10 Stars Who Shone Bright Like Diamonds in Crystal-Choked Met Gala Looks

There are reemergence looks and then there are Met Gala looks. After the pandemic year put paid to dressing up, Vogue’s 2021 ball became a beacon of light for extroverts, and even convinced introverts to conjure up outré looks with which to command attention on the Met museum’s famous staircase. Literal nods were made to this year’s America theme – think luxed-up versions of workaday denim, stars and stripes and Statue of Liberty-esque regalia – but one fashion trend shone on the red carpet: diamonds. In Emily Blunt’s case, 132,240 micro crystals – and that was just on the actor’s Miu Miu dress.

Pure unabashed twinkling glamour came via Michaela Coel in an all-American blue sequin-encrusted Balenciaga one-piece and Lil Nas X in a shimmering gold beaded Versace bodysuit (the third of his looks), but the most dazzlingly good glitter came via the slinky silver pieces lighting up the cameras.

Met Gala 2021 Red Carpet: See All The Celebrity Dresses, Outfits, And Looks Here

From Kendall Jenner’s custom crystal-choked Givenchy gown – her own ornamental nod to Audrey Hepburn’s sweet gala look in My Fair Lady – to Zoë Kravitz’s wisp of a netted Saint Laurent dress – which riffed off the actor’s daring diamond bra moments in the past – glistening stones hugged the body and played on the conceal and reveal trend currently beloved by fashion plates. The most risqué look? The starry vintage Versace slip worn by Imaan Hammam, whose celestial motifs covered her modesty and made for a divinely decadent moment.

Inside The 2021 Met Gala

Other guests used their hyper-embellishment to tap into a pretty-tough armored aesthetic. Sienna Miller’s Gucci came with a rhinestone harness, while Precious Lee and Simone Biles’s fierce Area looks were, quite literally, iced to the nines. The gymnast’s look weighed a whopping 80 pounds, and showed that serious frosting requires dedication and training.

Proof of the commitment it takes to rock a bejeweled look all night? Karen Elson’s punk behind-the-scenes snap of her cutting herself out of her cracked diamanté Moschino bodice – which Jeremy Scott described as “snatched for the gods, Sci-Fi glamour”. Here, 10 of the most other-worldly Met Gala 2021 looks.