The Met Gala, often regarded as one of the most iconized red carpet events of the year, has featured a number of memorable celebrity entrances throughout its history. From Zendaya‘s Cinderella recreation designed by Tommy Hilfiger in 2019 to Blake Lively‘s homage to the Statue of Liberty designed by Atelier Versace in 2022, celebrities have been known to use the Met Gala‘s red carpet as a stage to perform.
Ahead, WWD is breaking down some of the most dramatic Met Gala arrivals from the past decade.
Rihanna, 2015
Rihanna attends the 2015 Met Gala celebrating “China: Through the Looking Glass” at The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City.
AFP via Getty Images
In 2015, Rihanna turned heads as she arrived on the red carpet in a golden yellow look from designer Guo Pei. The star’s gown featured an exaggerated fur-lined train that cascaded down the museum’s front steps.
2 Chainz, 2018
2 Chainz and Kesha Ward attend the 2018 Met Gala celebrating “Heavenly Bodies: Fashion & The Catholic Imagination” at The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City.
Getty Images for The Hollywood R
2 Chainz made a dramatic entrance in 2018, dropping down on one knee and proposing to his then-girlfriend Kesha Ward. For his look, the star wore a black suit adorned with kitschy appliqués from Versace.
Lady Gaga, 2019
Lady Gaga attends the 2019 Met Gala celebrating “Camp: Notes on Fashion” at The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City.
WireImage
Co-chair of the Met Gala in 2019, Lady Gaga arrived to the event in a series of nesting-doll looks from designer Brandon Maxwell. Using props to emphasize the aesthetic of each ensemble, Lady Gaga disrobed one layer at a time to reveal four separate outfits in alternating black and pink colorways.
Zendaya, 2019
Law Roach and Zendaya attend the 2019 Met Gala celebrating “Camp: Notes on Fashion.”
Patrick McMullan via Getty Image
After first arriving on the 2019 red carpet in a gray-toned ballgown, Zendaya’s dress began to light up and expand outward in response to stylist Law Roach, dressed thematically as her “fairy godbrother,” waving a smoke-emitting magic wand. The star’s Cinderella-inspired look was designed by Tommy Hilfiger.
Jared Leto, 2019
Jared Leto attends the 2019 Met Gala celebrating “Camp: Notes on Fashion.”
WireImage
Jared Leto arrived to the gala in 2019 with one of the night’s most eye-catching accessories, a wax mold of his own head. The look, designed by Alessandro Michele for Gucci, was inspired by the brand’s fall 2018 runway show in which one of the models carried a similar carbon copy of her own likeness under her arm like a clutch bag.
Kim Kardashian, 2021
Kim Kardashian attends the 2021 Met Gala celebrating “In America: An Anthology of Fashion” at The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City.
Getty Images for The Met Museum/
In 2021, Kim Kardashian made headlines for her all-black look by Balenciaga. Featuring a skintight, face-obscuring mask and a full-length bodysuit underneath a formfitting T-shirt dress, Kardashian commented on the power of her celebrity through her easily recognizable silhouette.
Blake Lively, 2022
Blake Lively attends the 2022 Met Gala celebrating “In America: An Anthology of Fashion” at The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City.
Getty Images
Blake Lively had a highly discussed wardrobe transformation in 2022 when she “patinated,” dropping down her once bronze-colored dress to reveal a mint green look underneath, in reference to the changing color of the Statue of Liberty. The star’s look was designed by Atelier Versace as a “love letter to New York City.”
Lizzo, 2022
Lizzo attends the 2022 Met Gala celebrating “In America: An Anthology of Fashion” at The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City.
AFP via Getty Images
Bringing music to the red carpet, Lizzo arrived at the 2022 Met Gala with a flute in her hand. While the star donned a black and gold look from Thom Browne, she played a tune from composer Claude Debussy.
Jared Leto, 2023
Jared Leto attends the 2023 Met Gala celebrating “Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty” at The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City.
Getty Images for Karl Lagerfeld
With many references to Karl Lagerfeld’s beloved Burmese cat Choupette during the 2023 Met Gala, none took it as literally as Jared Leto. The star arrived in a large cat mascot-like costume, with many wondering who was behind the mask before Leto eventually revealed himself underneath.
