The 2019 Met Gala takes place on Monday, and this year’s theme is Camp: Notes on Fashion, inspired by Susan Sontag’s 1964 essay on the topic.
Over the years, the Met Gala has evolved from a society event to one of fashion’s biggest nights, with celebrities, models and more coming out to show off some of the most extravagant and over-the-top looks seen on any red carpet all year long.
Videos by PopCulture.com
That wasn’t exactly the case back in 1999, when the era’s minimalism extended onto the carpet at the Met Gala with plenty of spaghetti straps and streamlined silhouettes, making for a much more simplistic fashion foray than what fans will likely see tonight.
Scroll through to take a look back at the Met Gala 1999, when the theme was Rock Style.
Gwyneth Paltrow
Today, GOOPย is known for her sunny blondeย tresses, but the actress took a trip to the dark side for her turn on the carpet when she arrived with chocolate brown locks to complement her blue snakeskin printed dress with a keyhole accent.
Paltrow attended the gala with her dad, Bruce Paltrow.
Charlize Theron
Theron went full ’90s with this sparkling spaghetti-strap gown, strappy heels, minimal-yet-sparkling jewelry and a coordinating wrap, completing her look with a very prom-appropriate updo and the era’s ultra-thin eyebrows.
Jennifer Lopez and Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs
Lopez and Combs were an item when they attended the 1999 gala together, with Lopez in a beige cutout dress and diamond jewelry and Combs in all white, complete with a coat and sunglasses.
Donatella Versace
Before Lopez wore a variation on this dress to the 2000 Grammys and eventually inspired Google Images, designer Donatellaย Versace wore her own creation to the 1999 Met Gala.
Elizabeth Hurley
Hurley chose a black satin dress with a thigh-high slit, low neckline and red beaded accent at the waist along with black sandals for her gala appearance.
Anjelica Huston
Huston arrived in a satin spaghetti-strap gown with a cowl neckline, long white gloves and a pearl necklace.
Natasha Richardson and Liam Neeson
The late Natasha Richardson attended the event with her husband, Liam Neeson.
Richardson wore a light-colored satin evening gown with a matching wrap and carried a beaded clutch while Neesonย opted for a traditional black-and-white suit.
‘Rock Royalty’
Livย Tyler joined designer Stella McCartney, both of whom were appropriately dressed in one-shoulder tops that read “Rock Royalty.”
Tyler is the daughter of Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler while McCartney’s dad is Beatles member Paul McCartney.
Christina Ricci
Ricciย brought some color to the carpet in her aqua blue dress with sequin accents and matching shoes, with the then-19-year-old looking like she could have walked from her senior prom straight to the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Jennifer Love Hewitt
Hewitt’s look was a ’90s masterpiece, with the actress combining multiple decade-friendly trends including a crop top, feathered skirt, wedge boots,ย pieceyย updo, tiny diamond earrings, a cuff bracelet and brown-toned makeup.
Minnie Driver
Driver was also a shining example of ’90sย fashion in her silver dress, which she teamed with purple satin shoes, a matching fringed wrap, chandelier earrings andย lavenderย eyeshadow.
Iman
Supermodel Imanย chose a black lace gown with a keyhole neckline and a gray fur coat.
Heather Graham and Ed Burns
Fellow wrap-carrier Heather Graham opted for a sleek black halter-neck gown, which she accessorized with dangling gold earrings.
She also styled her hair with two pieces hanging in front, as did nearly every teen girl in 1999.
Kim Cattrall
The Sex and the City star chose a figure-hugging gown with beaded paneling and sheer mesh accents for her turn on the carpet.
Whitney Houston and Bobby Brown
The late singer hit the carpet with then-husband Bobby Brown, with Houston embracing the rock ‘n roll theme in a bedazzled jacket over a sheer white shirt and black pants. Brown wore an all-white outfit complete with a black-and-white patterned fedora.
Photo Credit: Getty / KMazur
