As the Metropolitan Museum of Art prepares for the 2026 Met Gala - co-chaired by Nicole Kidman, Venus Williams, and Beyoncé Knowles-Carter - the event marks a significant return for the 35-time Grammy winner, who last graced the steps a decade ago. Her absence has only sharpened the focus on her earlier appearances, which offer a masterclass in how red-carpet fashion borrows from the language of lingerie: transparency, structure, and deliberate revelation.
In 2016, for the 'Manus x Machina' theme, Beyoncé wore a peachy latex Givenchy gown - a nod to the house's legacy under Hubert de Givenchy, who pioneered sculptural eveningwear. The dress's puffed shoulders and floral-pearl embellishments recalled the architectural boning of 19th-century corsets, reimagined in futuristic rubber.
Sheer fabric became her signature. At the 2015 'China: Through the Looking Glass' gala, she wore a transparent Givenchy by Riccardo Tisci, encrusted with warm-toned jewels along the bodice and hips - a technique that echoes the jeweled garter belts and decorative brassieres of 1920s boudoir fashion. The 2012 iteration featured a black sheer Givenchy Haute Couture gown with a feathery train transitioning from black to purple, reminiscent of the dramatic peignoirs and marabou-trimmed robes of mid-century lingerie.
Her 2011 Emilio Pucci gown - form-fitting, with a high neckline and cutout above the bust - referenced the structured foundation garments of the 1960s, when Pucci's vibrant prints revolutionized loungewear. Gold embroidery traced the body like an intricate lingerie appliqué.
Even her debut in 2008, a strapless pink Armani Privé with ruffles, evoked the soft, unstructured slips and baby-doll chemises that defined 1990s intimates. Beyoncé's Met Gala history is, in essence, a study in the tension between concealment and display - the very heart of lingerie's allure.
Originally reported by WWD