Met Gala 2024: From Robert Wun to Undercover, here are the pieces by Asian designers that shone on the red carpet
The first Monday of May means we can expect our feeds to betaken over by fashion, with A-list celebrities, designers and stylists alike going out of their way for the most anticipated fashion gala. The theme for this year’s Met Gala is themed Garden of Time, and celebrates New York’s Met Museum’s companion exhibition titled Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion.
Top fashion moments this year include co-chair Zendaya’s outfit change, K-pop stars Jennie from Blackpink and Stray Kids turning heads on the red carpet, and a reassuring number of Asian designers dressing celebrities. While this is not the first time Asian designers have provided major looks—who can forget Rihanna’s most iconic Met Gala look (this is not up for debate), the enormous yellow gown by Chinese couturier Guo Pei?—it’s encouraging to see this rising wave.
From the hottest avant-garde couture brands to established designers who have paved the way for the new generation, here are some of the best looks brought to us by Asian designers.
1. Robert Wun
Wisdom Kaye at The 2024 Met Gala (Photo: Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for The Met Museum/Vogue)
Since presenting at Paris haute couture fashion week in 2023 with a show-stopping collection, Hong Kong-born and London-based couturier Robert Wun has pulled out some major red carpet moments. Celebrities from Adele to Eileen Gu have been commanding his designs at global events, and this Met Gala is no exception.
American model Wisdom Kaye arrived at the Met Gala in a custom red coat featuring Wun’s signature pleats and burnt designs, with a finishing touch of a sculpted hat and rose paying tribute to the theme Garden Of Time.
Eva Chen, author and director of fashion partnerships at Instagram, presented another interpretation of the theme, with Wun crafting for her a sleek mini dress featuring a long, sheer tulle train with intricate embroidery reminiscent of snow.
Read more: Robert Wun on the inspiration behind his Haute Couture Week debut
Eva Chen at The 2024 Met Gala (Photo: John Shearer/WireImage)
Eva Chen at The Mark Hotel before the 2024 Met Gala (Photo : Masato Onoda/WWD via Getty Images)
2. Undercover
Amelia Gray Hamlin at The 2024 Met Gala (Photo: Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for The Met Museum/Vogue)
Amelia Gray Hamlin at The 2024 Met Gala (Photo: Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for The Met Museum/Vogue)
It girl of the moment, model Amelia Gray Hamlin opted for an Undercover terrarium dress from the brand’s spring-summer 2024 collection. Designed by Japanese designer Jun Takahashi, it reminded us of the ethereal show that left the audience in awe: models walked out wearing dresses that resembled mini gardens glowing in the darkness. This piece by the thought-provoking Asian designer couldn’t be more fitting for the occasion’s horticultural theme.
3. Windowsen
Cardi B at The 2024 Met Gala (Photo: Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images)
When we hear Cardi B and Met Gala, we expect volume, exuberance and drama; for her fourth appearance at the event, the rapper delivered on all fronts with the biggest dress of the night. Her look was brought to life by Chinese designer Sensen Lii of emerging label Windowsen. Cardi B’s larger-than-life tulle dress, paired with a beehive-style headpiece and jaw-dropping emerald jewels, embodied Gothic glamour.
This is not the first time that Cardi B has collaborated with Asian design talent for the Met Gala. Last year, for the theme of Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty, the singer made a statement on the red carpet in a sculptural black and white gown by Chenpeng Studio.
4. Gaurav Gupta
Mindy Kaling at The 2024 Met Gala (Photo: Cindy Ord/MG24/Getty Images for The Met Museum/Vogue)
The back details of Mindy Kaling's Gaurva Gupta dress (Photo: John Shearer/WireImage)
Actor and writer Mindy Kaling bloomed at the Met Gala 2024 in a sculptural gown by Indian couturier Gaurav Gupta. Named The Melting Flower of Time, the gown is definitely proof that the designer has taken his signature silhouettes to the next level: waves of petals were visible no matter what angle you viewed it from.
Read more: Unveiling the ethereal: The visionary designs of Gaurav Gupta
5. Prabal Gurung
Laufey and Prabal Gurung at The 2024 Met Gala (Photo: Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images)
Demi Lovato at The 2024 Met Gala (Photo: Getty Images)
Nepalese American designer Prabal Gurung brought five stunning looks to the Met Gala this year, each dress celebrating the theme through exquisite craftsmanship.
Highlights include the green off-the-shoulder taffeta opera cape and gown worn by tennis icon Maria Sharapova, which was made from luxury bedlinen brand Boll & Branch’s organic cotton fabric—a nod to the Sleeping Beauty of the exhibition title; while Icelandic Grammy-winning singer Laufey’s cloud-like pink tulle gown embodied the dreaminess of the theme.
Hanani Taylor, Gayle Rankin, Laufey, Prabal Gurung, Demi Lovato and Maria Sharapova atThe 2024 Met Gala (Photo: Cindy Ord/MG24/Getty Images for The Met Museum/Vogue)
6. Vera Wang
Vera Wang and Janelle Monáe Alia Bhatt at The 2024 Met Gala (Photo: Cindy Ord/MG24/Getty Images for The Met Museum/Vogue)
One of the most celebrated Asian American designers, Vera Wang renowned both for appearing on and dressing stars for fashion’s biggest night out. This year, singer and actress Janelle Monáe went for a custom Vera Wang skin-bearing gown. The stunning piece was crafted from holographic discs and hand-strung crystal beads made from sustainably recycled plastic bottles which stretched out behind Monáe in a mesmerising mini-train.
7. Sabyasachi
Alia Bhatt at The 2024 Met Gala (Photo: Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images)
Alia Bhatt at The 2024 Met Gala (Photo: Kevin Mazur/MG24/Getty Images for The Met Museum/Vogue)
British actress Alia Bhatt made her second Met Gala appearance in an delicate, hand-embroidered floral sari by Indian designer Sabyasachi. The actress revealed on her social media that the gown had taken the collective efforts of 163 dedicated individuals and a total of 1,965 hours to create this beautiful tribute to Indian nobility and nature.NOW READ
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