This Year's Met Gala Theme Was "The Garden Of Time," So Here Are The Celebs Who Actually Tried

My look of the night is not who I expected...

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It's the first Monday in May, which means it's time to watch the Met Gala from my peasant's hovel with the vigor of an art historian.

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This year's theme is "The Garden of Time," based upon the 2024 Costume Institute's exhibit, Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion. You can get a full breakdown of what this means here, but the TL;DR is that it's about "fleeting beauty." Early predictions for what folks would wear encompassed reinvented historic garments, florals, and clocks.

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"The Garden of Time" itself is a reference to a rather macabre short story. 

So, which celebs stuck to the (quite good, actually) theme this year? Here are some of the highlights:

1. Anna Wintour

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Why it's on theme: There was no shortage of moody florals this year, but Anna's Loewe coat takes it to the next level by appearing to be an homage to an 1889 Charles Frederick Worth cloak which is on display in this year's exhibition.

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2. Emma Chamberlain

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Why it's on theme: Emma's Jean Paul Gaultier look evokes a decaying, sepia photograph, harkening to the "time" element of this year's theme. As Vogue confirmed, it is also a re-imagination of a 2003 Jean Paul Gaultier look — leaning into the conservation and fragility element of the exhibition this year.

3. Bad Bunny

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Why it's on theme: This Maison Margiela look appears to be playing with the theme of time through a yet-to-be-finished suit. The more obvious nod to the garden is through Benito's black flowers which, according to Vogue, includes the plant Sleeping Beauty was pricked with in the original fairytale (flax plant — who knew!).

4. Rebecca Ferguson

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Why it's on theme: Who doesn't love a reveal! But, erm, thematically speaking, one must note the death symbolism of the raven on this Thom Browne look.

5. Zendaya

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Why it's on theme: As per Vogue, this dress is a re-imagining of a 1999 couture Dior look. Throw in the old-timey makeup and the additional nature imagery of the hummingbird, and this is another great co-chair look of the night.

6. Tyla

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Why it's on theme: The moment I saw this Balmain gown, I knew it would be one of my favorites. She's dressed as the goddamn sand from her hourglass. Incredible.

7. Rita Ora

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Why it's on theme: Rita claimed in her Vogue livestream that this dress includes beads from the first and second century BC. If true, then it's certainly a creative take on time. She also said that the beads were "older, I think, than anyone on this planet" which...yeah.

8. Taylor Russell

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Why it's on theme: The exquisite painting on this corset looks as close to real wood as it could. I'd expect nothing less from Taylor.

9. Elle Fanning

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Why it's on theme: Sleeping Beauty herself, Elle's gown references her look in Maleficent. What's more, it's created to look like glass, evoking the theme of fragility in this year's dress code and exhibit. 

10. Wisdom Kaye

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Why it's on theme: This Robert Wun look takes the floral nods further by singeing the whole thing.

11. Charli XCX

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Why it's on theme: This Marni dress is actually made of a patchwork of white t-shirts from the previous century.

12. Kendall Jenner

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Why it's on theme: It's a 1999 Alexander McQueen look for Givenchy haute couture that has never been worn in public before! It was initially displayed on a mannequin, but never the runway. 

13. Nicole Kidman

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Why it's on theme: Nicole's Balenciaga dress is a reimagining of a 1951 gown.

14. Lana Del Rey

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Why it's on theme: This look references Alexander McQueen's iconic 2006 collection. Plus, given her interview with Kim Kardashian, it appears to be somewhat of a hazard.

15. Janelle Monáe

Kevin Mazur / Getty Images for The Met Museum/Vogue, Mike Coppola / Getty Images for The Met Museum/Vogue

Why it's on theme: There were a few nude dresses on the red carpet tonight, but none understood the theme like Janelle's. This Vera Wang gown is so fragile, it can only be worn once. Plus, the shoulder piece is made out of recycled bottles.

16. Zendaya (again)

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Why it's on theme: There's a freakin' Alexander McQueen bouquet on her head. The dress is a never-worn vintage 1996 Givenchy gown, making it the same age as Z herself.

We'll keep you updated as the night continues...

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