See what the stars wore to their first Met Gala
CHARLIZE THERON, 1999
Though she jokes she was “14 when she started” working for Dior, for her first Met Gala, a baby-faced Charlize hadn't yet signed the deal that would catapult her into the upper echelons of fashion royalty. (Though she didn't do too badly without their help, rocking a back-in-a-big-way lavender spaghetti-strap gown and matching wrap.)
TAYLOR SWIFT, 2008
Taylor made her Met Gala debut the year the theme was “Superheroes: Fashion and Fantasy,” as a guest of Badgley Mischka. But what was truly superheroic? Catapulting herself from guest to co-chair of the 2016 ball in eight short years.
EVA MENDES, 2004
Was Eva's teal satin-and-rose-chiffon gown and rosette-inspired bag perfect for that year's Dangerous Liaisons theme? Oh fur sure.
ZOË SALDANA, 2006
We have to wonder if attending a gala in a tutu-inspired dress gave her Center Stage flashbacks as soon as the hors d'oeuvres were passed.
KATE HUDSON, 2003
Kate’s fashionable friendship with Stella McCartney has been going strong for years! Since wearing a sleek white column gown by the designer for her first Costume Institute Gala, she’s attended with McCartney many times: in 2009, 2010 and with a super-stylish baby bump in 2011.
GISELE BÜNDCHEN, 1999
Yes, this photo was taken when the supermodel was 19 years old, and yes, she looks exactly the same today, at age 34.
VICTORIA BECKHAM, 2003
The designer didn’t launch her eponymous line of high-end minimalist garb until 2008 – and something tells us that this sheer mini didn’t make it onto her inspiration board when she did.
JENNIFER LOPEZ, 2004
Bustles and big hair were prevalent at the 18th-century-inspired gala, and JLo didn’t disappoint in a corseted flamenco-style look by Dolce & Gabbana.
RIHANNA, 2007
Rih’s third album was just about to drop when she stepped out in a crystal-encrusted dress and fishnet gloves that also are studded with shiny stones. (These days she’d wear those gloves as a bra and use the gown for a dramatic train.)
EMMA STONE, 2009
This printed strapless look makes total sense for the Emma Stone of the mid-2000s. After all, she hit the red carpet for 2007’s Superbad and 2008’s House Bunny in playful minis. “I don’t think I even wore a gown until a couple of years ago,” Stone told WHO in 2012.
KATE MOSS, 1995
The supermodel was just 21 when she first hit the Met Ball scene in a strappy, sunny gown and beachy blonde waves.
NICOLE KIDMAN, 2003
Sure, her shoulder-grazing earrings are eye-catching, and the hair is noteworthy, but the nearly sheer bodice of Nicole’s sparkly Gucci gown? Well, that’s unforgettable.
BLAKE LIVELY, 2008
Would the fashion-forward Blake of today pick itty-bitty gloves for another Met Gala? It’s unclear. But one element of her style that hasn’t changed? “I love a cinched waist,” she told WHO this year.