The Met Gala is sometimes considered the Fashion Oscars, and with good reason: It used to be a niche event for fashion's big designers, but has become a chance for celebrities to show off their edgiest style and for couture designers to make the most stunning gowns you've ever seen. The event has seen quite an evolution over that time period, ranging from Diana Ross and Bianca Jagger in fancy couture in the '80s (and Cher debuting a naked dress in the '70s!) through Rihanna helping to redefine Met Gala fashion in a yellow Guo Pei dress and enormous train in 2015. Even for people who don't typically follow fashion, the daring looks become part of popular culture, with people debating which celebrities pulled off their looks—alongside plenty of memes, of course, and more celebrities emulating the looks at other formal events. Throughout its multi-decade history, the Met Gala has given us some of the weirdest, wackiest, and most stunning looks of all time.
Below, see 32 of the best Met Gala gowns to have ever walked the red carpet.
