Met Gala 2024 red carpet recap: Zendaya's surprise outfit change, on-theme looks, and more

• The 2024 Met Gala took place on Monday in New York City.

• Its theme was "Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion," and the dress code was "The Garden of Time."

• Zendaya, a co-chair this year, surprised fashion fans by changing into a second gown.

Fashion's biggest night was a success.

On Monday, the world's most famous, influential, and wealthy stars visited the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York to attend the 2024 Met Gala and fundraise for the center's Costume Institute.

This year's exhibit and ball highlights historical garments and technological advancements in style with a "Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion" theme. The night's dress code, "The Garden of Time," was inspired by a 1962 short story of the same name.

From surprising celebrity moments to standout looks, here's what you may have missed.

Cardi B, Lana Del Rey, and Colman Domingo were among the stars who dressed to impress.

Not every 2024 Met Gala attendee nailed the "Garden of Time" dress code, but a handful of celebrities — including Colman Domingo in Willy Chavarria and Lana Del Rey in Alexander McQueen — understood the assignment. Read full story

Rihanna had to drop out due to the flu.

She may be the undisputed queen of Met Gala entrances, but sometimes even Rihanna gets sick. Stars — they're just like us!

The style icon had to skip Monday night's festivities after coming down with the flu, her representative told E! News. Many were surely hoping that Rihanna was just making a fashionably late entrance, as she did in 2023 and 2021. Guess we'll just have to wait until next year. Read full story

Celebrity couples were some of the best-dressed stars of the Met Gala.

Hollywood partners like Rita Ora and Taika Waititi and business power duos like Leonardo Maria Del Vecchio and Jessica Serfaty Michel stood out in bold ensembles. Read full story

Zendaya made a surprise outfit change.

After walking the red carpet in a gown covered in grapes, Zendaya changed into a more dramatic, vintage gown. She wore a 1996 Givenchy gown by John Galliano with an Alexander McQueen hat from 2007, according to E! host Zanna Roberts Rassi.

Cardi B's ball gown covered the Met steps.

No stranger to dramatic Met Gala looks, the rapper took over the red carpet in a black ball gown that required a crew of handlers. She paired it with diamond and emerald jewelry.

Camila Cabello carried one of the boldest accessories of the night.

Cabello walked the red carpet with a clutch made by Jane Wade that was timed to melt as she walked up the steps. She told E! correspondent Ross Mathews on the red carpet: "When I leave, I'll just have a rose!"

Her dress was designed by Ludovic de Saint Sernin and crafted from 250,000 Swarovski crystals. She said it required 450 hours of work and was "very heavy," weighing 15 pounds.

Lil Nas X showed up in style alongside fashion designer Raul Lopez.

Both the musician and fashion designer wore Lopez's brand Luar, which received major hype during New York Fashion Week.

Lil Nas X's outfit included a white tank top, matching pants, and a jacket bedazzled with silver sparkles. Lopez stood beside him in a tan top and trousers that were held together with dozens of buttons.

Gabrielle Union's gown took 9,500 hours to create.

Union's metallic ombré tulle gown was designed by Michael Kors. According to E! host Zanna Roberts Rassi, it was hand-embroidered by 12 artisans with five different colors of sequins.

Kim Kardashian brought another controversial corset to the Met steps.

Over the past few years, Kardashian has taken extreme measures to fit into her Met Gala looks — and Monday night appeared to be no different.

Kardashian arrived in a custom Maison Margiela by John Galliano gown featuring a couture corset rewoven from antique silver brocade. She wore a gray cashmere cardigan on top of the dress, which featured a floral skirt with mirror fragments.

This isn't the first time Kardashian has worn a corset at the Met Gala. In 2019 she opted for a custom Thierry Mugler dress that was so tight the reality TV star underwent "corset breathing lessons" so she could wear it.

Then, in 2022, Kardashian said she lost 16 pounds in three weeks to fit into Marilyn Monroe's iconic dress before climbing the Met Gala steps. Read full story

Elle Fanning looked like a fairy-tale princess.

After playing Sleeping Beauty in "Maleficent," it should be no surprise that Elle Fanning nailed Monday night's theme.

Fanning stunned in a glistening Balmain gown designed to look as if it was crafted from ice. The sheer blue off-the-shoulder dress featured two birds at the edge of each sleeve — fastened as if they were holding it up. Talk about a Cinderella moment come to life!

But Fanning required some assistance as she climbed up the iconic Met steps in the very stiff gown, as captured in a video by E! News.

The stars of "Wicked" had a fun interaction on the red carpet.

Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo hyped each other up as they walked the Met Gala red carpet, with Erivo telling Grande to "Work, baby!" as she posed for photos.

Erivo told Entertainment Tonight on the red carpet that her outfit, designed by Thom Browne and covered in flowers and bugs, was inspired by the idea of running through a garden.

Ariana Grande returned to the Met Gala red carpet for the first time since 2018.

She looked like a princess in her strapless white gown, which created an iridescent illusion across its skirt with pastel panels.

The "Wicked" star also wore her hair in a ponytail, sported flower petals next to each eye, and donned delicate earrings. She last attended the "Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination"-themed event six years prior.

Colman Domingo's look paid tribute to André Leon Talley and Chadwick Boseman.

For his first Met Gala, "The Color Purple" actor wore wide-legged black pants and a cream double-breasted jacket that featured a floor-length cape. The look was designed by Willy Chavarria.

"I'm giving some references to André Leon Talley and Chadwick Boseman," Domingo told E!'s Ross Mathews on the red carpet. "They both wore capes when they were at the Met. It's my first time at the Met, so I wanted to honor these brothers who were here before me as well."

Former Vogue creative director André Leon Talley died in 2022. "Black Panther" star Chadwick Boseman died in 2020.

Lauren Sánchez made her Met Gala debut in a stunning ball gown.

Everyone's been curious to see what Sánchez, the former news anchor and fiancée of Jeff Bezos, would wear at the Met Gala. While it remains unclear if Wintour helped pick her outfit, she looked glamorous on the event's carpet.

Her gown had a black, strapless bodice with a sweetheart neckline and a full skirt decorated with large gray floral pieces in a mosaic style. Read full story

Mindy Kaling is among the best-dressed stars on the 2024 Met Gala red carpet.

Kaling wore a nude architectural gown from Indian designer Gaurav Gupta, known for his avant-garde designs. It featured an elaborate backpiece that extended above her head and subtle silver threads throughout.

The train was so long that Kaling required the help of multiple handlers to make it up the stairs.

Gustav Magnar Witzøe was the first billionaire to arrive, and he did so in dramatic fashion.

In an Instagram post, the 31-year-old Norwegian shareholder revealed that he covered his tattoos with makeup to wear the see-through ensemble he sported on the Met Gala red carpet.

His outfit featured a see-through catsuit covered in crystals, the latter of which formed the shape of abs across his torso. Witzøe, whose net worth sits around $3.8 billion, also wore a piece of tan fabric wrapped around his hips, a satin cape, and tan flats.

Tyla needed help getting up the famous Met Gala steps.

The "Water" singer arrived in a tan-colored gown designed by Balmain. She told E! on the red carpet that it was made of sand. It was extremely daring, showing the outline of her body, but also slightly impractical.

She needed the help of four men in suits to get up the Metropolitan Museum steps, with one physically lifting her while the others held her skirt.

She completed her "Garden of Time"-themed outfit with a sand-filled hourglass in place of a purse.Read full story

Zendaya finally arrived in a dramatic gown from Maison Margiela.

The "Challengers" star was one of the most highly-anticipated arrivals of the 2024 Met Gala, and she didn't disappoint. She wore a custom gown made from blue and green lamé and organza, which wrapped around her body and formed a mermaid silhouette.

The dress was also covered in fake grapes and leaves, which added an earthy element to her look. She completed the outfit with a feathered fascinator and Tabi heels. Read full story

Anna Wintour said they're already planning the Met Gala for 2025 and 2026.

Wintour told La La Anthony on the red carpet that planning the Met Gala takes "a huge amount of time ... whether they work in the museum" or at Vogue. "I'm just so grateful ... we start planning it over a year in advance. We're already on to '25 and '26. God is in the details."

Jennifer Lopez brought the naked dress back to the Met Gala steps.

Lopez, one of the night's co-chairs, dazzled in a sheer off-the-shoulder Schiaparelli gown covered with sparkling silver embellishments made to look like tree bark and leaves for her 14th Met Gala appearance.

She paired the dress, which had a plunging neckline, with a bold Tiffany & Co. necklace. She swept her hair up in a simple updo so that it could take center stage and kept her makeup glowy but natural.

This isn't the first time Lopez has donned a naked dress to the Met Gala. She also wore one in 2015, the same year Beyoncé and Kim Kardashian did, following Rihanna's headline-making dress from the CFDA Fashion Awards the year prior.

Cher was the first to wear a naked dress to the Met Gala in 1974.

Rebecca Ferguson made the first major outfit change of the night.

She arrived on the red carpet in a black cape wrapped around her body in a bubble shape. But as she walked toward the Metropolitan Museum of Art steps, she removed the outer piece to reveal a sparkling, form-fitting dress beneath it.

Her black gown featured a raven print that matched the design across the blue satin lining of her cape. Thom Browne designed the outfit.

Celebrities have started to arrive in standout fashion.

Bad Bunny, Chris Hemsworth, and Gwendoline Christie are among the first stars to arrive on the red carpet.

Christie is wearing a custom Maison Margiela gown crafted from red velvet, Bad Bunny is sporting a statement hat and suit from the same designer, and Hemsworth, who is accompanied by his wife, Elsa Pataky, arrived in a cream-colored Tom Ford tuxedo.Read full story

Anna Wintour has arrived.

The Vogue editor in chief, who has co-chaired nearly every Met Gala since 1995, arrived in a floor-length white gown beneath a black coat embellished with red and yellow flowers, which appeared to have been crafted from feathers. The outfit was designed by Loewe; the creative director, Jonathan Anderson, is an honorary co-chair of the 2024 event.

The look was a perfect fit for the night's dress code, "The Garden of Time."

It's also in keeping with the looks Wintour has worn to Met Galas since taking the helm.

Read full story

A few Met Gala regulars stand out among the rest.

As the biggest night of the year for celebrity fashion, it's hard to stand out from the pack when walking the famous Met steps. But stars like Rihanna, Kim Kardashian, and Blake Lively have cemented themselves as Met Gala royalty.

It's unclear whether those Met Gala legends will attend the 2024 event, but co-hosts Zendaya and Jennifer Lopez are known to make a splash with their looks, too.

The Metropolitan Museum steps underwent a major transformation this year.

The museum's famous steps have been covered in a tan-and-green carpet that mimics grass to match this year's "Garden of Time" dress code and "Sleeping Beauties" theme.

The steps are also lined with bushes of green foliage and white flowers, and the entrance walls have been adorned with a forest-print backdrop.

Met Gala tickets cost $75,000 and include cocktails, a formal dinner, and musical performances.

The Met Gala, a fundraiser for the Costume Institute at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, is notoriously exclusive. Each year, the guest list is approved by Vogue editor in chief Anna Wintour, and attendees then pay a hefty entry fee.

This year, individual tickets cost a record $75,000, while tables start at $350,000.

For that price, they get access to a glamorous party where they can mingle with other celebrities and enjoy cocktails, a formal dinner, and surprise musical performances.

Read full story

Billionaires are expected to make fashionable appearances this year.

In the past, celebrities like Rihanna and Kim Kardashian have been the most fashionable billionaires on the Metropolitan Museum steps. But this year, all eyes are on execs like Jeff Bezos and their dates.

Lauren Sánchez, Bezos's fiancée, is among the top to watch, with rumors circulating that Anna Wintour herself has helped choose her outfit.

Zendaya, Jennifer Lopez, and co. prepared for the 2024 Met Gala with a dinner hosted by Anna Wintour.

On Sunday night, Wintour hosted a dinner for this year's Met Gala co-chairs in New York City. Lopez arrived in a crystal-encrusted dress and $31,000 earrings, Zendaya pulled out a vintage John Galliano design for the event, and Chris Hemsworth matched his wife in a blue animal-print ensemble.

Bad Bunny was also there, though he kept his outfit more casual. He sported a blazer, a New York Yankees cap, and a single latex glove.

You can watch this year's red carpet online and on TV at 6 p.m. ET.

Vogue will livestream the Met Gala carpet on YouTube, TikTok, and its website, with co-hosts including Gwendoline Christine, La La Anthony, and Ashley Graham.

E! will also broadcast TV coverage of red-carpet arrivals, with Ross Mathews doing interviews on-site. Read full story

The 2024 Met Gala theme is "Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion," and its dress code is "The Garden of Time."

When the new "Sleeping Beauties" Costume Institute exhibit opens this month, visitors will be able to see iconic garments, both new and old.

As Vogue previously reported, modern "masterpieces of fashion" will be displayed alongside garments so old and fragile that they require technology to help showcase them.

And, of course, the 2024 Met Gala will follow the same theme.

Attendees have been given a dress code of "The Garden of Time," inspired by J.G. Ballard's 1962 short story of the same name — which is filled with references to a "utopia of leisure, art, and beauty," flowers made of crystal, and encroaching dystopia.

That said, celebrity stylists previously told Business Insider that they believe stars will show up in vintage designer pieces, sustainable outfits, and garments embedded with technology.

The Met Gala's co-chairs this year include Zendaya, Bad Bunny, Jennifer Lopez, and Chris Hemsworth. Read full story

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