In honor of the biggest night in fashion, we are commemorating our favorite Met Gala looks and how they would translate into Lauren B rings. After extensive research, these are our Top 10 Favorite Looks from Met Gala history.*
*As the author of this blog, I can absolutely guarantee that the chosen 10 looks are totally and completely subjective.
Cher in Bob Mackie, 1974
If I Could Turn Back Time, I would go back to the first-ever Met Gala in 1974 so I could see Cher make her entrance in this over-the-top, feathered gown. So incredible, this look landed on the cover of 1975 TIME magazine featuring the star’s rags to riches story. Dressed in Bob Mackie, the designer had been designing for Cher since 1967. Other famous collaborative looks from Mackie and Cher include her ‘Prisoner’ album cover, her 1986 Oscars look, and the 1985 Met Gala.
If this iconic Cher x Met Gala look were a Lauren B engagement ring, it would have to be a white and yellow gold two-tone ring to pick up on the white feathers and tan mesh. With none other than Cher as the inspiration, this ring cannot be simple which is why we have chosen the 2.6ct Pear Shape Two-Tone Split Band Engagement Ring.
2.6ct Pear Shape Two-Tone Split Band Engagement Ring
Naomi Campbell in Versace, 1995
The most famous supermodel of all time, Naomi Campbell, will no doubt always have a spot on any best-dressed list. Wearing Versace, Campbell was easily the highlight of the night in this crystal-encrusted, exposed seam, atelier Versace gown. The theme being Haute Couture, Campbell was accompanied by none other than Gianni and Donatella Versace themselves.
Such an iconic and brilliant gown, we cannot help but envision this dress as a radiant, three-stone ring, with a fully encrusted basket and three-row band—the ultimately encrusted ring for the ultimately encrusted gown.
3.7 Carat Radiant Cut Diamond Three-Stone Engagement Ring
Rihanna in Guo Pei, 2015
Photo Courtesy of Mike Coppola/Getty Images
My personal favorite look of all time is Rihanna in Guo Pei, 2015 in theme for China: Through the Looking Glass. Pei had been in the couture business for 30 years but was hardly known outside of her native China. When Rihanna wore one of her most exquisite and expensive looks, Pei’s name and brand were finally catapulted into the spotlight, somewhere she very much deserves to be.
The imperial yellow, fur-trimmed cape was hard to miss with a 16-foot train covered in beautiful embroidery that took the designer 2 years to complete. To match its extravagance, it would be remiss not to pair this one-of-a-kind gown with a one-of-a-kind yellow diamond ring. At a whopping 7 carats, this yellow diamond ring is complete with a double-edge halo, pave band, and fully encrusted basket.
7.10 ct Yellow Diamond Double Edge Halo Engagement Ring
Claire Danes in Zac Posen, 2016
With the theme set as “Manus X Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology,” celebrities were a little bit all over the place. Right on the mark, however, was Claire Danes in Zac Posen. To the unassuming eye, this Cinderella-esque gown is not very theme-friendly. However, the gown was made with fiber-optic woven organza and 30 battery packs sewn into the understructure of the gown that gave it the ability to light up in the dark. In total, the look reportedly took 500 hours to create.
Similar to our Lauren B blue, we can’t help but love everything about this look! The attention to detail, the color, and the innovation are exquisite. To match the colors of this look, we have chosen an Aquamarine ring that perfectly compliments the hue of this dress. Complete with a diamond halo, this design is an ode to the extra sparkle of Danes’ gown.
Aquamarine and Diamond Engagement Ring
Ariana Grande in Vera Wang, 2018
The 2018 Met Gala theme was Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination. While it was hard to pick favorites from this year as everyone’s looks really captured the essence of the theme, we felt Ariana Grande encapsulated the theme beautifully in a dress mirroring the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel designed by Vera Wang. To complete the look, Grande was adorned with a cascading bow that sat perfectly tied on the top of her signature updo.
With so many design elements competing for the spotlight, we decided to pair this iconic Renaissance dress with a ring that is also doing the most: a two-tone, twisted solitaire and pave band, with an Aquamarine center stone. Perfectly matching the hues of Grande’s dress, there is no judgment here for this Last Judgment gown.
Aquamarine and Diamond Two-Tone Band Ring
Celine Dion in Oscar de la Renta, 2019
Photo Courtesy of Dimitrios Kambouris/Vogue via Getty Images
Ladies and gentlemen, her. Celine Dion could not help but turn heads in her custom Oscar de la Renta showgirl look for the Met Gala’s renowned Camp year. This iconic look boasted 3,000 strands of floor-length fringe made from micro-cut glass bugle beads and a headpiece with singed peacock feathers. If you thought the Zac Posen gown took a long time to make, this show-stopping look took designers 3,000 hours to complete!
With references to Old Hollywood, this headpiece and dress combination is an absolute dream. To match the theme of Camp: Notes on Fashion, we have chosen to pair this iconic look with an equally unique ring: an emerald cut diamond with a vintage halo reminiscent of Princess Diana’s engagement ring. This retro-style halo is the perfect ode to Dion’s mesmerizing headpiece.
1.70ct Emerald Cut Diamond Vintage Halo Engagement Ring
Kendall & Kylie Jenner in Versace, 2019
Photo Courtesy of Kevin Tachman/MG19/Vogue via Getty Images
Being that 2019 was my favorite year for the Met Gala, I couldn’t resist choosing another look for this list… or two. The Jenner sisters were easy to spot in their bright, contrasting Versace couture feather gowns. In a similar fashion to Celine Dion, the Jenner sisters wore showgirl-inspired orange and lilac floor-length dresses. Both wearing Tiffany & Co. jewels, this is the first time any of the Kardashian/Jenners actually adhered to the theme.
It should come as no surprise that if these looks were Lauren B rings, Kylie would be a beautiful Amethyst pear and Kendall would be a rich Citrine Oval.
Amethyst Pear and Diamond Yellow Gold Ring
Citrine and Diamond Two-Tone Ring
Jennifer Lopez in Ralph Lauren, 2021
Photo Courtesy of John Shearer/WireImage
My jaw just about dropped when I saw this JLo look for the first time… and every time since then. Choosing my favorite Jennifer Lopez X Met Gala moment was the hardest part of writing this article because there were so many! However, I had to go with this Wild West moment given to us by Ralph Lauren. The theme for the 2021 Met Gala was In America: A Lexicon of Fashion and celebrities were allowed to interpret this however they pleased—and I am very happy with Ralph Lauren’s vision.
The perfect combination of western style with a cool-girl edge, this look was absolutely everything and more. There was not a single photo of this look that was not absolutely brilliant. Inspired by the Native American culture, Lopez adorned a ring stamped by the Navajo tribe and other pieces meant to be an homage to the largest federally recognized tribe in the country.
To match Lopez’s western brown dress, this look would translate into a fancy brown diamond ring. Adorned with a diamond halo, this ring is everything unique and beautiful that this Ralph Lauren look encapsulates.
4.03ct Fancy Brown-Yellow Pear Shape Diamond Halo Ring
Iman in Harris Reed for Dolce & Gabbana, 2021
Photo Courtesy of Taylor Hill/WireImage
Harri Reed’s vision for the 2021 Met Gala only had one person in mind: Iman. Instead of going with a dress like the vast majority of female attendees, Reed’s vision for Iman was a jacquard gold bustier with flared trousers… as the base. Over the two-piece set was a crinoline ‘skeleton’ that erupted in feathers covered in gold leaf to give off a growing halo effect.
In a look that was meant to say “I deserve to be here,” this outfit draws inspiration from showgirl couture, Federico Fellini, and 90’s Jean-Paul Gaultier. With access to Dolce & Gabbana’s atelier, the look took only 29 days to complete.
This angelic look deserves nothing smaller than a 6 carat diamond as its ring counterpart. With white and gold tones reflected in the outfit, it is only fitting to pair this look with a two-tone, 6 carat, round diamond with a signature wrap.
6.01 ct Round Diamond Signature Wrap Engagement Ring
Met Gala 2022
Tonight’s event marks the 47th annual Met Gala (not including 2020 due to the pandemic). The carpet starts at 6pm EST and you best believe I will be sitting in my apartment, streaming Vogue’s live coverage in one hand and refreshing my Instagram feed in the other.
Feeling inspired to design your own one-of-a-kind, red carpet ready engagement ring? Email info@laurenb.com to be connected with a design consultant!
