Will Beyoncé be at the Met Gala? Only time will tell! But we’ve got some ideas about what she should wear, either way.
For anyone who needs a refresher, the 2024 Met Gala theme is “Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion,” which reimagines how we can engage with garments too fragile to be worn again, and highlights the natural realms (land, sea, and sky). On top of that, the dress code is “The Garden of Time,” based on the dystopian short story by J.G. Ballard. We’re anticipating an elevated garden party where florals abound, and perhaps some nods to the story’s macabre end; not to mention looks that relate to the exhibit itself.
When it comes to Beyoncé, the seven-time Met attendee has delivered some truly show-stopping looks. And since she last attended in 2016, Bey has only become more of a fashion superstar, tapping a roster of top designers to create her Renaissance tour looks, shutting down Bushwick to support Luar, and practically ushering in a Westernwear revival with Cowboy Carter. All that to say, she would have her pick of designers, looks, and archives at her disposal.
Nevertheless, we’ve decided to play stylist ourselves. Below, a few looks that we would love to see Beyoncé wear to the 2024 Met Gala.
Iris van Herpen fall 2019 couture
This sculptural dress from Iris van Herpen needs to be worn by someone with gravitas, lest they be swallowed up by it. Nobody is more up to the task than Beyoncé. The layered, wavy effect dually fits the bill, channelling ripples in still water and the futuristic preservation efforts.
Alexander McQueen spring 2003
We must admit, seeing Bey wear the Oyster dress to the Met is a real long shot. There are only two iterations of the piece from McQueen’s Shipwreck collection: one is owned by the Met itself, and the other by Kim Kardashian. (Maddie Ziegler, however, did break out the Oyster’s “little sister” for the 2024 SAG Awards.) But the dress, which looks like it was battered by both waves and time, seems to encapsulate the exhibition’s theme.
Elie Saab spring 2003 couture
Elie Saab’s spring 2003 couture collection feels very in line with Beyoncé’s early career. The sexy, body-hugging dress appears to have come straight out of the Dangerously In Love era, while the sweet floral motifs make it totally on-theme for the Met.
Mugler spring 1997 couture
This wouldn’t be the first time Bey has nodded to Thierry Mugler’s “Les Insectes”–she and her dancers channeled the collection on the Renaissance tour. It would be a true full-circle moment to see Beyoncé bring the original look to the Met Gala carpet, and to come as a pollinator rather than a flower is not only cheekily self-referential, but on-theme too. Jolene could never.