The 22 Most Controversial Met Gala Looks of All Time
From Princess Diana's Dior slip dress to Kim Kardashian's wet dress, the most controversial Met Gala looks of all time spark upset for many reasons.
The annual fervor for the Met Gala is more akin to that of a sporting event than other red carpets. The world declares the gala’s winners and losers seconds after a star approaches the steps. Years of lore influences public commentary and creates gala legends. Some stars leave us with outfit to talk about for ages to come, including with controversial looks.
The specifics of a controversy are rooted in the context of the time. Rihanna, for example, has one of the most memorable Met Gala looks ever in her 2012 Guo Pei cape gown, which boasted a 16-train. Among animal right activists, however, this was a big faux pas as they criticized her use of fur. For other controversial dresses, it might be more relevant to the star themself. Kim Kardashian's 2019 Mugler gown, with a barely-there waist, became problematic for promoting potentially unhealthy dieting, as the reality star was vocal about her intense eating habits leading up to the fitting.
Since its inception in 1948, the Met Gala has ballooned from a quaint fundraiser for the museum’s Costume Institute into a world-famous extravaganza. While Vogue Editor-in-Chief Anna Wintour cemented the gala’s cultural relevance when she assumed her role as co-chair in 1995, the recent dominance of social media created a global amphitheater for designers and celebrities to showcase the latest in haute couture.
Keep scrolling to see the most controversial Met Gala looks of all time, ranging from Kardashian's nude-hued Mugler gown to Princess Diana's slip dress by Dior.
