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Every year, the Met Gala<\/a> is where celebrities ascend to style icon status.<\/p>\n On the first Monday in May, celebrities don\u2019t just walk the red carpet: They climb the steps of the Metropolitan Museum in custom gowns and statement couture, presenting their interpretation of the exhibition\u2019s theme to the entire world. Unlike an awards show or a premiere, the goal isn\u2019t to shine for a moment\u2014it\u2019s to create a look that resonates for decades. Despite the wealth of designer gowns and bespoke suits, few accomplish that feat, but those who do earn themselves a place in fashion history.<\/p>\n The greatest hits\u2014Rihanna\u2019s papal chic, Kate Moss\u2019s golden turban, Sarah Jessica Parker\u2019s tartan Alexander McQueen, Erykah Badu\u2019s glittering top hat, Madonna in a hippie caftan\u2014rank among the best outfits ever to be worn. And their charms wouldn\u2019t have been as compelling on another night. After all, the gala encourages the kind of innovation rarely seen elsewhere.<\/p>\n The Costume Institute\u2019s trove of landmark runway creations serves as an inspiration for guests, allowing them to take on fashion at its most avant-garde. Where else will you see Cardi B. and a small army of assistants move a mountainous red Thom Browne train across a pink carpet? Or watch awestruck as Lady Gaga and Brandon Maxwell take their magenta nesting doll ballgown to the streets, much to the delight of New Yorkers. A standout Met look can be performative (Amber Valletta going full baroque in 2004), subversive (Daphne Guinness in a plume of McQueen feathers in 2011), witty (Karolina Kurkova\u2019s playful Viktor and Rolf in 2015, or referential (the Olsen twins and their yearly vintage surprise)\u2014it just can\u2019t be boring.<\/p>\n With this year\u2019s exhibition theme, Costume Art<\/em><\/a>, and a \u201cFashion is art<\/a>\u201d red-carpet dress code, what looks can we expect to see? Those fashions will be kept under wraps until the first Monday in May, but considering the co-chairs are<\/a> Beyonc\u00e9, Nicole Kidman, and Venus Williams, you can rest assured they\u2019ll be worth the wait.<\/p>\n