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