As the annual Met Gala commences, the hallowed steps of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City become a spectacle of fashion as luminaries from all corners of the globe vaunt their interpretations of the event’s theme. This year, the theme, ‘The Garden of Time,’ draws inspiration from the Costume Institute’s latest exhibition, “Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion,” and pays homage to J.G. Ballard’s tale of the same name.

As explained by the institution, the exhibition is not about ‘florals for spring’ but, rather, serves as a poignant retrospective showcasing garments so delicate they are forever consigned to the realm of memory, never to grace a living form again. Guests are implored to contemplate mortality, mirroring Ballard’s tale of a count and countess who resort to plucking crystal flowers from their garden in a futile attempt to turn back time, only to face the inevitable march of entropy as they are besieged.

Like the concepts that have come before it, this year’s theme lends well to the imagination, giving way to infinite interpretations. And while many a controversy has been stirred from the looks of invitees, risk is all part of the event’s pageantry. After all, the worst thing you can do at the Met? Play it safe.

As the guests start rolling in, there is a pervasive sense of dark romanticism on the red carpet. From Zendaya in Maison Margiela Haute Couture to Sienna Miller in fresh-off-the-runway Chloé and Taylor Russell in custom Loewe, subversive florals are sure to be a major trend among guests.

Join us as we round up the best looks of the 2024 Met Gala below.