There are someunfortunate rumors going around that, though Bella Hadid is currently in New York, she will not be in attendance at the Met Gala tonight, marking the second year in a row she has missed the annual event. Of course, the model could surprise us, using fashion’s biggest night as an excuse to further promote her latest endeavor—her new fragrance line. But Hadid has been keeping it low-key these days, so a no-show wouldn’t be totally unexpected. So, in order to satiate ourselves, and prepare ourselves eitherway, we’re focusing on the Met Galas Hadid did grace with her presence, also known as the better times. Below, a look at every ensemble the model has worn to the Met Gala—including the after party ’fits—from her first foray in 2015 to the last time she graced the steps in 2022.
The last time Hadid walked the Met Gala was in 2022 for “In America: An Anthology of Fashion.” She attended the event in a custom Burberry look by Riccardo Tisci, which seemed almost like an evolution of her 2018 ensemble.
This iteration featured a lace-up leather corset, draped lace skirt, and matching tights. Sheer opera gloves and a two-pronged train added even more drama to the already gothic look.
Of course the model joined up with her big sis, Gigi Hadid, for a picture once inside the event.
Hadid closed out the evening with an outfit change, hitting the after parties in a revealing, custom Dilara Findìkoglu ensemble that complimented her look from earlier in the evening.
Hadid joined Jeremy Scott’s crew of Moschino-adorned attendees at the 2019 Met Gala, which celebrated “Camp: Notes on Fashion.” The model wore a bejeweled black dress with a mermaid-style skirt, revealing upper thigh and side cutouts, and embellished opera gloves to match.
Scott actually matched Hadid’s look that night in his own jewel-adorned suit.
And while Hadid’s dress was truly eye-catching, it paled in comparison to the Moschino looks worn by other attendees (namely Katy Perry).
Instead of wearing a coordinating Moschino look to the after parties, however, Hadid changed into a sheer, skin-tight Jean Paul Gaultier set, which featured trompe l’oeil tattoos. The model did, however, keep on her pussycat wig from earlier in the night.
In 2018, Hadid embraced a gothic, dominatrix-inspired vibe for the “Heavenly Bodies: Fashion & The Catholic Imagination” Costume Institute Gala. The model wore a custom look by Chrome Hearts featuring a latex bodice, black skirt, and lace-up opera gloves. She accented it with a leather bolero jacket with an attached tulle train and dramatic collar fit for a villain.
Later, once inside the event, Hadid ditched the jacket and train, showing off the strapless bodice a bit more for a photo-op with Kendall Jenner and Kim Kardashian.
Once again, Hadid went on to change into an after party look that tied into her ensemble from the main event, taking on NYC in a cropped leather halter top, matching low-rise pants with chain details, and an ’80s-style high pony.
While Hadid stayed in the background for her first two Met appearances, by the time 2017 and the “Rei Kawakubo/Comme des Garcons: Art Of The In-Between” Met Gala came around, she was ready to join the statement makers on the red carpet. That year, the model arrived to the event in a completely sheer, Alexander Wang catsuit, featuring a slightly off-the-shoulder boat neckline and a deep, plunging back.
Hadid smartly kept styling fairly simple for this look, opting for a sleek bob, a handful of jewels, and some red hot nails.
At one point during the red carpet, Hadid and the rest of those dressed by Wang that evening—including Joan Smalls and Zoë Kravitz—took a break on the Met steps for a more casual pic.
The model kept the sheer theme going into the night, trading out her catsuit for a mini dress also by Wang, covering up with boob tape and a pair of black underwear.
Hadid felt comfortable taking up a bit more space at the 2016 “Manus x Machina: Fashion In An Age Of Technology” themed event. Possibly, that’s because she was joined on the red carpet by her then-boyfriend, The Weeknd.
The model still found the time to take some solo pics that evening and showed off her strapless Givenchy gown with a voluminous skirt and peep-toe, thigh-high boots to the cameras.
Following the main event, Hadid slipped into a more cumbersome ensemble—a latex dress by Atsuko Kudo—in order to hit the town with The Weeknd for a night of after party hopping.
An 18-year-old Hadid looked timid on the 2015 “China: Through The Looking Glass” Met Gala red carpet. For her first go-around at the event, Hadid went for a simple look, keeping the attention off herself in a Topshop mini dress with a neck cutout and high slit.
Hadid walked the red carpet with a swarm of other models, including Emily Ratajkowski and Hailey Bieber (then Baldwin), who all also wore dresses from the British fashion brand.