Every year, the Met Gala is not just a who’s who of celebrities, it’s also a groundbreaking showcase for fashion icons and fashion designers. This year’s event, which aired on May 6, was no exception. Celebrities teamed up with designers to display their interpretations of the theme, “The Garden of Time.”
And of course, social media and news media are rife with images, GIFs, and videos of what they believe to be the best and worst looks. Many of these articles and posts often ask fans to vote for their favorites, despite not including written descriptions of each of the outfits. So we’ve described our top 10 favorite looks below to make them more accessible and allow more people to join the conversation.
Our Favorite Met Gala 2024 Looks Described
1. Zendaya in John Galliano
Zendaya. REUTERS/Andrew KellyTranslucent peacock-blue and smoke-gray bands of fabric swirl up Zendaya’s mermaid skirt, around her hips, across a shimmering forest-green, sleeveless corset, and over one shoulder. Layers of thin fabric flaring out at knee level create the impression that Zendaya kicks up smoke as she walks. Clouds of gleaming sapphire-blue and dark green tulle are loosely bunched in a tight S-curve that peeks over Zendaya’s right shoulder and winds down to her hips.
One jewel-toned hummingbird alights on the poof next to her face, and another seems to flit on the far side of her neck, its long, narrow beak nearly brushing her collarbone. Iridescent vines and bunches of blue and green grapes drape over one shoulder, hang from a loop around her left upper arm, and hang from her left hip.
Her golden brown hair is smoothed back to a bun at the nape of her neck. Wispy tendrils frame her face under her fascinator, which is cocked slightly to one side. Her head and eyes are veiled in a haze of green fishnet, and a long peacock feather blazes up at an angle from her fascinator cap.
She wears a green and gold ring on one hand and clover-green button earrings. Her gaze is intense, her eyes smokily lined and shaded rose pink under thin, nearly straight brows. Pink highlights warm her cheeks by her temples, and her lips are deep, burgundy red.
2. Cardi B in Windowsen
Cardi B poses at the Met Gala in New York City. REUTERS/Andrew KellyCardi B emerges from a surging pool of ink-black tulle that entirely fills the reception area of the gala. Flowing down and out from her knees, the ruffles ripple densely like cooling lava. Her black gown fits tightly across the hips and bodice, and black tulle fans out like sprays of water from her shoulders.
She wears a tall, narrow, beehive-shaped headdress over long, straight hair, which falls to her mid-back. A teardrop-shaped emerald pendant the size of a person’s palm hangs from a necklace encrusted with emeralds and diamonds. More teardrop-shaped emeralds are framed in countless diamonds on her long earrings, which drop down past her chin. Cardi B wears three emerald rings, two on one hand and one on the other, on which she also wears a jeweled cuff bracelet.
The tips of her long nails are painted teal green. Long lashes curl back from her smoky eyes, which are lined on the lower lids with metallic copper green.
3. Tyla in Balmain
Tyla poses at the Met Gala in New York City. REUTERS/Andrew KellyThe sleeveless bodice, narrow skirt, and flaring train of Tyla’s gown are sculpted from sand studded with crystals. The neckline of the bodice is ragged, and sand is dusted across one shoulder and down the other forearm. Tyla wears two rings, and sand falls in the hourglass she holds in one hand.
Crystals hang on short chains from her long nails. She wears an organically curved gold and diamond collar necklace and pale green gemstone drop earrings. Her chin-length hair falls in loose, wet-looking waves.
4. Gigi Hadid in Thom Browne
Gigi Hadid. REUTERS/Andrew KellyA men’s white dinner jacket edged with black gapes open around Gigi Hadid’s waist so the bodice of her off-the-shoulder white gown emerges like a bud. Below, the jacket deconstructs around her knees to become undulating waves in a wide, wrap-around train. Thin white straps loop across Gigi’s upper arms to leave her shoulders bare. The front of the bodice is flat with a tuxedo-style pocket on the chest and it laces up the back.
Yellow roses and dark green leaves spread across Gigi’s midsection and blossoms, glossy leaves, and thorny vines wind down the surging ruffles of the skirt. The sides and across the hips of the bodice shimmer with miniscule crystals. Gigi’s long, white-tipped nails are ornamented with three-dimensional yellow roses on her thumbs, ring fingers, and one index finger.
Strands of yellow gems and white diamonds lie across her collarbone, and pale yellow and diamond drop earrings hang just below her sleekly curled blond, chin-length hair. Her eyeshadow is natural and her lips vivid red.
5. Cole Escola in Thom Browne
Cole Escola. REUTERS/Andrew KellyCole Escola wears a white suit jacket over a cream-white vest, a bright white button up shirt and bowtie, and an ankle-length, straight skirt with a wide hem. White fabric drapes from the wide brim of their white straw hat over their shoulders like a veil.
Cole wears transparent white stockings and white loafers, and carries a profusion of peach-colored carnations in a straw bag shaped like a dog. Gray bangs peek out under the white hat, and they wear classic red lipstick.
6. Nicki Minaj in Marni
Nicki Minaj. REUTERS/Andrew KellyOversized, vividly-colored, sculptural, aluminum flowers perch, grow, and flit all over Nicki Minaj’s sleeveless yellow minidress. In shades of orange, amethyst purple, magenta, carnation pink, lapis, and topaz blue, flowers seem to grow on stems around Nicki’s shoulders and from her waist, and hang from the lower hem.
The V-shaped neckline is cut low and the short skirt flares like a trumpet’s horn to her upper thighs. The surface of the canary-yellow dress is streaked with darker, golden yellow, fern green, and white.
Nicki’s clutch purse is made of the same streaked material as the dress and dangles on a short gold chain. She wears jeweled rings on two fingers, and her long nails are pale pink. A curtain of bangs come down over her eyebrows, and jaw-length, straight hair frames her face. A bun atop the back of her crown is ringed with smaller coral-pink and sky-blue flowers.
7. Doja Cat in Vetements
Doja Cat. REUTERS/Andrew KellyDoja Cat’s soaking wet, long, translucent white dress clings to her body. The gown has a crew neck collar and forearm-length wide sleeves. The cloth falls to the ground in zigzagging folds where it hugs her breasts, torso, and thighs.
The silver platforms of her shoes are just visible under the lower hem. Doja Cat’s eyes are heavily lined, and dark streaks of mascara run down her cheeks.
Her short hair is blond, and she wears hoop earrings and diamond studs in multiple piercings along her lobes and helices. Tattoos are visible on her wrists and the back of one hand, and her long nails are natural.
8. Adwoa Aboah in H&M
Adwoa Aboah. REUTERS/Andrew KellyAdwoa Aboah’s cardinal-red, shrug-length, ruffled top and voluminous, floor-length skirt frames her pregnant stomach. The cape-like top encircles her shoulders and almost completely covers a ruby-red, stoned bra beneath.
The skirt flares from below her belly and is gathered around the bottom hem, mimicking the shape of an onion dome. Her heels leave most of her foot bare except for an elongated and pointed toe box.
Her hair is parted down the middle and slicked back to a plaited bun atop her head. Her upper lip and a line down the center of her lower lip are the same red as her dress over her pink lower lip. Delicate diamond earrings hang from her lobes.
9. Amelia Gray Hamlin
Amelia Gray Hamlin. REUTERS/Andrew KellyButtercup-yellow tulle wraps over a bell-shaped clear container worn as a skirt over a short, sleeveless yellow dress. Stems of purple roses lie along the bottom of the terrarium “skirt.” The sweetheart neckline of the dress is edged with a band of shiny yellow material.
The sheer tulle drapes from the neckline down the sides, and up under the base of the skirt. Amelia’s legs are bare, and she wears shiny, open-toe, gold platform heels with ankle straps. Her long black hair is parted along the middle and slicked down the sides of her neck and over her chest so it streams in rivulets under a stiff gold necklace. Her makeup is natural except for plum-purple lipstick.
10. Rita Ora
Rita Ora. REUTERS/Andrew KellyStrands of gold, bronze, citrine-yellow, shell-pink, pale turquoise, opal-white, and black beads drape from necklines across Rita Ora’s clavicle and upper back to the ground over a flesh-colored bodysuit. She wears nude, strappy sandals.
Her chin-length brown hair looks wet, as if she has just come up for air from underwater. Her eyes are smoky at the outer corners and shaded with frosty white at the inner corners, and the rest of her makeup is natural.
Description: A Simple Way to Make Pop Culture More Inclusive
The Met Gala is an event like no other, and people from all backgrounds and walks of life look forward to joining the conversation surrounding the event and its cutting-edge fashion each year. By describing the looks in writing or with audio descriptions—or better yet, both—we make it possible for Disabled folks to take part in the cultural dialogue. Whether the descriptions are crafted by the Met Gala itself, the news companies reporting on the event, the designers, or simply fans on social media, every description unlocks the fashion for all to experience and brings joy where once there was only a barrier.
