'The Met Gala has only had one successful theme, and spoiler: 2024 wasn't it.'

Every year, it's the same. First come the celebs waltzing down the Met Gala red carpet. Then, like clockwork, comes the criticism: they're not dressing to the theme.

But honestly, who can blame this year's crop of famous faces, considering just how confusing the theme was?

The 2024 Met Gala theme was 'Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion', which is already pretty vague, but then there was the added dress code of 'The Garden of Time'.

This is hard to follow, no?

Are we doing Disney Princess Sleeping Beauty? 

Are we doing sleepy vibes, like cosy pajamas or an ugg boot?

How do gardens and time flow with all that? 

'I'LL JUST BE A BIG, PINK FLOWER, OKAY!' decided Jessica Biel... probably. 

"I'm doing my goddamn best!" Image: Getty. 

Even before the event, Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour apologised for the "confusion" surrounding this year's theme, based on the Metropolitan Museum of Art's latest exhibition.

"This exhibition broke my cardinal rule," she said during an interview with Today. "When we came up with the title 'Sleeping Beauties,' it's wonderful and poetic and romantic, but actually, it could be many, many things."

She's not wrong. 

The editor-in-chief expressed her concerns with the curator in charge of The Costume Institute, Andrew Bolton. "I said, 'What are we gonna say to people to wear to this night?' And he said, 'Well, what about 'Garden of Time?'" Wintour added.

"I fear that we've unleashed a lot of confusion out there, and for which I deeply apologise."

The theme wasn't a total disaster, with a handful of standout fits from the likes of co-chair Zendaya, Cardi B, Mona Patel and Kim Kardashian, but it's doubtful that many of these subdued looks will be remembered for decades to come.

And of course, this year paled in comparison to the best Met Gala theme and year of all time.

I'm absolutely talking about the 2018 theme, 'Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination.'

This was a true feast for the eyes.

Listen to The Spill hosts discuss the one Met Gala story no one wants to believe.

That year, Rihanna served as co-chair, which meant her look went to a whole new level: she came as a sexy Pope. Bringing papal realness to NYC, Rihanna wore an encrusted dress, coat and mitre hat designed by John Galliano for Maison Margiela, and changed fashion history in the process.

Image: Getty. 

Not to be outdone, the men's fashion category was represented by the late Chadwick Boseman, the Black Panther star slaying the night in a stunning three-piece white suit by Versace that was covered in gold crosses and ornate swirls, along with a floor-length cape.

The queen and king of the Church of Fashion were crowned this day.

Image: Getty. 

But the sartorial standouts just kept on coming. 

Blake Lively took over the red carpet in a spectacular Versace gown and Christian Louboutin heels.

Image: Getty. 

And if Rihanna was the queen of the Met, then Zendaya was the princess in 2018, in a jaw-dropping custom Versace dress that looked like a legit suit of armour.

Image: Getty.

Another Met Gala mainstay, Kim Kardashian, has never looked more Kim Kardashian than she did in her figure-hugging Versace dress featuring encrusted golden crosses.

Image: Getty. 

Arianna Grande often misses the mark at the Met, but there was nothing off about this custom Vera Wang dress, printed with a fresco of the Sistine Chapel. Stunninggggg.

Image: Getty. 

Following this theme, model Gigi Hadid paid homage to the church's stained glass windows with this dazzling Versace number (which I still think about weekly). 

Image: Getty. 

And finally, Cardi B made her Met Gala debut in a stunning maternity gown by Moschino.

Image: Getty. 

And yeah, okay, 2018 wasn't perfect. Kendall Jenner just wore extremely long white pants while her sister Kylie wore an uninspired black dress and tiny sunglasses. 

But the missteps were rare — and the standouts would become the gala's most iconic looks of all time.

The 2018 theme was the perfect fashion code: open to interpretation but still the kind of theme that anybody can easily understand and execute.

Take note, 'Sleeping Beauties'. Take note.

Feature image: Getty. 

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