20 Unforgettable Looks at the Met Gala

By Monday morning, the answer to one of the biggest questions looming over the Met Gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York had emerged.

Would members of the union representing employees of Vogue and other Condé Nast publications proceed with threatened disruptions to the gala orchestrated by Vogue editor Anna Wintour? No: A tentative contract agreement between Condé Nast and union leaders was reached hours before the event.

But other questions — What celebrities would show up? How would guests interpret the “Garden of Time” dress code? — were only answered as attendees started stepping out of Sprinter vans to make their way into the gala, known formally as the Costume Institute Benefit.

As stars like Emily Ratajkowski, Pamela Anderson and Dan Levy hit the carpet, some sartorial themes became clear. Among them: Floral prints and embellishments, elaborate headpieces and skin-revealing outfits that skewed more Garden of Eden.

At an event where fashion is the focus, it can be harder to stand out on a red carpet (or a greenish one, as was the case at this year’s Met Gala). But these 20 ensembles — for reasons good and not-so-good — will be hard to forget.

Zendaya: Most Cool Blue!

The actress, one of five hosts of this year’s gala, arrived on the carpet in a bluish-green Maison Margiela by John Galliano gown that recalled the palette of a peacock, a comparison even further evoked by what appeared to be a feather protruding from her headpiece.