IN PICS | Celebs sparkle and dazzle at the 2021 Met Gala

Lil Nas X, 22, the gay Black musician behind hit song Old Town Road, wowed with a gold suit of armour that he took off to reveal a crystal-inspired bodysuit.

Poet Amanda Gorman chose a blue Vera Wang gown and crystal laurel crown headpiece that she said was intended to make her look like a “reimagined statute of liberty”.

Also turning heads was the daughter of late basketball star Kobe Bryant, Natalia, who made her Met Gala debut in a colourful Connor Ives frock.

The invitation-only Met Gala is a fundraising benefit for New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art and also marks the opening of the Costume Institute's annual fashion exhibition which this year is titled In America: A Lexicon of Fashion.

Osaka wore a Japanese-inspired blue-and-red gown with a dramatic headpiece, while Game of Thrones star Maisie Williams chose a dramatic black outfit with an elaborately sculpted headdress she said was inspired by the Matrix films.

Schitt's Creek actor Dan Levy opted for a bold, puff-sleeved creation featuring artwork on the front that showed two men kissing.

Met Gala regulars Rihanna, Kendall Jenner and Gigi Hadid also stunned as they made their grand entrances at the star-studded event.

Last year's Met Gala was cancelled because of the coronavirus pandemic, and Monday's gathering was about a third smaller than usual with about 300 guests, with proof of vaccination required, though they did not wear masks while posing for their entrances. 

• Additional reporting by Khanyisile Ngcobo.

Reuters