The day of the 2022 is upon us, with the great and good of showbusiness readying themselves to .
, kept under wraps, is rumoured to include all manner of celebrities this year, from to , the KarJenners, , Selena Gomez, and Ben Affleck.
, so we should expect to be dazzled – especially with the added addendum of White Tie, which is as formal as you can get.
As we eagerly anticipate the visual feast that will be set before us tonight, let’s hark back to some of the more glorious outfits of recent years and the fashion, film and artworks that inspired them.
Yes, sometimes we do get the truly unexpected, such as ’s full head-to-toe , but many attendees enjoy paying homage to the stars that came before them.
Kendall Jenner and Audrey Hepburn in My Fair Lady
Model went for the chicest of inspirations last year in her dress, a clear homage to ’s gorgeous empire-waisted ball gown from 1964’s film version of My Fair Lady.
The original shimmering dress was designed for Audrey by Hubert de Givenchy, one of the style icon’s favourite fashion collaborators, and she wore it as Eliza Doolittle in the film’s pivotal ball scene.
’ star Kendall was also dressed by label Givenchy for the Met Gala, and her gown featured strikingly similar bejewelled shoulders and sleeves, with a dazzling neckpiece.
She also swept her hair up and wore elbow-length gloves, but the look was propelled into the 21st century by Kendall’s sheer fabric, as she showed off the popular ‘n**ed.n**ed dress’ and wore a nude bodysuit underneath.
Zendaya and Disney’s Cinderella
Spider-Man star appeared to give a nod to her Disney Channel roots by committing hard to her version of the animation powerhouse’s Cinderella.
Dressed by Tommy Hilfiger for the 2019 event, the actress and singer’s voluminous blue ballgown with puff sleeves was the spit of the Disney princess’s, helped along by her blonde wig, blue hairband and adorable pumpkin coach purse.
However, the pièce de résistance was undoubtedly her stylist Law Roach, dressed as the Fairy Godmother, waving a wand and lighting up her dress like a gorgeous icy Christmas tree.
That is pearl-clutchingly OTT and we love her for it.
Priyanka Chopra Jonas and Isabella of Castile
For 2018, the Met Gala theme was Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and Catholic Imagination, with actress and Bollywood star Priyanka revealing her look was along the lines of Madonna with a touch of baroque.
The Matrix Resurrections star donned a maroon and gold Ralph Lauren dress for the evening, with an intricate medieval-style chainmail coif.
While she was giving off some delightful knight vibes, the star also looked strikingly similar to portraiture of Isabella of Castile from the Middle Ages.
Billie Eilish and Marilyn Monroe
For the 2021 Met Gala, singer ditched her usual, for a softer, full-on glamorous nude ballgown.
In a blush-coloured Oscar de la Renta dress, the co-chair of that year’s event wowed as she channelled all of the tulle in a look modelled after ’s dark dress worn to the 1951 Academy Awards.
Alongside a distinctly Marilyn blonde coiffure, Ocean Eyes songstress Billie reportedly finished off her look with a whopping 30 pieces of Cartier jewellery, thought to be the most worn on a red carpet.
Gemma Chan and Elizabeth Taylor
Back in 2019, rocked up in an exquisite headpiece, modelled from one previously worn by another Golden Age of Hollywood star, .
Her head-to-toe silver look saw her don a glittering silver Tom Ford gown and cape with shoulder pads.
The necessary diamonds – obligatory when dressing with a nod to Liz – were found on her fingers and wrists.
However, the most eye-catching piece was Gemma’s headwear, a dramatic opera-esque inspired piece, similar to one the actress wore in the film Boom! as well in 1967 to a masquerade party in Venice.
Yara Shahidi and Josephine Baker
Actress Yara Shahidi looked to the past too for her outfit at the 2021 Met Gala, opting to show off a Josephine Baker-inspired number.
Baker, the iconic entertainer, actress and , was known for her bold looks.
Yara wore a custom Christian Dior strapless belted gold dress with matching tulle cape, hair covering and gloves.
She also opted for a diamond headpiece and statement necklace, which gave just the right suggestion of showgirl.
Emily Blunt and Hedy Lamarr
was one for Hollywood glamour too in 2021, showing off another dazzling headpiece – this one a nod to Hedy Lamarr.
In fact, the Devil Wears Prada favourite’s whole look was inspired by Hedy’s fabulous look in the 1941 movie Ziegfeld Girl.
Her gem encrusted spangly silvery dress included a white cape, which the actress wore with diamond-shaped dangly earrings and a slightly toned-down version of Hedy’s headwear, which was strands of stars and peals on headbands and wires above her hair.
Hedy, as well as being a fashion icon, famously pioneered signal hopping, the invention on which all modern wireless communication is based.
Truly, an icon – well chosen, Ms Blunt.
Lana Del Rey and Our Lady of Sorrows
is quite well known for her strong fashion looks, but she really kicked it up a gear for the 2018 Met Gala.
Her Gucci outfit featured an ornate gold neckpiece designed with an array of swords poking out of it, as well as a large blue winged halo headpiece.
Her chest plate was directly inspired by Catholic imagery seen in pieces like Our Lady of Sorrows, a statue found at the Church of the Holy Cross in Salamanca, Spain
The rest of the singer’s look was relatively simple – but still gorgeous – with a cream long-sleeved medieval gown with gold detailing.
She also brought along the label’s Alessandro Michele and Morbius star ( for this appearance) as her red-carpet accessories, reminding us that she really knows how to make an entrance.
Kaia Gerber and Bianca Jagger
A classic but gorgeous homage to end with, model Kaia Gerber wore a recreation of Bianca Jagger’s Dior gown from 40 years prior.
Taking to the red carpet in custom Oscar de la Renta, daughter of Kaia’s simple black gown featured a slightly more intricate floral cut-out at the top of the corset.
She also curled her hair up and under, just like Bianca did at the Met Gala in 1981, completing the look and making her inspiration clear.
Gorgeous!
