10 Best Met Gala Themes and Looks, Ranked

Best-Dressed: Zendaya in Atelier Versace, Tiffany & Co., and Jimmy Choo; Solange in Iris Van Herpen and Lorraine Schwartz jewelry; Sarah Jessica Parker in Dolce & Gabbana Alta Moda and Philip Treacy headpiece

“What is it about God and fashion that go so well together?” A question once asked by Carrie Bradshaw in the first season of Sex and the City, and in 2018, the theme for the Met Gala. With the gala inspired by the Costume Institute’s Spring 2018 exhibition Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination, red carpet guests explored the intersection of fashion and religion through stoles, gilded gowns, and of course, millinery (See: Rihanna’s exceptional bishop’s hat made by Stephen Jones). The exhibition, curated by Andrew Bolton, examined how Catholic imagery has influenced fashion, showcasing garments inspired by religious art and iconography. Co-chaired by Amal Clooney, Rihanna, and Donatella Versace, the event featured standout moments literal to the theme like Rihanna’s papal-inspired Margiela look and Sarah Jessica Parker’s nativity-themed headpiece, as well as more subtle interpretations like Greta Gerwig’s buoyant The Row dress reminiscent of a chic nun’s habit, and Livia Firth’s ivory Giambattista Valli cloak gown.