The Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute Benefit Gala is without a doubt the highlight of the red carpet calendar year. Far from the yawn-and-repeat of most awards shows, the Met Gala brings out the boldest side of its A-list attendees and has become one of the most celebrated fashion events of the year.
In 2015, the A-list took their cues from the Met’s Spring exhibition titled China: Through the Looking Glass, a celebration of the institution’s Department of Asian Art’s 100-year anniversary. Unsurprisingly, the theme brought a whole lot of black, red, and gold and a smattering of flowers — dangerous territory if you’re not careful — and thankfully it was only a small handful of celebs who took the theme a little too far.
By far the standout of the night was Rihanna who wore a jaw-droppingly gorgeous couture gown by Guo Pei. The star told Vanity Fair, “I’m so in love with this dress, but the train is insane! I can’t really walk in it without any help. But it’s so worth it. I love this dress so much! It’s Chinese couture and it’s made by Guo Pei. It’s handmade by one Chinese woman and it took her two years to make. I found it online. I was researching Chinese couture on the internet and I found it.”
Rihanna was one of the few attendees to wear a Chinese designer. A fitting choice, as Pei has two garments in the Met’s exhibition and is the go-to for major Chinese stars.
Click through to see the rest of the A-listers looks for the night…
