The Met Gala is one of pop culture’s most anticipated events. From designer wear to instagramable outfits, many of us tune in to see our favorite celebrities in creative pieces. 

The gala, which is held on the first Monday of May, is an annual themed haute couture fundraising festival held for the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute. This year’s Met Gala took place on 4 May with the theme ‘Costume Art’ and featured many costumes  which were stunning or otherwise. 

Best dressed 

Many of us stare at our screens to admire the creativity and the bold fashion choices of certain celebrities and designers. Many people were amazed at the beautiful clothes that celebrities such as Sabrina Carpenter wore. 

“Sabrina will always be iconic,” Amaya De Silva, 27, said. “And her dress made out of film from the movie Sabrina is a creative way to show her individuality.” 

Our readers also appreciated other costumes such as Tyla’s custom Valentino gown and Tate McRae’s golden gown. 

“I loved some of the fashion this time around,” Anuki Gunawardena, 27, said. “Tyla, Tate and Simone Ashley absolutely killed it.” 

Many people were impressed by the creativity and skill required to pull these outfits off by staying true to the theme. Even more simple looks such as Hunter’s Gustav Klimt inspired custom Prada dress turned heads. 

However, other readers said that some costumes left more to be desired. 

Not-so-best-dressed

While many celebrities stunned us, others missed the theme or failed to capture the admiration of viewers. 

“Kylie Jenner looked like she stepped out of a horror movie and Katy Perry looks like she’s shielding her eyes from it,” De Silva said. “Also, who told Heidi Klum to dress up as one of the museum’s statues?” 

While some were critical of certain fashion choices, others thought that sustainability could have paid a larger share in the celebrations. 

“I wish more designers paid attention to how we can be sustainable in our fashion choices,” Sampath Rajapaksha,31, said. “While there was an outfit made with used clothing, I felt like sustainable fabrics such as linen could have been worn to protect the environment.” 

Others were not a fan of certain looks because of more conservative cultural values. 

“I was not a fan of Simone Ashley and I was shocked by her dress - if you could even call it that,” Lissala Perera,22, said. “Many women think it’s okay to show their bodies for attention and it is distasteful.” 

Yet, many of our readers disagreed with Perera stating that many outfits were made with good taste and showed artistic appreciation. 

“I think the looks were beautiful and it showed the gradual acceptance of certain body types,” De Silva said. “I saw some TikToks pushing back against the ‘naked aesthetic’ however I feel like we should be more accepting of women’s choices.” 

The overlooked diversity of the Met Gala

Many readers also appreciated the diversity of invitees and expressed hope that the entertainment industry is moving in the right direction. Aaron Rose Philip made history as the first person in a wheelchair to attend the Met while Sinead Burke, an Irish activist with dwarfism was also in attendance. 

The Met also featured attendees from different backgrounds and nationalities. “As a brown woman, I love seeing other brown women thrive so I was so happy to see Simone Ashley and Diya Mehta attend,” Amanda Kandegoda, 26, said. 

Kandegoda also noted that celebrities such as Rose who has Korean descent and Tyla who is South African really brought a global presence to an oftentimes westernized event.  “It gives me hope to see more people like us,” she said. “I hope Lara Raj is invited next year.” 

The growing influence of global entertainment such as K-pop as well as the representation of South Asians on screen and the rise of global cinema and music has helped our readers connect with our readers.

Hopes for 2027 

While the theme for next year’s Met Gala has not yet been announced, our readers had hopes of the celebrities and designers they would see. 

“I really hope KATSEYE is invited,” Rajni Tiwari,17, said. “I’m a huge fan of Daniella Avanzini and I really do think she will impress us with any outfit she wears.” 

Others like Rajapaksha hoped that next year’s theme would focus on nature and sustainability. 

“I think nature and sustainability have always been explored in the art world and I think it’s really cool,” he said. 

Whatever our readers' hopes might be, they agreed that this year’s Met Gala is something that they would talk about in the coming days.