The Met Gala: themes and fashion through the years

One of the most anticipated events on the fashion calendar is upon us, the Met Gala 2017 takes place on 1st May this year. This year, the inspiration behind the gala and accompanying Costume Institute exhibit is Rei Kawakubo, founder and designer of Comme des Garçons (pictured). Other designers honoured in the past have been Alexander McQueen (2011) and Elsa Schiaparelli and Miuccia Prada (2012). As the attendees always try to impress with their choices and given Kawakubo’s penchant for the unconventional and structured, we should definitely see some fashion boundaries pushed this year! As we wait with anticipation of what’s in store, we’ve taken a look back over the years at some of the amazing themes and designs modelled on the Met Gala red carpet runway…

1/20 Scarlett Johannson wears a pale yellow Calvin Klein to complement her skin tone.

2/20 Sarah Jessica knows how to dress to a theme with this Alexander McQueen creation complete with tartan.

3/20 Sandra Bullock chooses a perfect colour for her hair and skin tone with this Alberta Ferretti dress.

4/20 Anna Wintour nails the superhero theme in futuristic Karl Lagerfeld.

5/20 Kate Moss was the muse for Marc Jacobs for the 2009 Gala.

6/20 Ashley Olsen looked so chic in this Dolce & Gabbana open back floor-sweeping dress.

7/20 Jessica Biel flies the flag for American designers in Ralph Lauren.

8/20 Sienna Miller looks sultry yet fun in this ruffled midnight blue Emilio Pucci dress.

9/20 Dakota Fanning gives her ethereal take on Savage Beauty in this intricately embellished Valentino dress.

10/20 Jennifer Lopez does a more traditional take on the theme with this fierce Gucci number.

11/20 This Prada dress offers a rich dose of luxe colour to the red carpet for Diane Kruger.

12/20 It was head to toe metallic for Karolina Kurkova in Rachel Zoe in 2012.

13/20 Emma Watson puts a feminine twist on the punk theme in this cut-out piece from Prabal Gurung.

14/20 Rihanna shone bright like a diamond in this bright white dress from Stella McCartney.

15/20 Amal Clooney chose a red dress by John Galliano in keeping with the theme of China.

16/20 Kate Hudson in gold Michael Kors, along with the red carpet backdrop was the perfect colour combination for the Chinese theme.

17/20 Rosie Huntington-Whiteley went for sculptural Versace for her red carpet look.

18/20 Claire Danes wore one of the most talked about dresses of the 2016 Met Gala. The Cinderella style ballgown made by Zac Posen containing 30 battery packs and lit up when it got dark!

19/20 Beyoncé is partial to wearing Givenchy at the Met Gala, and last year was no different with this latex creation.

20/20 Margot Robbie kept things sleek and minimal in this white dress by Calvin Klein.