Zendaya's Most Unforgettable Met Gala Looks

The actress nails the event's theme every time.

By
Samantha Sutton
SamSutton
Samantha Sutton
Samantha is InStyle's senior fashion editor. She joined the brand in 2019 and oversees the site's fashion coverage, including trend reporting, fashion exclusives, celebrity style interviews, and Fashion Week coverage.
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Updated on March 11, 2024 @ 04:06PM
Zendaya at the Met Gala
Photo: Getty Images

You don't have to be a style expert to know that the Met Gala is an event unlike any other. Each year celebrities walk the red carpet in outfits costumes that fit a specific theme — and nobody nails those interpretations quite like Zendaya and Image Architect, Law Roach. Zendaya's Met Gala looks have gone down as some of the best in fashion history, like when she climbed the Met steps dressed in body armor and when her Cinderella gown magically transformed before our eyes. The actress hasn't attended since 2019, but she's returning as a co-chair for the 2024 Met Gala. In anticipation of this year's event, take a look back at Zendaya's gorgeous Met Gala looks over the years.

01 of 04

2019

Zendaya at Met Gala wearing a Cinderella gown made by Tommy Hilfiger.
Getty Images

Zendaya went full princess at 2019's Met Gala, walking the red carpet in a Cinderella gown made by Tommy Hilfiger. The piece magically transformed from grey to blue in a matter of minutes (with an assist from Zendaya's Fairy Godmother, Law Roach), and the exciting performance nailed the night's theme, Camp: Notes on Fashion.

02 of 04

2018

Zendaya at the Met Gala wearing a silver Versace armor dress and her hair in a short bob
Getty Images

The Met Gala theme in 2018, "Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination," was interpreted in a variety of unique ways, but Zendaya opted to channel Joan of Arc. Her sparkling, silver Versace dress was made to look like armor, yet felt sexy at the same time, complete with a thigh-high slit and multiple cutouts.

03 of 04

2016

Zendaya at Met Gala wearing metallic Michael Kors gown
Getty Images

Zendaya's shiny, metallic Michael Kors dress fit right in with 2017's "Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology" theme — it kind of gave off a futuristic, digital vibe! — but at the same time, would work on any red carpet, especially thanks to that one-shoulder cutout.

04 of 04

2015

Zendaya at Met Gala wearing Fausto Puglisi outfit consisting of red patterned skirt and v-neck black top with a tiara
Getty Images

At her first-ever Met Gala, Zendaya wore a short, whimsical look created by Fausto Puglisi. Her skirt — which included a sun motif as a nod to the "China: Through the Looking Glass" theme — featured a train that trailed behind her, and she accessorized with a tiara and a handful of bracelets.