The best and worst dressed celebrities at the Met Gala 2021 – Billie Eilish channelled Marilyn Monroe in an Oscar de la Renta gown while Rihanna looked mysterious in Balenciaga

The fundraising event celebrates the museum’s flagship exhibition of the year, “In America: A Lexicon of Fashion”, which will open to the public on September 18. The event is followed by another series, “In America: an Anthology of Fashion,” which will open next year on May 5, exploring the evolution of American fashion since the 1940s.
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Dubbed “fashion’s biggest night out”, this year’s Met Gala once again welcomed world-famous celebrities, sports stars, fashion designers, models and even political figureheads. Bringing with them a touch of Gen Z power, stars like Billie Eilish and Timothée Chalamet joined timeless style icons like Jennifer Lopez and Ciara for a true fashion extravaganza.
Here are our picks for the best and worst dressed celebrities at the 2021 Met Gala.
The best




Another Met Gala regular, Rihanna, whose 2015 golden gown by Chinese couturier Guo Pei is still one of the most sensational moments in the event’s history, showed up in all black from Balenciaga.

You might not be able to recognise who this is from their face, but the silhouette certainly gives it away. It’s Kim Kardashian, of course. The reality TV star appeared wrapped up from head to toe in an outfit designed by her ex husband Kanye West, who collaborated with Balenciaga’s Demna Gvasalia on this custom look.
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Naomi Osaka’s Louis Vuitton ensemble has sparked a heated debate online, with some deeming it a fashion miss. But we appreciate the offbeat design and give her a thumbs up for paying tribute to her Japanese and Haitian heritage.

Serena Williams made quite an entrance in a kaleidoscope Gucci cape.


Ciara wore a custom dress from Norwegian designer Peter Dundas.


Justin Bieber chose a minimalist black tuxedo from his own label La Maison Drew and Nike Air Force 1 trainers, while Hailey Bieber matched his monochrome look with a floor-length gown from Saint Laurent.
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Margaret Qualley looked elegant in Chanel.

Lily-Rose Depp channelled the low waistline trend in Chanel couture.

Timothée Chalamet looked dapper as usual in an ensemble by two celebrated designers, Haider Ackermann and Rick Owens, paired with Cartier jewellery.

Model Iman chose to celebrate American fashion by wearing a look from young designer Harris Reed.
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Grimes descended on the red carpet in a whimsical Iris Van Herpen Haute Couture gown.
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Kendall Jenner, who is known for her sense of style, was one of the most dazzling stars of the night. She was outfitted in a Givenchy Haute Couture illusion tulle number fully embroidered with crystal flowers and fringes. The design by Matthew Williams was paired with matching embroidered gloves, a silk tulle bustier and beige leather sandals.

Carey Mulligan was radiant in a bright, voluminous Valentino gown.

Emily Ratajkowski was dressed by Vera Wang, who walked the red carpet with the model.

Kiwi singer Lorde stepped out in a dress from Bode, plus a crown.

Kristen Stewart rarely goes wrong in Chanel.
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Zoë Kravitz flaunted her figure in a bejewelled Saint Laurent dress.

Isabelle Huppert kept it elegant in Balenciaga.
The misses

While Shawn Mendes and Camila Cabello looked cute together, Cabello did not out-do her past Met Gala appearances.

While singer Debbie Harry’s Zac Posen designed outfit, with a skirt that resembles the American flag, was an admirable patriotic nod, some were not impressed by its aesthetics.

Kim Petras and Hillary Taymour turned heads for the wrong reasons, looking possibly better dressed for Halloween. Did you show up to the wrong party, Kim and Hillary?

Kacey Musgraves’ equestrian-style fashion might be great for a weekend night out, but it’s an understatement for the Met Gala.
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Not everyone can pull off a successful outfit transformation like Lil Nas X – we preferred the skirt staying on, Storm Reid.

There’s a classy way to show off your underwear – like Kylie Jenner and Zoë Kravitz – and then there’s, well, this. South Korean rapper Lee Chae-rin fell short here.

Netizens have been guessing what Frank Ocean was trying to say here with his green-faced robot baby. Whatever it is, the doll has become a highly trending meme.

- Gen Z made bold choices: Lil Nas X dazzled in three different golden looks, while tennis star Naomi Osaka’s Louis Vuitton outfit paid homage to her heritage
- K-pop idol Rosé from Blackpink debuted at the event in Saint Laurent, while Kim Kardashian was almost unrecognisable in an all-black look designed by ex Kanye West