 2021, in a triple-layered Versace look; shedding a heavy golden cape for golden armour, and under that a bedazzled body suit.

The crystal cat

Zendaya and Law Roach arrive for the 2019 Met Gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 6, 2019. Photo: ANGELA WEISS/AFP via Getty Images

Princess Zendaya

Zendaya and her stylist Law Roach have big expectations to live up to this year. Not only has the actress worn some of the most memorable Met Gala looks — including her Versace modern Joan of Arc in 2018 and the Tommy Hilfiger Cinderella dress in 2019 complete with Roach accessorised as her fairy godfather — she also brought high fashion to the publicity tour for Dune: Part Two this spring in the archival fall 1995 Mugler robot look. We’ll be waiting with bated breath to see what look the honorary co-chair of the Met Gala dons on the carpet.

US singer-songwriter Frank Ocean holds a robot baby as hearrives for the 2021 Met Gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. The 2021 theme was "In America: A Lexicon of Fashion." Photo by ANGELA WEISS / AFP

Shrek chic

OK, so singer Frank Ocean did opt for a generic all-black Prada look in 2021, when the theme was a homage to American fashion, but he managed to gain attention for his unusual accessory (above). Officially called Cody, the internet dubbed this little green robot, dressed in custom Homer, ‘Shrek baby’.

Nicola Coughlan arrives for the 2022 Met Gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 2, 2022, in New York. The Gala's 2022 theme is "In America: An Anthology of Fashion". Photo: ANGELA WEISS/AFP via Getty Images

Taking flight

Galway’s Nicola Coughlan is on a fast track to fashion-icon status, continually stepping out in looks that wow. At the 2022 Met Gala, the Bridgerton and Derry Girls star walked the carpet in a pink and black feathered gown by London-Irish designer Richard Quinn.

Rihanna attends the Heavenly Bodies: Fashion & The Catholic Imagination Costume Institute Gala at The Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 7, 2018. Photo by Sean Zanni/Patrick McMullan via Getty Images

Pope Rihanna

Rihanna, who drops more looks than albums these days, stunned in Maison Margiela at the Heavenly Bodies Gala in 2018. This heavily beaded, bishop-inspired outfit had everyone ready to drop to their knees — including Rihanna who said it weighed her down to the point that “every step was a squat”.

Lady Gaga attends the 2019 Met Gala Celebrating Camp: Notes on Fashion at Metropolitan Museum of Art. Photo by Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images

Four times a lady

What would the Met Gala be without the Queen of Pop? Lady Gaga made stripping down to her skivvies a true art form at the 2019 Met Gala. Her fuchsia pink gown was made by Brandon Maxwell, a friend of the singer’s. In all, she revealed four different outfits that year, as tuxedoed men flitted around her with cameras and hairspray.

Lady Gaga arrives for the 2019 Met Gala celebrating Camp: Notes on Fashion at The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. Photo by Karwai Tang/Getty Images