Fashion

They Wanted to Be Seen at the Met Gala. They Sure Were.

MAIN CHARACTER ENERGY

It’s the Met Gala—of course there were over-the-top looks. But who aimed for the loudest ensemble of the night? Our ranking of the most eye-catching getups at this year’s ball.

Celebrities at the Met Gala
Photo Illustration by The Daily Beast/Getty

The iconic Met Gala; what better night to exhibit intense main-character energy? It’s one of the only times you can wear a truly absurd gown, so impractical that it requires you to be physically carried up the steps (looking at you, Tyla). Or when could you don an ensemble that seemingly defies the laws of physics and leaves us wondering, “How did that fit in the car to get here?!” (Shoutout to Cardi B.)

The Costume Institute exhibit at the Met Museum is “Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion,” but this year’s dress code advised “Garden of Time” as the theme, its name taken from a J.G. Ballard short story.

Before the event, while acknowledging the likelihood of flowers on outfits, event supremo Anna Wintour also apologized for unleashing general sartorial confusion.

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It appears that many of the night’s featured players and their stylists also found themselves a bit lost (a timeless trend, and in-joke, of the Gala). There was no shortage of florals (for spring? Groundbreaking) and bosoms on display (cleavage and he-vage alike), blossoming like the tulips in the park just behind the museum.

Yet whether the glitzy guests stuck to an upscale garden party, many swung for the fences in an attempt to win “look of the night.” Here are our picks for who embraced the call for bold and extravagant dressing—and who snoozed on the glamor, all with a carefully judged Main Character Energy ranking.

Cardi B — 1,000,000% “Main Character”

Cardi B

Jamie McCarthy/Getty

Sydney Sweeney — 57% “Main Character”

Sydney Sweeney

Jamie McCarthy/Getty

Zendaya — 91% “Main Character”

Zendaya

Aliah Anderson/Getty

Lauren Sanchez — 54% “Main Character”

Lauren Sánchez

Jamie McCarthy/Getty

Mindy Kaling — 79% “Main Character”

Mindy Kaling

Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty

Lana Del Rey — 86% “Main Character”

Lana Del Rey

Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty

Kim Kardashian — 72% “Main Character”

Kim Kardashian

Angela Weiss/Getty/Angela Weiss/Getty

Jeremy Pope — 59% “Main Character”

Jeremy Pope

Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty

Nicki Minaj — 91% “Main Character”

Nicki Minaj

John Shearer/Getty

Nicholas Galitzine — 4% “Main Character”

Nicholas Galitzine

Jamie McCarthy/Getty

Rita Ora — 97% “Main Character”

Rita Ora

Angela Weiss/Getty/Angela Weiss/Getty

Demi Moore — 68% “Main Character”

Demi Moore

Theo Wargo/GA/Getty

Angel Reese — 28% “Main Character”

Angel Reese

Jamie McCarthy/Getty

Alton Mason — 73% “Main Character”

Alton Mason

Jamie McCarthy/Getty

Cara Delevingne — 84% “Main Character”

Cara Delevingne

Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty/Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty

Jennifer Lopez — 77% “Main Character”

Jennifer Lopez

John Shearer/Getty

Greta Lee — 62% “Main Character”

Greta Lee

Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty/Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty

Eddie Redmayne — 74% “Main Character”

Eddie Redmayne

Jamie McCarthy/Getty

Lizzo — 79% “Main Character”

Lizzo

John Shearer/Getty

Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo — 21% “Main Character”

Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo

Theo Wargo/GA/Getty/Theo Wargo/GA/Getty

Greta Gerwig — 7% “Main Character”

Greta Gerwig

Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty/Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty

Rachel Zegler — 38% “Main Character”

Rachel Zegler

Gilbert Flores/Getty

Uma Thurman — 54% “Main Character”

Uma Thurman

Theo Wargo/GA/Getty/Theo Wargo/GA/Getty

Jordan Roth — 94% “Main Character”

Jordan Roth

Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty