If a celebrity wears a naked dress to a regular old movie premiere, it might not garner all that much attention. If they wear one to the Met Gala, however, it will instantly enter the fashion lexicon. Sheer and illusion dresses have become recurring headline-makers on those museum steps, and we have Cher to thank for that. She wore a bedazzled Bob Mackie number to the event in 1974, causing quite the stir. These days, the trend is not as controversial as it was back then, but it’s no less memorable.
No one did it quite like Beyoncé at the Met Gala in 2015, when she arrived in a barely there Givenchy gown embroidered with glittering embellishments that caught the light (and every camera angle) perfectly. That’s exactly why this year feels primed for a full-circle moment. Beyoncé is officially back at the Met for the first time since 2016—and this time, she’s a co-chair. Expectations are, understandably, high. But she’s not the only one who’s delivered a memorable take on the look. At the 2024 gala, Elle Fanning offered her own version with a glass-like gown that was a true work of art. Scroll down to revisit other sheer moments on the Met Gala red carpet.
Kim Kardashian in Jean Louis, 2022
Cher in Bob Mackie, 1974
Beyoncé in Givenchy, 2015
Zoë Kravitz in Saint Laurent, 2021
Kendall Jenner in Givenchy, 2021
Blake Lively in Chanel, 2011
