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Here Are The Best Looks From The Met Gala — And The Messages Behind Them

Co-chair Amanda Gorman dons a cobalt-blue Vera Wang gown and a book-shaped clutch that says "give us your tired," a look inspired by the Statue of Liberty.
Dimitrios Kambouris
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Getty Images for The Met Museum
Co-chair Amanda Gorman dons a cobalt-blue Vera Wang gown and a book-shaped clutch that says "give us your tired," a look inspired by the Statue of Liberty.
These Chucks were made for walking: Timothée Chalamet <a href="https://www.instagram.com/tchalamet/?hl=en">filmed himself on Instagram Live</a> hoofing it to the Met Gala, sporting an all-white Haider Ackermann suit and high-top Converse.
Dimitrios Kambouris / Getty Images for The Met Museum
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Getty Images for The Met Museum
These Chucks were made for walking: Timothée Chalamet filmed himself on Instagram Live hoofing it to the Met Gala, sporting an all-white Haider Ackermann suit and high-top Converse.

Updated September 14, 2021 at 8:08 AM ET

After the pandemic shut down fashion's biggest night in 2020, the Met Gala came back on Monday night — albeit a smaller event than years past, and postponed from its typical May date.

Coming off the end of New York Fashion Week, the gala marked the opening of "In America: A Lexicon of Fashion," this year's exhibition by the Costume Institute at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The show, the first of two installations at the Met celebrating American fashion, opens to the public on Sept. 18 and coincides with the institute's 75th anniversary.

The soiree has been a welcome celebration for the fashion industry, after the pandemic wreaked havoc on companies' finances and shuttered important money-making events like in-person fashion shows. To mark the occasion, the fashion, film, television and sports worlds showed up in their best interpretations of the event's formal dress code: "American Independence." Among those walking the red carpet were the event's co-hosts, some of the most recognizable stars today: Billie Eilish, Naomi Osaka, Timothée Chalamet and Amanda Gorman.

The fashion was not without statements. Here are some of the celebrities who sought to make a point with their looks:

Eilish uncharacteristically appeared in an Oscar de la Renta ball gown — with conditions. At her urging, the brand will stop all fur sales, The New York Times reports (Eilish is a vegan and animal rights activist).

Co-chair Billie Eilish wears an Oscar de la Renta gown with a 15-foot train.
Theo Wargo / Getty Images
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Getty Images
Co-chair Billie Eilish wears an Oscar de la Renta gown with a 15-foot train.

For Osaka, "American Independence" meant honoring her Haitian and Japanese heritage. Osaka's sister, Mari, helped design the dress, including its Koi fish-inspired print. Mari tells Vogue, "It's a celebration of cultures, like America itself, a melting pot of so many special and unique elements."

Rapper Saweetie nodded to her own background with trailing panels evoking the Filipino and Black American heritage flags. Together, she said, they are what make her an "American girl."

Saweetie told red carpet host Keke Palmer that her Christian Cowan caped dress is inspired by the Black American heritage flag and the Filipino flag.
Mike Coppola / Getty Images
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Getty Images
Saweetie told red carpet host Keke Palmer that her Christian Cowan caped dress is inspired by the Black American heritage flag and the Filipino flag.

Soccer star Megan Rapinoe opted for the more overt red, white and blue — but with a clutch that read "In Gay We Trust." Designer Sergio Hudson, who famously dressed former first lady Michelle Obama for President Biden's inauguration and is known for making powerful women look even more fierce, set Rapinoe up with the "one of a kind, American vibe."

U.S. soccer player Megan Rapinoe holds up her bag at the entrance to the Met Gala.
Angela Weiss / AFP via Getty Images
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AFP via Getty Images
U.S. soccer player Megan Rapinoe holds up her bag at the entrance to the Met Gala.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., arrives with designer Aurora James.
Mike Coppola / Getty Images
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Getty Images
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., arrives with designer Aurora James.

New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, in case you didn't know, wants to tax the rich — words emblazoned in red on the back of her white gown from designer and activist Aurora James.

Director Ava DuVernay interpreted the theme as an "homage to 'Black Excellence.' ... From our survival to our joy and everything in between." She wore an all-black Prada gown with sparkling sleeves.

Indigenous model and activist Quannah Chasinghorse stunned in a gold lamé gown from Peter Dundas' collection with Revolve, Navajo jewelry and her traditional face tattoos.

The 19-year-old is garnering praise across the Internet for "understanding the assignment," as some lamented that not a single Native designer was represented at the Americana-themed gala.

To comply with COVID-19 safety protocols, all attendees were required to show proof of full vaccination, submit a negative rapid PCR test result before the event and remain masked except when eating or drinking. That ruled out some high-profile folks from attending — including Nicki Minaj, who tweeted that if she gets vaccinated, "it won't [be] for the Met. It'll be once I feel I've done enough research." (The research is in — and the vaccines are powerfully protective.)

Next year's gala is scheduled to happen right on time — May 2, 2022, to mark the May 5 opening of the second Met installation about American fashion, titled In America: An Anthology of Fashion. For now, here are some of our favorite looks from this evening, as well as answers to that age-old question: Who are they wearing?

Lil Nas X attends The 2021 Met Gala Celebrating In America: A Lexicon Of Fashion at Metropolitan Museum of Art on September 13, 2021 in New York City.
/ Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for The Met Museum/Vogue ; Theo Wargo/Getty Images ; Mike Coppola/Getty Images
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Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for The Met Museum/Vogue ; Theo Wargo/Getty Images ; Mike Coppola/Getty Images
Lil Nas X dons not one, not two, but three looks, worn in layers custom-designed by Donatella Versace: a regal cape, a gold suit of armor, and a slinky bodysuit studded with crystals.
Frank Ocean, wearing a Prada suit jacket, carries a ... green robot-puppet-doll? A <a href="https://shrek.fandom.com/wiki/Ogre_Triplets#:~:text=Fergus%2C%20Farkle%20and%20Felicia%20are,Forever%20After%2C%20and%20Scared%20Shrekless.">baby Shrek</a>? We're just as confused as y'all are.
Theo Wargo / Getty Images
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Getty Images
Frank Ocean, wearing a Prada suit jacket, carries a ... green robot-puppet-doll? A baby Shrek? We're just as confused as y'all are.
The Brooklyn United Marching Band, a group of young musicians ranging from ages 5 to 21, performs at the opening of the Met Gala.
Theo Wargo / Getty Images
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Getty Images
The Brooklyn United Marching Band, a group of young musicians ranging from ages 5 to 21, performs at the opening of the Met Gala.
Singer Rihanna and rapper A$AP Rocky arrive fashionably late for the Met Gala.
Angela Weiss / AFP via Getty Images
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AFP via Getty Images
Singer Rihanna and rapper A$AP Rocky arrive fashionably late for the Met Gala.
Dan Levy, Evan Mock, Iman, Anok Yai attends The 2021 Met Gala Celebrating In America: A Lexicon Of Fashion at Metropolitan Museum of Art on September 13, 2021 in New York City.
/ Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for The Met Museum/Vogue ; Mike Coppola/Getty Images
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Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for The Met Museum/Vogue ; Mike Coppola/Getty Images
From left to right: Actor-director Dan Levy in a Loewe outfit inspired by the U.S. artist and AIDS activist David Wojnarowicz; actor Evan Mock in Thom Browne; model Iman in Harris Reed; model Anok Yai
Grimes attends The 2021 Met Gala Celebrating In America: A Lexicon Of Fashion at Metropolitan Museum of Art on September 13, 2021 in New York City.
Theo Wargo / Getty Images
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Getty Images
Grimes describes her Iris van Herpen gown, dubbed the "Bene Gesserit" dress, as "Dune-esque." She accompanied the look with a face mask borrowed from the Dune film set and a medieval-style sword.
Simone Biles wears an Area showgirl dress.
Theo Wargo / Getty Images
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Getty Images
Simone Biles wears an Area showgirl dress.
Jeremy O. Harris, wearing a Tommy Hilfiger jacket and zoot-suit-esque pants inspired by one of his favorite Aaliyah outfits: <a href="https://www.cnn.com/style/article/jeremy-o-harris-interview-met-gala-aaliyah/index.html">a "yellow, sailing bomber jacket thing."</a>
Theo Wargo / Getty Images
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Getty Images
Jeremy O. Harris, wearing a Tommy Hilfiger jacket and zoot-suit-esque pants inspired by one of his favorite Aaliyah outfits: a "yellow, sailing bomber jacket thing."
<a href="https://www.polygon.com/entertainment/2020/11/23/21591194/polygon-horse-girl-canon-list-stories">Calling all horse girls</a>: Kim Petras wears a <a href="https://www.vogue.com/fashion-shows/designer/collina-strada">Collina Strada</a> dress with a 3D horse bustier and dramatic skirt.
Dimitrios Kambouris / Getty Images for The Met Museum/
Calling all horse girls: Kim Petras wears a Collina Strada dress with a 3D horse bustier and dramatic skirt.
New York Rep. Carolyn B. Maloney sports a look promoting the Equal Rights Amendment; co-chair Naomi Osaka wears a Nicolas Ghesquière for Louis Vuitton suit; Kris Jenner carries a ball-and-chain bag.
/ Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for The Met Museum/Vogue ; Photo by Mike Coppola/Getty Images
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Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for The Met Museum/Vogue ; Photo by Mike Coppola/Getty Images
New York Rep. Carolyn B. Maloney sports a look promoting the Equal Rights Amendment; co-chair Naomi Osaka wears a Nicolas Ghesquière for Louis Vuitton suit; Kris Jenner carries a ball-and-chain bag.
Helen Lasichanh and American musician and producer Pharrell Williams in a cowboy inspired outfit by Channel.
Angela Weiss / AFP via Getty Images
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AFP via Getty Images
Helen Lasichanh and American musician and producer Pharrell Williams in a cowboy inspired outfit by Channel.
Jennifer Lopez wears a David Koma dress with a cowboy hat.
Dimitrios Kambouris / Getty Images for The Met Museum
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Getty Images for The Met Museum
Jennifer Lopez wears a David Koma dress with a cowboy hat.
Brazilian model-actress Valentina Sampaio flashes the wings of her dress.
Angela Weiss / AFP via Getty Images
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AFP via Getty Images
Brazilian model-actress Valentina Sampaio flashes the wings of her dress.

NPR reporter Rachel Treisman contributed to this story.

Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

Natalie Escobar is an assistant editor on the Code Switch team, where she edits the blog and newsletter, runs the social media accounts and leads audience engagement. Before coming to NPR in 2020, Escobar was an assistant editor and editorial fellow at The Atlantic, where she covered family life and education. She also was a ProPublica emerging reporter fellow, where she helped their Illinois bureau do experimental audience engagement through theater workshops. (Really!)
Marco Storel
Dana Farrington is a digital editor coordinating online coverage on the Washington Desk — from daily stories to visual feature projects to the weekly newsletter. She has been with the NPR Politics team since President Trump's inauguration. Before that, she was among NPR's first engagement editors, managing the homepage for NPR.org and the main social accounts. Dana has also worked as a weekend web producer and editor, and has written on a wide range of topics for NPR, including tech and women's health.