The Met Gala is an annual fundraising event held for the benefit of the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute in Manhattan. The Met Gala is widely known as the world’s most prestigious and glamorous fashion event, held once a year. The guests who attend the Gala range from areas of fashion, film, television, music, theater, business, sports, social media, and politics. Each guest is hand-selected by Vogue’s editor-in-chief, Anna Wintour, who also selects a theme for the occasion. Past themes have included “Heavenly Bodies” in 2018 and “In America” in 2021. This year’s theme was “Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion,” with the official dress code being “The Garden of Time”, inspired by J.G. Ballard’s short story The Garden of Time, written in 1962.

Avid fashion enthusiasts and SHS students Stella Berry ’26 and Lindsey Frank ’26 stated their opinions of this year’s best and worst-dressed guests. Berry and Frank agreed on the best-dressed celebrities, including singer Tyla and models Anok Yai and Kendall Jenner. With regards to Tyla’s outfit, “ her natural approach, you know, the sand, is so amazing, so creative,” Berry said. Frank, on the other hand, highlighted her love for Anok Yai’s outfit due to the creativity and extravagance that it offered. Frank admired how perfectly executed the outfit was in terms of the theme but also thought the style, fit, color, and accessories truly made the outfit one to remember.

While some outfits captured the eye of fashion fans, others were not as successful. “Doja Cat’s [outfit]… compared to everyone else’s was just boring and seemed rushed,” Frank added. Frank recently attended a fashion course at FIT, making her more critical and aware of outfit choices, such as Doja Cat’s outfit. The concept of this look was intriguing to her, yet she believed this was a terrible execution as the outfit was very bland for such an extravagant event. Singer Dua Lipa received criticism for her outfit especially as many fans were disappointed. “[Dua Lipa] completely [missed] the theme,” Berry explained. Dua’s choice of wearing a black color, which did not fit the “Secret Garden” theme, heavily influenced the critical comments. Hopefully, if these guests are invited back, Berry and Frank will have more positive things to say.

Though all guests had unique outfit choices, there were some that stood out for their ability or inability to capture the theme. With the Gala appealing to all ages, all over the nation, it is critical that these celebrities make a positive impression. All stylists and celebrities that attended the 2024 MET Gala entered with confidence in their outfits, but some had to leave that confidence at the Gala, as the criticism kept flowing in.