As a close friend of designer Anthony Vaccarello, actor Zoë Kravitz always opts for Saint Laurent when it comes to red-carpet dressing – and it’s easy to see why. The Parisian label’s rock ’n’ roll sensibility is the perfect complement to Kravitz’s naturally insouciant style. This glittering chainmail dress, complete with subtle logo detailing, is equal parts sexy and cool.

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When it comes to the Met Gala, no one does the red carpet quite like Rihanna – and this year was no exception. Styling a gargantuan Balenciaga Couture utility-coat-cum-gown and beanie hat with high-octane jewels and a crystal headdress, the musician and magnate took hi/lo dressing to a whole new level.

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Thanks to her Oscar-nominated performance in Promising Young Woman, actor Carey Mulligan has walked more red carpets than most this year; and her prowess shows in this exquisite magenta gown and cape by Valentino. Note: there isn’t an accessory in sight – this dress is a statement in and of itself.

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Emily Blunt’s breakout role may have been in The Devil Wears Prada, but the British actor chose a Miu Miu gown and cape for this year’s Met Gala. As a playful nod to the Star-Spangled Banner, Blunt’s embellished dress and celestial-inspired headpiece were perfectly in keeping with the theme.

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Fresh from her victory at the US Open – when she became the first British woman to win a Grand Slam title since 1977 – 18-year-old tennis pro Emma Raducanu made her Met Gala debut, having received a personal invitation from Anna Wintour. Raducanu traded in her whites for a printed monochrome co-ord by storied fashion house Chanel.

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In a complete departure from her usual extravagant red-carpet style, business mogul Kim Kardashian opted for a somber, though equally theatrical, look by Balenciaga. Kardashian’s all-black ensemble comprised of a body sock that extended to completely cover her face and shoes, finishing in a floor-sweeping train. Once again, breaking the internet.

Model Gigi Hadid took a minimal approach to this year’s Met Gala, opting for a streamlined gown by legendary Italian label Prada. The double-bodice detail and black leather gloves gave this golden-era Hollywood dress a decidedly contemporary feel, while Hadid’s newly dyed hair made for maximum impact.

Model and entrepreneur Kendall Jenner might be the ultimate millennial woman, but her ornate Givenchy gown was inspired by the late designer’s close friend, Hollywood legend Audrey Hepburn; specifically, the beaded dress she wore as Eliza Doolittle in My Fair Lady. This modern reimagining, courtesy of current creative director Matthew Williams, is simply breathtaking.

Simone Biles is one of the most decorated gymnasts of all time – and this Met Gala look might just be one of the most glittering the event has ever seen. Crafted by New York-based couture label Area, this wearable work of art took 6,650 hours to complete and is made from more than 17,000 feet of Swarovski crystal glass chains. Luckily for Biles, the embellished overskirt is detachable – so she can still dance the night away.

Academy Award-winning actor Lupita Nyong’o is no stranger to the red carpet – and she’s not afraid to take a risk in the name of fashion, either. This architectural Atelier Versace gown makes blue denim, a mainstay of American style, feel like an utterly fresh proposition. The beaded details and mermaid train simply take it to even greater heights.

Over the years, Sienna Miller has cemented her status as a bona-fide style icon, so it should come as no surprise that the actor pulled out all the stops for this year’s Met Gala. Miller paired an ultra-embellished blush-colored dress with a perfectly coordinating faux-fur coat, both courtesy of Gucci, for a stunning look that struck the perfect balance between playful and ladylike.

Grammy Award-winning musician Alicia Keys channeled the classicism of quintessentially American lifestyle labels in a sheer white shirt and voluminous tulle skirt by AZ Factory. The mix of masculine and feminine elements makes this look particularly compelling, while finishing it with heirloom diamonds was a true styling masterstroke.

Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez made her Met Gala debut in a suitably powerful gown by Brooklyn-based label Brother Vellies (pictured here with the brand’s founder, Aurora James). Her white off-the-shoulder dress, complete with tulle skirt, might appear classic from the front, but splashed across the back was the phrase ‘Tax the rich’. In short, AOC’s look epitomized style with substance.

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Hallowed fashion house Carolina Herrera has long been revered for its covetable gowns. In fact, its impeccable designs made it the go-to for former First Ladies including Michelle Obama and Jacqueline Kennedy. It should come as no surprise, then, that all-American model Karlie Kloss opted for a jaw-dropping sculptural scarlet gown by this homegrown label.

With a glittering career spanning almost 50 years, Iman – the original supermodel – has close ties with virtually every designer at work today. Meaning her decision to wear this sculptural gold look by breaking brand Harris Reed to the most important event in the fashion calendar is a momentous one. Reed’s star is officially ascending.

As the daughter of Cindy Crawford, Kaia Gerber is fashion royalty – however, it was another supermodel she paid homage to with this timeless evening look. Gerber’s Oscar de la Renta gown was inspired by the black corseted Halston dress Bianca Jagger wore to the 1981 ball. Even Gerber’s minimal accessories and Hollywood wave are in keeping with the Nicaraguan model’s original look.

Oscar, Golden Globe, Emmy and Grammy Award-winning actor and musician Jennifer Hudson is nothing short of a red-carpet veteran – as displayed by this masterful outing. Hudson offset a scarlet figure-sculpting dress with a voluminous robe coat, both by AZ Factory, for a look that was as elegant as it was effortless.

Serena Williams may be the undisputed greatest of all time when it comes to women’s tennis, but this powerful ‘red’-carpet look proves she’s also a force to be reckoned with off the court. Williams’ metallic lace catsuit and floor-length feather cape, both courtesy of Gucci, recall the heady days of disco and the iconic Studio 54 club in New York.

Grammy Award-winning musician and co-chair Billie Eilish went for all-out glamour in a fairytale gown by iconic American fashion house Oscar de la Renta. With her frothy skirt, platinum hair and liberal helping of diamond jewels, Eilish resembled a modern-day Marilyn Monroe.

Poet, co-chair and former PORTER cover star Amanda Gorman dazzles in a bespoke cobalt blue Vera Wang gown embellished with more than 3,000 hand-sewn sequins, a nod to the iconic Statue of Liberty. Megawatt hair accessories, vertiginous heels and a clutch bag embroidered with the words ‘Give me your tired’, a reference to the Emma Lazarus poem inscribed on the monument, merely dial up the drama of this show-stopping look.

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Grand Slam-winning tennis ace and co-chair Naomi Osaka paid tribute to both her Japanese and Haitian heritage in a directional dress and cape by Parisian powerhouse Louis Vuitton. This scene-stealing look is a celebration of fashion at its most creative.

Never one to shy away from an agenda-setting look, actor and co-chair Timothée Chalamet opted for a remastered white silk tuxedo – complete with contrasting black collar – by his red-carpet go-to and long-time collaborator Haider Ackermann.

Euphoria star Hunter Schafer chose a luminescent, armor-esque set that was custom-made by Prada for the red carpet, completing her sci-fi inspired look with white contact lenses and a silver headpiece.

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Singer Roseanne “Rosé” Park of K-pop group Blackpink naturally chose a Saint Laurent mini dress for her debut Met Gala appearance – she is a global ambassador for the storied fashion house and attended the event with creative director Anthony Vaccarello.

Pose actor and recent PORTER cover star Indya Moore opted for a monochromatic ensemble by Saint Laurent, consisting of a dramatic, oversized cape and shorts.

For her first outing on the Met Gala red carpet, activist and model Quannah Chasinghorse chose a gold lamé gown by Peter Dundas, which she accessorized with traditional Navajo jewelry.

Gemma Chan honored another movie star on the red carpet, paying tribute to Anna May Wong, the first Chinese-American Hollywood actress. She worked with designer Prabal Garung on the dragon-motif mini dress and statement-making green train, and explained the significance of her look on Instagram: “A trailblazer, fashion icon and woman ahead of her time,” she wrote of Wong. “She paved the way for those who came after and continues to inspire.”

Due to the pandemic, we are no longer strangers to digital award ceremonies, and celebrities have risen to the challenge of getting red-carpet ready for an at-home event – just Google Rosamund Pike looking like candied confectionery in British designer Molly Goddard’s tulle tutu dress for the Golden Globes in March 2021. But the nature of the Met Gala is in its physical form, so this year’s event took place in all its glamorous glory on September 13 – as opposed to the traditional first Monday in May – marking the end of New York Fashion Week and making the ball one of the first red-carpet extravaganzas of the year.

The theme for the exhibition, which will celebrate the 75th anniversary of the Costume Institute, was American fashion – to be explored in two instalments. On the choice of theme, Max Hollein, the Marina Kellen French Director of the Met, commented, “Fashion is both a harbinger of cultural shifts and a record of the forces, beliefs and events that shape our lives… In looking at the past through this lens, we can consider the aesthetic and cultural impact of fashion on historical aspects of American life.” And, if you were in any doubt that the biggest event in the fashion calendar had lost any of its star power after a year’s hiatus, think again. With Timothée Chalamet, Billie Eilish, Naomi Osaka and PORTER cover star Amanda Gorman – luminaries leading the charge across American cinema, music, sports and culture – co-hosting this year’s event, the 2021 extravaganza is set to go down in history as the most dazzling yet. As sartorial pioneers and masters in their fields, this panel was perfectly selected to kick off part one of the exhibition “In America: A Lexicon of Fashion,” which served as a deep dive into the sense of ingenuity that defines American fashion.

Gorman was unequivocal when describing her excitement about co-hosting the event to PORTER: “The closest analogy is feeling like Cinderella going to the ball,” she says of the invitation to co-chair. “Anna Wintour took the time to ask me over Zoom; I was not expecting that at all.” In fact, Gorman even alluded to feeling a hint of imposter syndrome at being included in such a prodigious cohort, “co-chairing with Timothée, Naomi and Billie – it feels like being a freshman at a party with seniors” – but, despite her nerves, the first National Youth Poet Laureate was confident that the glittering group had a lot to offer. “There is something unifying in us being young and fresh-faced but, at the same time, we have become somewhat emblematic of our industries. We are the new generation – and you’d better watch out.” Elsewhere, titans of fashion and technology Anna Wintour, Tom Ford and head of Instagram Adam Mosseri served as honorary chairs for this year’s Gala, completing the all-star line-up.