okay, i’ll just say it for everyone at this point: coronavirus sucks.

i mean, what’s the point of living when my favorite sushi restaurant in my hometown is closed? or the fact that i can’t go to my local marshalls and sacrifice an entire paycheck? and i don’t even want to talk about how i can’t see my best friends and watch terrible reality television with them. i’m really not in the mood to cry right now.

and since i don’t want to cry…don’t even get me started on the cancellation of the 2020 met gala.

if you don’t know me, you should know that i hold very few things sacred: thai iced tea, cage the elephant’s album tell me i’m pretty, the 1976 film carrie, and the met gala. every single year, i get dressed in my finest sweatpants, order panda express, and watch the livestream of an iconic event in fashion history.

there is just something so fascinating about the met gala: the fact that the clothes aren’t garments…they’re art. the avant-garde, over-the-top designs are walking paintings and art pieces that each tell a different story. and they’re beautiful.

and since the met gala would’ve been today (i’m emotional), i figured i would take a walk down memory lane and pick out a few of my favorite works of art in met gala history:

amber valletta in versace – 1999

in 1999, model and hitch actress amber valletta attended the “rock ‘n roll” themed met gala in this stunning versace jumpsuit. this intricately beaded, 70s rock-inspired jumpsuit stood out from the rest of the gala, and for good reason. with a plunging v-neckline, the garment was polished off with simple jewelry, shoes, and makeup for an effortless and absolutely to-die-for look. where can i buy the poorman’s version of this?

claire danes in zac posen – 2016

claire danes snapped at the 2016 met gala in this glow-in-the-dark, princess gown by zac posen. the theme of the ball was “manus x machina: fashion in an age of technology” and danes stood out from the crowd in this elegant piece constructed with fiber optics while also looking elegant and timeless. cinderella who?!

chadwick boseman in versace – 2018

for his first met gala, chadwick boseman did not disappoint. for this “heavenly bodies: fashion and the catholic imagination” themed exhibit, he dripped out the red carpet in an intricately embroidered suit and cape by versace. but the look doesn’t stop at the clothing: chadwick’s jewelry and glitzy shoes really made this look scream opulence.

blake lively in versace – 2018

2018 was home to some of my favorite looks of all time, but blake lively’s custom versace gown takes the cake for best of the year. the “heavenly bodies: fashion and the catholic imagination” was fully imagined in this absolutely biblical look, complete with a ethereal headpiece that looks right out of a renaissance painting. everything about this gown, hair, makeup, accessories, and overall LOOK is perfection.

rihanna in guo pei – 2016

rihanna is the undisputed queen of the met gala, and while i absolutely worship her 2018 john galliano catholicism look, this guo pei gown is showstopping. the gala’s theme was “china: through the looking glass” and rihanna walked down the red carpet, turning heads, in a stunning, imperialistic, fur trimmed gown with a complimentary headpiece fit for royalty. did i mention this dress was made by one woman and took two years to create?!

billy porter in the blonds – 2019

last year, i gasped when billy porter showed up to the met gala in this beaded, gold jumpsuit…laying on a velvet chaise that was being carried by six (!!) shirtless men. the absolutely show stopping ensemble featured a pair of shining, golden wings that that sprawled to ten feet long. fully embracing 2019’s “camp: notes on fashion” theme, billy stole the show and i am so happy he did.

lady gaga in brandon maxwell – 2019

you wanted camp?! lady gaga delivered. in 2019, lady gaga walked the carpet in not one, not two, not even three, but four looks for the “camp: notes on fashion” themed gala. with the likes of a russian nesting doll, gaga stripped off each garment to reveal another equally fabulous ensemble underneath. who else does camp better than mother monster herself?!

cher in bob mackie – 1974

this look walked so kim kardashian’s and beyonce’s could run. by far my favorite met gala look, cher showed up to the 1974 “romantic and glamorous hollywood design” themed met gala in this stunning, glittery, feathered “naked dress” paired with sleek hair and smokey makeup. i mean, come on…do i even have to explain why this look is so phenomenal?! just look at it!

although the met gala has been postponed until october (i know, right!), at least we can all look back on these fabulous pieces and dream of a day where we can wear them ourselves. i mean, think about it: me…dressed in that gold versace jumpsuit…in the frozen food isle of trader joe’s…

a girl can only dream.

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