In case you don’t know, the annual Met Gala is a gathering of celebrities to raise money for the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute and is easily the single biggest night for fashion. With this year’s theme being “In honor of Karl,” there was a lot of controversy mixed with the black and white on the toothpaste-like carpet this year. Karl Lagerfeld, who recently passed away in 2019, was a fashion designer most famous for reviving the brand, Chanel. The reason this caused a lot of controversy was because many criticized the event for honoring Karl Lagerfeld, due to his many past controversies ranging from his fat-phobic comments to frequent dismissal of the MeToo movement.

1. Anne Hathaway

Anne Hathaway easily tops my best-dressed list at this year’s Met Gala. Her Donatella Versace dress truly stood out for its ability to mix together and balance so many different elements. Held together by strategic safety pins that leave cut-outs framing her body, made up of tweed fabric and ornamented with camellias and pearls, this dress is truly a work of art. The wrong hair-do could’ve easily de-elevated this look, but her hair-do easily elevates and pulls everything together.

2. Doja Cat

Some people might be perplexed as to why Doja Cat has made it this high on the best-dressed list, but I absolutely love the energy she brought to the Met Gala with this look. Instead of embracing the legacy of Karl Lagerfeld, Doja Cat chose to honor his cat, Choupette, by dressing up in an all-white mermaid dress adorned in diamonds and transitioning into fur at the bottom. Other elements like the cat-eared hoodie, cat cosmetics, and diamond circlet make this a truly special piece of fashion.

3. Yara Shahidi

I personally believe this look is much too underrated, although I suppose it proves my predictions for Mermaidcore right. Yara Shahidi’s dress was made up of a beautiful tan pleated skirt, with a flowing pleated strip of the same fabric running down the center of the front and back of the skirt down to the floor, and an incredible pearl and gold corset. Her flowing hair matches the Greek Sea Goddess vibe of her outfit perfectly too. The only note I have is that the diamond necklace doesn’t quite match the beautiful gold and pearl accents in the dress. 

4. Bad Bunny

I absolutely adore the creativity Bad Bunny took with his tux to the Met Gala this year. The tux he wore was made out of white tweed, backless and has a beautiful train of white flowers. For most men, a simple tux is all the effort they put into the fashion event of the year, but I think it’s safe to say that Bad Bunny is the expectation for all men tuxedos after this year. With his minimalist, yet ornate, outfit Bad Bunny easily raises the bar for the creativity to be taken with men’s attire and deserves his spot on this list.

5. Sean “Love” Combs

Sean “Love” Combs is another excellent example of beautifully executed experimentation in menswear. Dressed in all black Sean “Love” Combs breaks up his outfit through the different textures incorporated throughout, from the flowers on his cape to the silver incorporated in the studs on his jacket and jewelry. His attention to detail easily earns this place on the list.

6. Penélope Cruz

This beautiful baby blue dress absolutely stunned me when I saw it. The ornate silver details in the fabric and veil-like shawl truly make this dress special. In my opinion the look is missing a silver necklace, but I also appreciate the dress speaking for itself.

7. Kylie Jenner

Many people didn’t like Kylie Jenner’s look this year, but I found Kylie’s Bright red and sky-blue outfit to be a nice break from the sea of black and white. This Jean Paul Gautier dress is meant to be a reference to the jackets Karl Lagerfeld would design for Andre Leon Talley, which, like the dress, would have fun bright colors. 

8. Dua Lipa

It was hard to know where to place Dua Lipa on this list. On the one hand, I absolutely love the white archival Chanel dress, but on the other, I feel like it’s just a little too simple by itself. I also Can’t say I am a huge fan of the necklace either. I know it was significant since she was premiering Tiffany & Co.’s new Legendary diamond that lies in the center of the necklace, however, I just don’t think it compliments it well. I think a simple jacket or shawl (and a different necklace) could’ve most definitely elevated this look and put it higher on the list.

9. Anok Yai

From afar this dress feels elegant, but closer inspection I hate the plastic sequins. Silhouette description. The sheer brown gloves and eye mask are still gorgeous details that still allow the dress to be the center of attention. 

10. Halle Bailey

Seeing Halle Bailey consistently wearing mermaid-themed attire to events is slowly starting to make me question whether the mermaid-core trend was planted by Disney itself. She wore an all-white ensemble consisting of a sparkling semi-sheer lace halter-neck gown and a ruffled cape.

11. Quannah Chasinghorse

It’s always a delight to see Quannah Chasinghorse at the Met Gala, and this year was no exception. This year she wore a pastel pink sequined dress with a cutout bodice and layered tulle skirt along with some elbow-length black latex opera gloves decorated with pink and white beaded bows and flowers. As usual, her ensemble did an amazing job representing her and her culture.

12. Pedro Pascal

Pedro Pascal’s outfit at this year’s Met Gala was compromised of slick-backed hair, laced-up military boots, a black tie, a red button-up shirt and structured overcoat and, possibly the most notable of all, black shorts. The bold red, knees, and confident demeanor made this outfit truly stand out. 

13. Lil Nas X

Lil Nas X took “sparkle” to the next level with the outfit (or lack thereof) he wore to the Met Gala this year, wearing nothing but a metallic bejeweled thong, eye mask and manicure, along with covering his body silver body paint and Swarovski crystals and pearls. This outfit really reminded me of something Doja Cat had worn earlier this year to a Schiaparelli show, which made what Lil Nas X wore a little less special and ultimately is why he’s this far down on the list.

14. Billie Ellish

This year Billie Ellish opted for a black bustier minidress with a full-length sheer overlay with lace detailing at the high neckline. She paired it with matching sheer opera-length gloves, thigh-high sheer stockings, black platform stilettos and barrettes. Ultimately the ensemble was very trendy, but also a bit predictable and boring

15. Jenna Ortega

Jenna Ortega chose to wear a monochromatic black and white ensemble for this year’s Met Gala consisting of a black corset dress, a white collared undershirt complete with a black bow, reffed skirt that fanned out behind her. What really stood out was the gold chain motifs and pearl detailing along the sides of the jacket and the edge of the skirt.