The 2024 Met Gala’s “Garden of Time” Fashion Fantasies

As the anticipation builds for the 2024 Met Gala, fashion enthusiasts everywhere are eager to see what this year brings to the Red Carpet. The Metropolitan Museum of Art announced this year’s theme: The Garden of Time to celebrate the Costume Institute’s new exhibition, Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion, which displays 250 pieces from the Institute’s collection including designs by Schiaparelli, Givenchy, Dior, and many more.

The Costume Institute’s curator Andrew Bolton spoke about the collection saying, “It is very much an ode to nature and the emotional poetics of fashion," and discussed how the exhibition features pieces that were inspired from three elements in nature: land, sea, and sky.

This theme lends itself to opportunities for so many potential Judith Leiber handbags to make appearances at the star-studded affair. In the meantime, read on for some of our favorite Judith Leiber fashion moments from past Met Gala red carpets and what we are fantasizing about seeing this year.

No stranger to Judith Leiber or the Met Gala Red Carpet is one of the hosts for this year’s event, Zendaya.  She notably carried a custom Judith Leiber Cinderella Carriage handbag to the Gala in 2019. Given the actress’s incredible eye for fashion, you can always expect something chic and sophisticated from her. We may see Zendaya pay homage to her movie Dune with an earthy inspired look in golden, sandy hues.

Also hosting the Gala this year is Jennifer Lopez, who has an amazing repertoire of iconic looks, often accompanied by Judith Leiber bags. In 2019 she carried a Judith Leiber clutch that matched her stunning, jeweled gown and headpiece Known for her extravagant and flirty fashion choices, J. Lo could take “Sleeping Beauties” to a new level by covering herself in romantic red roses.

Rhianna and Kendall Jenner are also both expected to attend the Met Gala this year. Historically, Rhianna and Kendall have rocked red carpets time and time again with their fashion choices. Rhianna is always a risk taker and can expect the biggest and boldest take on the evening’s theme. She also attended the Gala in 2018 with a Judith Leiber bag by her side, completing an ultra-high fashion moment.

After giving birth to two young children, we may see her take an approach to Garden of Time through a “mother nature” perspective and perhaps incorporate an aspect of nurturing, growth, and change over time with a full landscape of natural elements. 

Kendall’s style is usually sleek and always runway ready as we saw at last year’s Met Gala, when she wore a fitted sequined bodysuit with dramatic sleeves. This year, she may opt for a look inspired by the sea, displaying an ethereal quality of water to her ensemble. Perhaps she opts for a gown that looks as if she just emerged from the ocean, smooth and shimmering.

This year, Lily Gladstone, Ayo Edebiri and Olivia Rodrigo will make their first Met Gala appearances and it will be very exciting to see how these leading women interpret the dress code. Lily Gladstone may pull from her Native American roots and honor her movie Killers of The Flower Moon in different ways. Perhaps she incorporates both floral and celestial elements to her look.

Ayo mixes up her style for every red carpet, but always looks modern and isn’t afraid to have a little fun with her fashion choices. She may opt for a pop of color on the red carpet in a saturated red or pink reminiscent of different colors in the garden.

Olivia’s youthful, modern twist on Y2K fashion has become a major trend thanks to the young artist. This Met Gala, we hope to see Olivia flaunt her signature style in a high fashion setting, while remaining true to herself, as all fashion should be. We may see the singer choose a trendy floral pattern or play with different textures and materials to create lively look.

With each attendee bringing their unique sense of style and flair to the red carpet, the possibilities are endless. Whether it's a whimsical floral motif or a dazzling celestial masterpiece, Judith Leiber is excited to see the imagination behind the beautiful creations we see every year at the Met Gala.