Met Gala 2024 sustainable outfits summary of the best dressed. But before we dive into outfits, let’s talk about the theme: ‘The Garden of Time’ a befitting story for fashion and an industry known for an endless cycle of creation and destruction. As a stylist I had my expectations, the theme seemed to promise references to florals, and nature so I had hoped to see a bigger focus on sustainability.
I anticipated a rich tapestry of creations on the red carpet of floral inspirations, decay, nature and the balance of life and death. With the fashion industry being one of the planet’s biggest polluters I was curious to see what innovative designs and sustainably crafted outfits the celebrities would pull off.
Eco-conscious dressed celebs at the Met Gala for 2024
Several celebrities embraced the theme with eco-conscious style choices, from Amanda Seyfried, Janelle Monáe, Ed Sheeran, Cara Delevine Demi Moore, Charlie XCX and Tyla’. However, there weren’t a lot of guests to choose from when it came to selecting sustainable outfits.
Amanda Seyfried Met Gala 2024 Outfit Made From Deadstock
Amanda Seyfried was among the standout eco-conscious ensembles arriving in a satin Prada gown adorned with flower appliques and made with fabric repurposed from the designer’s 2009 spring collection. With an understanding of the environmental crisis, Amanda had specifically asked her stylist for a ‘Sustainable’ Met Gala dress.
Janelle Monáe’s 2024 Met Gala Recycled Plastic Bottle Outfit
Janelle Monáe chose a custom Vera Wang halter gown adorned with opalescent laser-cut paillettes and hand-strung crystalline beads, featuring handmade flowers crafted from sustainably recycled plastic bottles.
Ed Sheeran’s Met Gala 2024 Vegan Outfit
Ed Sheeran wore a Stella McCartney suit featuring vegan shoes and lab-grown diamonds.
Demi Moore’s 2024 Met Gala Sustainable Outfit
Demi Moore’s structural velvet dress by Harris Reed, adorned with peonies crafted from vintage wallpaper, was a shining example of sustainability meeting high fashion and connected to this year’s theme beautifully. I’ve come to expect a lot from Harris Reed and I wasn’t disappointed.
Cara Delevingne’s Met Gala 2024 Eco-Conscious Outfit
Cara Delevingne also wore Stella McCartney and wore the most show-stopping body armour encrusted with lab-grown diamonds and a long white figure-hugging skirt. It was certainly an interesting choice, and whilst it felt a bit more Met Gala appropriate than some of the other guests – I wasn’t blown away by the overall look.
Charli XCX’s 2024 Met Gala Sustainable Style Choice
There were notable commendations for creatively reflecting this year’s theme whilst blending with sustainability, like Charli XCX’s outfit. She attended her 2nd Met Gala in a custom white draped gown designed by Francesco Risso of Marni.
The dress was crafted from 50 vintage t-shirts from the 70s, 80s, 90s, and beyond, and was fully embroidered with rhinestones and glass beads. This intricate creation required 200 hours of workmanship.
Tyla’s 2024 Met Gala Outfit
Although Tyla’s stunning dress reflected the theme well, the emphasis on sustainability was notably lacking, and her outfit exemplified this disconnect. The singer arrived at the Met Gala in a snug Balmain gown that made her appear coated in sand. The dress was so constraining that she had to be carried to the top of the Met steps.
This impractical outfit ignored sustainable fashion principles and bordered on a mockery of fashion itself, highlighting the industry’s persistent struggle to balance artistry with practicality and responsibility.
The Met Gala 2024: A Missed Opportunity for Sustainability
The 2024 Met Gala missed a significant chance to champion sustainability. My expectation of the Met Gala 2024 Sustainable outfits was huge – and overall I was disappointed.
Despite growing awareness of environmental issues, many designers and celebrities opted for extravagance over eco-conscious choices, with the red carpet showcasing elaborate outfits that neglected the eco-friendly theme. Whilst I wanted to enjoy this year’s Met, I couldn’t help but feel sustainability wasn’t championed enough.
Falling Short on Sustainable Fashion
This year’s theme could have highlighted innovative sustainable practices and materials, setting a new precedent. Instead, the event largely overlooked the potential for meaningful change, underscoring the fashion industry’s struggle to balance glamour with global responsibility. Fashion has a problem, and whilst couture and fast fashion may seem a million miles apart, our attitude towards fashion, how it’s made, how it’s worn, and how it’s valued after it’s been ‘seen in’ have more in common than we might think.
Red carpets and events like the Met Gala have a huge impact on people’s perception of fashion, if we can’t see meaningful change at the highest level, then how can we expect to see it on our high streets?
Reflections on the 2024 Met Gala Looks
While the theme was followed to some extent, there was much more that could have been done to reflect sustainable fashion. Many guests chose custom-made gowns without considering sustainability, missing the opportunity to set an example. Last year, more celebrities wore archival pieces and embraced sustainable designers, marking a shift that was less evident this year.
Outside of a sustainability focus, and purely judging the outfits, I wasn’t expecting a lack of effort from some celebrities, such as Chris Hemsworth
who looked like he didn’t get the memo for the dress code… Kylie Jenner could have gone all out – her look was just too plain.
What I felt this year’s looks lacked were really big bold interpretations that were more avant-garde. It felt a little safer than previous years, and I was expecting more eco-innovation from designers. That said, I loved what Demi Moore wore. The velvet dress by Harris Reed was certainly befitting for the Met Gala.
It’s no surprise that Zendaya stepped out in 2 outfits both were on theme, I particularly loved the 1996 Givenchy Couture gown with the bouquet headpiece.
I was pleased to see Singer Lana Del Reyes wearing Alexander McQueen with the branches and headpiece, this was perfect!
I loved Cynthia Erivo’s outfit by Thom Browne with the petals and insects, I just wish that it was made more sustainably, sequins are notoriously bad for the environment… Thom Browne also dressed Gigi Hadid, Queen Latifah and Eboni Nichols, Rebecca Ferguso, Jaden Smith, Alton Mason, Ben Simmons and Steven Yeun – all great looks, but all of them missed the mark when it comes to sustainability unfortunately.
Cardi B’s black bespoke gown by Chinese designer Windowsen certainly took up space and one could argue that the dark mass of destruction was represented rather well!
Other looks that had me on the fence were Kim Kardashian’s bobbly grandma’s cardigan and that impossibly small corseted waist – was it even safe for her to wear that thing? Overall big Met Gala drama from the majority of the guests was lacking this year.
Whilst I might not be at the stage in my career where I am dressing celebs for the Met Gala, I have plenty of ideas on how to dress sustainably. If you’re attending a high-profile event and want to champion sustainable fashion designers that ‘need’ the exposure to grow their brand, get in touch!
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The Met Gala – Fashion as a Force for Good
Fashion and glamour are central to the Met Gala, but it’s high time to use these events as a force for good. Setting strict dress codes that enforce more responsibility would be a significant step forward. For an industry that yields such influence and an event that is so iconic – even the smallest of changes could be huge.
There are many ways to create meaningful changes within the industry – I can’t wait to see how the Met sets a new precedent for next year’s gala.
My goal as a stylist is to return to dressing high-profile figures for events like these – I know so many amazing sustainable fashion designers who would have slayed those steps, but sadly they could never afford to grace them. Many sustainable designers simply cannot afford to attend events like this. This needs to change.
Let me know what you thought of this year’s Met Gala – and what outfits you loved or hated the most.
*This MET Gala Review was created in response to a journalist asking for my opinion on the outfits. This inspired me to create the post.
