31 Celebs Who Tried Too Hard To Dress For The Met Gala And Failed In Spectacular Fashion

Celebrities and fashion designers are gearing up for the Met Gala 2025. The event takes place on Monday, May 5. And if the previous years are anything to go by, we should probably brace ourselves for some truly bizarre looks as the rich and famous descend on the red carpet of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City.

The fundraising benefit has become known as “fashion’s biggest night out.” There's a set theme every year. And this year it's “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style.” It's the first time in over 50 years that Black Culture is at the center of the Gala’s theme. So it's a pretty big deal. And an opportunity for those attending to celebrate Black fashion. Hopefully without too many fashion fails.

According to Harper's Bazaar, the exhibition draws from the evolution of "Black men’s style and dandyism, from the 18th century to today." The fashion mag explains that the official dress code, 'Tailored for You,' calls for bespoke, menswear-inspired ensembles. It also represents the first menswear-focused directive since the 2003 Met Gala's theme “Men in Skirts.”

Fittingly, Colman Domingo, Lewis Hamilton, A$AP Rocky, Pharrell Williams are the co-chairs of this year's Met Gala, alongside Vogue's Editor-In-Chief Anna Wintour. LeBron James will serve as an honorary chair.

The Met Gala is organized by Vogue Magazine and New York's Metropolitan Museum. But it wasn't always a place for stars to flaunt their fabulous fashion choices or faux pas. Fashion publicist Eleanor Lambert established the Gala in 1948, purely as a high-end event to raise funds for the Museum's Costume Institute. Celebs were left off the guest list, and instead, New York City's elite and wealthy were called upon to dig deep into their pockets.

When ex-Vogue editor Diana Vreeland took over as consultant in 1972, the Gala started attracting big names and media attention. Things changed in the 2020s, when celebrities and fashion designers started using the Met Gala red carpet to showcase wild, whimsical, sometimes bizarre, and downright ridiculous outfits. All still for a good cause. Since then, it's been high fashion, with a side serving of drama and controversy.

No stranger to Met Gala drama, Kim Kardashian brought us one of the most famous moments in 2022, when she rocked up in an original Marilyn Monroe dress that she'd borrowed from Ripley's. Monroe had donned the dress at a John F. Kennedy fundraiser in 1962. The blonde bombshell sang "Happy Birthday" to the former president and sent the rhinestone-encrusted ball gown skyrocketing to fame.

Kardashian admitted to "trying everything" to lose a load of weight so she could fit into the frock. The theme that year was "In America: An Anthology of Fashion." But she was accused of setting a bad example for women and girls when it comes to just how far one should go in the name of fashion. When news broke that the dress showed signs of damage after Kardashian had worn it to the Met, she caught heat all over again.

There was no shortage of strange the following year, when stars interpreted the theme "Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty." It was intended to honor the late designer, who died in 2019 at age 85. But many decided to make Lagerfeld's cat the star of the show. Kardashian attempted to take the cat itself as her date. But he would have none of it, and lashed out at her during a dress fitting, which was broadcast on an episode of "The Kardashians."

Doja Cat stole the show in her over-the-top outfit. She wore a white Oscar de la Renta dress with a hood. She donned faux kitty ears and had prosthetic makeup and sharp claws, transforming her into Lagerfeld's cat Choupette. But perhaps the cherry on top was when the singer was interviewed on the red carpet. Instead of replying with English words, she let out a series of ‘meows.’

Dramatic dresses aren't always bad, though. When South African Gen-Z superstar singer Tyla attended her first Met Gala in 2024, her entrance went viral. Known for her hit song "Water," she donned a Balmain gown made from sand. It resembled an hourglass and was her interpretation of the "Garden of Time" theme.

Tyla needed a well-coordinated entourage of men to help her along in the tight-fitting sand dress. They were filmed picking her up so she could get up the steps without the dress falling apart. The gown was later cut up, and its train turned into a minidress so the star could party the night away in style and comfort.

What happens inside the Met Gala stays in the Met Gala. There's a strict no-phone and no-social-media policy inside the museum. But according to Vogue, "the run-of-show involves cocktails, dinner—overseen this year by chef Kwame Onwuachi, of the restaurants Tatiana in Lincoln Center and Dōgon in Washington, DC—and a high-profile performer (or two). Attendees also always have a moment to explore the exhibition."