Every first Monday in May, the biggest personalities from different fields gather to celebrate a night dedicated to charity and fashion that is the Met Gala. For years, the annual fundraiser for The Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute put the spotlight on a particular theme or creative to celebrate. For its 2024 edition, it selects “Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion” as its theme, with an exhibit focusing on the pieces “pieces can no longer be worn on the human body.”

According to the museum, its spring 2024 exhibition will feature over 250 items, chronicling over 400 years of fashion. It includes Schiaparelli, Dior, Givenchy, and Charles Frederick Worth ballgown from 1877, among others. To officially launch it, the Met Gala tasked its attendees to present garbs according to its dress code “The Garden of Time.”

A short story written by J.G. Ballard in 1962, “The Garden of Time” is a tale that centers on a count and countess living in a villa with a garden of crystalline blooms, “which when snapped from the stem, drain the garden of time and motion,” according to BBC. But the villa is facing trouble with an incoming chaotic mob. To keep its peace, the count plucks the flowers for their time-reversing effect, leading to a tragic end. The dress code is all about the idea of “fleeting beauty.”

The fashion industry is always known for looking at the future. It is in a constant search for what’s next, whether it is a budding trend, a newbie designer, or the upcoming “it” item. But this year’s gala aims to look back at the legacy of the industry, from the most iconic designs and noted fashion geniuses to the style moments that made a mark on the runway. As expected, many of the gala’s attendees didn’t hold back in wearing pieces that pay homage to past creations. From archival pieces to reimagined looks, here are the stories behind the enchanting looks seen on the steps of Met Gala 2024.

Anna Wintour in Loewe

Let’s start with the grand dame of the gala. Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour donned a look inspired by a 1944 evening cape by 20th-century designer Charles James.

Nicole Kidman in Balenciaga

Actress Nicole Kidman opted for a Balenciaga gown, a recreation of the fashion house’s 1950s flamenco-inspired creation.

Kendall Jenner in Givenchy

A dress that was never worn—that’s what Kendall Jenner wore to Met Gala 202. The look was a couture piece designed by the late Alexander McQueen for Givenchy.

Lana Del Ray in Alexander McQueen

Another nod to the late British designer was Lana Del Rey’s garb at the Met Gala. She wore a piece referencing the designer’s fall-winter 2006 collection dubbed “The Widows of Culloden.”

Zendaya in Maison Margiela and Givenchy

It is an understatement to say that Zendaya dominated this year’s gala. She and her stylist Law Roach, came up with not just one but two looks. Her first looks was courtesy of Maison Margiela, inspired by John Galliano’s 1999 Dior dress. It takes its inspiration from the 1930s works of photographer Madam Yevonde.

Her second one was another never-been-worn dress from Givenchy during Galliona’s time in 1996. The floral bouquet headpiece completing the look was designed by Philip Treacy seen on McQueen’s runway in 2006.

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