Met Gala themes through the years: A list of past Costume Institute exhibitions and dress codes for celebrity guests

Margot Robbie wore a black dress with a transparent corset to the 2023 Met Gala in New York City.Cindy Ord/Getty Images

• The Met Gala red carpet is known for its extravagant fashion.
• The event's theme reflects the yearly exhibition from the Costume Institute.

The Met Gala red carpet is unlike any other.

While musicians, athletes, billionaires, and other notable stars mingle on the Metropolitan Museum steps, viewers are treated to a spectacle of extravagant, show-stopping fashion.

Think Rihanna's massive gowns, Blake Lively's iconic ensembles, and Kim Kardashian's daring dresses.

Those famous looks have all adhered to various Met Gala dress codes, reportedly provided each year by Vogue editor in chief Anna Wintour and her cohort of Met Gala co-chairs.

While it's unclear exactly what their discussions entail, the event's dress code is closely related to its theme, which reflects the yearly exhibition from the museum's Costume Institute.

This year, for example, the exhibit and matching event theme is "Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion." So, for the gala's red carpet, attendees have been instructed to follow a dress code titled "The Garden of Time."

While we wait to see how stars bring those to life, here's a look back at themes and dress codes from 1995 onward.