With the first Monday of May right around the corner, it can only mean one thing for the fashion world: the annual Met Gala. Since it was established in 1948, the fundraising dinner for New York’s high society has slowly evolved into the world’s most fashion-forward and star-studded red carpet-event of the year. Keep reading to get astounded by all the best dressed Asians at the Met Gala.
The 2024 Met Gala will take place on 6 May to celebrate the exclusive opening of the Costume Institute’s new spring exhibition, Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion. The exhibition will offer an unprecedented showcase of 250 rare pieces from the Costume Institute’s permanent collection, which spans 400 years of fashion history. In alignment with the exhibition theme, the official dress code of the gala has been announced as “The Garden of Time”, based on J.G. Ballard’s novel of the same name. While the theme can be interpreted in several ways, it is essentially “an ode to nature and the emotional poetics of fashion”, as described by Andrew Bolton, the curator of the exhibition.
As we count down the days to the Met Gala, GRAZIA takes a trip down memory lane and revisits some of the best looks worn by Asian celebrities over the years.
1. Blackpink’s Jennie In Chanel
As the 2023 Met Gala was dedicated to Karl Lagerfeld’s enduring legacy in fashion, it was only fitting to extend a special invitation to the designer’s handpicked muse for the event. Blackpink’s Jennie made her debut at fashion’s Oscars night, all dolled up in a vintage Chanel minidress from the brand’s Fall/Winter 1990 collection. The dress features a scalloped neckline and a black belt adorned with the French fashion house’s signature camellia flower.
2. Blackpink’s Rosé In Saint Laurent
Blackpink’s Rosé made history when she became the first female K-pop idol to attend the Met Gala in 2021, along with 2NE1’s CL. The Blackpink star stepped onto the red carpet with Saint Laurent designer Anthony Vaccarello by her side, dressed in a little black dress adorned with an oversized white bow from Saint Laurent’s Fall/Winter 2021 collection.
3. Michelle Yeoh In Prabal Gurung
Michelle Yeoh looked absolutely stunning in an off-shoulder emerald silk gown with an overflowing cape by Prabal Gurung at the 2022 Met Gala. What made her look even more impressive was the fact that the dress was crafted from upcycled fabric. That year, the theme was “Gilded Glamour”—and the Malaysian actress totally nailed it.
4. Song Hye-Kyo In Fendi
Song Hye-Kyo was the epitome of elegance when she graced the 2023 Met Gala wearing a pink satin two-piece set featuring a bustier top and a flowing skirt with lace cut-outs from Fendi, of which she is a brand ambassador.
5. Deepika Padukone In Zac Posen
For her third appearance at the Met Gala, Deepika Padukone transformed into a life-sized Barbie doll, donning a pink metallic gown by Zac Posen that features 300 3D-printed embellishments that added a futuristic edge to her ensemble. The theme for 2019 was “Camp: Notes on Fashion” and the Bollywood actress was one of the few celebrities who delivered a show-stopping interpretation of camp.
6. Alia Bhatt In Prabal Gurung
For her Met Gala debut, Alia Bhatt made a grand entrance in a bridal-inspired gown embroidered with 100,000 pearls designed by Prabal Gurung. Aligning with the 2023 Met Gala theme of honouring Karl Lagerfeld, Bhatt intended to spotlight the late Chanel designer’s love for pearls.
7. Priyanka Chopra In Ralph Lauren
Angels, priests and saints descended on the red carpet at the 2018 Met Gala where the theme was “Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination”. Priyanka Chopra wore a custom Ralph Lauren burgundy velvet gown topped off with an intricate headpiece crafted from Swarovski crystals and gold beading.
8. Fan Bingbing In Christopher Bu
The 2015 Met Gala, dedicated to the exhibition “China: Through the Looking Glass”, presented the ideal stage for Chinese actress Fan Bingbing to proudly showcase her cultural roots. The GRAZIA cover star was decked out in a gold sequined tube dress and an ornately embroidered robe designed by Christopher Bu.
9. Tang Wei In Burberry
For a red-carpet affair, shimmer and sparkle always steal the spotlight. At the 2015 Met Gala, Decision To Leave actress Tang Wei made a dazzling entrance in a Burberry evening gown embellished with hand-sewn crystals.
10. Yang Mi in Michael Kors
As the brand ambassador of Michael Kors, Yang Mi attended the 2017 Met Gala as a guest of the designer. The Chinese star sported a custom black sparkly gown by Michael Kors with tan sequins around the edges to give the illusion of skin.
11. Eileen Gu In Caroline Herrera
At just 20 years old, Eileen Gu has accomplished the remarkable feat of being invited to the Met Gala thrice. Aligning with the theme “In America: A Lexicon of Fashion”, the Olympics star opted for a bubble dress by Carolina Herrera who is best known for dressing various first ladies of the US. The puffy minidress features a prominent black bow and silver floral embellishments.
12. Jung Hoyeon In Louis Vuitton
As a model and brand ambassador for Louis Vuitton, it was hardly surprising when South Korean actress Jung Hoyeon pulled up at the 2022 Met Gala in a navy suede cut-out dress by the French luxury house. The Squid Game star completed her outfit with black leather boots and dangling sapphire earrings.
13. Simone Ashley In Moschino
Simone Ashley tapped into Moschino for her glamorous Met Gala debut in 2022. The Bridegerton star interpreted the theme “Gilded Glamour” literally by opting for a golden metallic bustier paired with a black satin skirt that gracefully trailed behind her.
14. Gemma Chan In Tom Ford
Gemma Chan made an unforgettable debut at the 2019 Met Gala when she stepped onto the red carpet in a massive crystal crown inspired by Elizabeth Taylor’s headpiece from the 1998 movie Boom. She wore a silver gown by Tom Ford covered in glittering jewels that featured a plunging neckline and an overflowing cape.
15. Liu Wen In Zac Posen
Chinese model Liu Wen slipped into an extravagant teal ball gown from Zac Posen’s Fall/Winter 2014 collection for the 2014 Met Gala, which was held in honour of one of fashion’s most influential figures, Charles James. This particular silhouette was a nod to James’s famous Four Leaf Clover gown from 1953.
16. 2NE1’s CL In Alexander Wang
Joining Blackpink’s Rosé, South Korean rapper CL from girl group 2NE1 was the first female K-pop star to attend the Met Gala in 2021. She sported a denim off-shoulder coat that was reminiscent of a hanbok complemented with a daring pair of white briefs that were designed by Alexander Wang.
This story first appeared on GRAZIA Singapore.