All of Kim Kardashian’s Internet-Breaking Met Gala Looks: A Retrospective

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Kim Kardashian lives to steal the show, and her Met Gala looks serve as evidence. She’s attended every Costume Institute Gala since 2013, and every year, she’s turned heads with a headlining—and sometimes controversial—look.

Each of the Kardashian’s Met Gala outfits is demanding of the eye—and each is ignited by a powerful backstory: Kim famously wore an iconic and historically significant gown that belonged to Marilyn Monroe, lured Thierry Mugler out of retirement, and slinked across the red carpet in a full-coverage black gown that obscured her entire face. Below, all of Kims famous Met Gala looks.

Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty (2023)

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Kim wore a custom Schiaparelli look with thousands of pearls draped over her for the event in 2023.

In America: An Anthology of Fashion (2022)

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Kim broke the internet in 2022 when she arrived in a glamorous—and historical—dress. Kim famously (or infamously) wore Marilyn Monroes iconic Jean Louis dress, the exact one Monroe wore in 1962 when she serenaded John F. Kennedy with a sultry version of Happy Birthday" for his 45th birthday. The dress features six thousand crystals and was one of—if not the—first nude illusion dresses.

Kim accessorized and finished the look with an ivory fur coat, diamond jewelry, and a slicked-back platinum bun. The famous dress was custom designed for Monroe by Jean Louis and sketched by 22-year-old Bob Mackie. Monroe initially purchased it for $1,400, but it was later sold at auction in 1999 for $1.2 million and then purchased by Ripley’s Believe It or Not Museum for $4.8 million in 2006. Kim did not pay to wear the dress, nor was she paid to wear it, but she made a donation on behalf of the company to two Orlando-based organizations.

In America: A Lexicon of Fashion (2021)

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Kim sent shockwaves through the fashion world when she wore this custom outfit designed by Balenciagas Demna Gvasalia. The pitch-black and skin-tight haute couture gown featured a face-obscuring mask, gloves, tights, boots, and a lengthy train. The look showcased the power of her celebrity: even though her face was entirely hidden, she was instantly recognized.

Camp: Notes on Fashion (2019)

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Thierry Mugler hadn’t designed a collection of his own since 2003—until he famously came out of retirement to spend eight months creating this incredibly detailed, custom gown for Kim. The look was meant to evoke wetness, and Mugler executed this with crystal beading and latex. The hanging beads looked like water droplets, and Kim took things a step further with her dewy skin and fresh-from-the-ocean, wet-looking hair.

Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination (2018)

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Versace designed this low-cut, high-karat gold dress, featuring embellished crosses for Kim in 2018. She finished the look with a cross around her neck, metallic gold stilettos, and a super-high ponytail.

Kim Kardashians 40 Greatest Hair Moments of All Time06 of 10

Rei Kawakubo/Comme des Garçons: Art of the In-Between (2017)

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Kim wore a simple white gown by Vivienne Westwood for the 2017 Met Gala. The look was detailed with a drawstring, billowed draping, and Kims blunt, shoulder-length haircut. It was a refreshing take on the theme and served as a breath of fresh air in between her more high-drama looks.

Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age Of Technology (2016)

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Kim turned heads in a futuristic chrome gown designed by Balmain. She wanted an all-silver, “blingy, sexy robot” look, and she got it in this high-shine dress that featured silver detailing on the bodice, a high slit, and long, armor-like sleeves.

China: Through the Looking Glass (2015)

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In 2015, Kim wore one of her more classically glamorous Met Gala looks: a sheer, feathered, rhinestone-encrusted custom gown designed by Roberto Cavalli. The look marked Peter Dundas first design as creative director for the label.

Charles James: Beyond Fashion (2014)

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Alber Elbaz of Lanvin dressed Kim in a custom pleated navy blue satin dress, detailed with black folds, a black belt, and pockets. Elbaz had initially created the dress in leather with metallic detailing for the event but decided to shift to satin at the last minute.

Punk: Chaos to Couture (2013)

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For her first Met Gala, Kim wore a floor-length, floral-printed gown designed by Givenchy. The look emphasized continuity, as she wore matching gloves that blended seamlessly into the mock neck dress. The look highlighted her first pregnancy and made polarizing headlines. Not bad for a first app earance.