Top 10 Red Carpet Moments That Broke the Internet

The night Prince Charles confessed his affair with Camilla on national television, Diana showed up to the Serpentine Gallery in a form-fitting off-the-shoulder black Christina Stambolian dress that she'd previously considered "too daring." The photos dominated every front page worldwide. The dress was an act of war disguised as fashion. It's now in a museum. The term "revenge dress" entered the cultural lexicon permanently. Diana weaponized beauty against the monarchy, and 30 years later, it remains the single most strategic outfit ever worn by a public figure.

J.Lo's plunging green Versace dress at the 2000 Grammys generated so many Google searches that the company had to invent Google Images — literally. Before that dress, Google returned text results only. Eric Schmidt confirmed this origin story. The dress was designed by Donatella Versace with a neckline that descended to the navel. It was the first time a single outfit changed the internet's infrastructure. J.Lo re-wore a version at the Versace 2020 runway show, and it went viral again. One dress that changed technology, fashion, and pop culture simultaneously. There's no competition.

Gaga arrived at the 2010 MTV VMAs wearing a dress made entirely of raw beef — designed by Franc Fernandez from flank steak stitched together. PETA condemned it. The internet exploded. The dress was later preserved by a taxidermist and is now in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. She said it was about "standing up for what you believe in" and fighting for the rights of military members under Don't Ask Don't Tell. Whether you buy that explanation or not, the meat dress generated 30+ million social media impressions in a single night and became the most talked-about fashion choice of the 2010s.

Zendaya arrived at the 2019 Met Gala in a Tommy Hilfiger gown that her stylist Law Roach activated with a wand — the dress literally lit up, changing from dark grey to glowing blue like Cinderella's transformation. It was the first tech-integrated red carpet look that actually worked as both fashion and theater. The video was viewed 100+ million times. Law Roach and Zendaya have since become the most influential stylist-client duo in fashion. She was 22 years old. The moment cemented Zendaya as a fashion icon before she'd even won her first Emmy.

Rihanna's canary yellow fur-lined cape by Chinese couturier Guo Pei at the 2015 Met Gala had a 16-foot train that required three handlers. It weighed 55 pounds. It took Guo Pei two years to create. The memes were instantaneous — "Rihanna looks like an omelette," "Rihanna as a pizza" — and she loved every single one. The dress made Guo Pei an international name overnight (she'd spent 30 years as China's most celebrated couturier without Western recognition). Rihanna turned a single outfit into a career-defining moment for another woman's entire life work. That's power dressing.

Nyong'o won Best Supporting Actress for 12 Years a Slave at the 2014 Oscars wearing a custom light-blue Prada gown that Miuccia Prada designed specifically for her skin tone — a radical act in a fashion industry that had spent decades ignoring Black women. The dress was the #1 most-searched Oscar outfit that year. Nyong'o went from unknown Kenyan-Mexican actress to Vanity Fair cover star, Lancôme ambassador, and fashion's most celebrated new face overnight. One dress, one Oscar, one night — and the entire fashion industry had to recalibrate who it considered beautiful.

Chalamet showed up to the 2022 Oscars in a custom Louis Vuitton look: no shirt, a sequined open-front jacket exposing his chest, paired with a backless halter. It was the most Googled men's red carpet look in Oscar history. The outfit made the argument that men's red carpet fashion doesn't have to mean a black suit and a tie — it can be sensual, daring, and genuinely fashion-forward. At 26, Chalamet became Gen Z's first male fashion icon with a single look. Harry Styles opened the door. Timothée kicked it off the hinges.

Cardi arrived at the 2019 Met Gala in a custom Thom Browne oxblood gown with a train that required five handlers and took 2,000 hours to hand-embroider. The dress cost an estimated $500,000. It covered the entire red carpet like a blood-red ocean. She couldn't walk without assistance. She could barely sit. But the photos were so spectacular that they were viewed 200+ million times. Cardi treats the Met Gala like a competitive sport — her 2018 look (pearl-encrusted Moschino) and 2023 look were equally showstopping. Nobody commits to spectacle harder.

Leto showed up to the 2019 Met Gala in a red Gucci gown carrying a hyper-realistic replica of his own severed head. Alessandro Michele designed both the outfit and the prop. The image went instantly viral — "Jared Leto carrying his own head" was the #1 trending topic worldwide for 12 hours. It was camp in the truest sense (the theme was literally "Camp: Notes on Fashion"). Love it or hate it, you cannot forget it. Nobody had ever turned a red carpet into a horror movie prop before. Leto didn't dress for the Met Gala; he performed an art installation on it.

The night Prince Charles confessed his affair with Camilla on national television, Diana showed up to the Serpentine Gallery in a form-fitting off-the-shoulder black Christina Stambolian dress that she'd previously considered "too daring." The photos dominated every front page worldwide. The dress was an act of war disguised as fashion. It's now in a museum. The term "revenge dress" entered the cultural lexicon permanently. Diana weaponized beauty against the monarchy, and 30 years later, it remains the single most strategic outfit ever worn by a public figure.

J.Lo's plunging green Versace dress at the 2000 Grammys generated so many Google searches that the company had to invent Google Images — literally. Before that dress, Google returned text results only. Eric Schmidt confirmed this origin story. The dress was designed by Donatella Versace with a neckline that descended to the navel. It was the first time a single outfit changed the internet's infrastructure. J.Lo re-wore a version at the Versace 2020 runway show, and it went viral again. One dress that changed technology, fashion, and pop culture simultaneously. There's no competition.

Gaga arrived at the 2010 MTV VMAs wearing a dress made entirely of raw beef — designed by Franc Fernandez from flank steak stitched together. PETA condemned it. The internet exploded. The dress was later preserved by a taxidermist and is now in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. She said it was about "standing up for what you believe in" and fighting for the rights of military members under Don't Ask Don't Tell. Whether you buy that explanation or not, the meat dress generated 30+ million social media impressions in a single night and became the most talked-about fashion choice of the 2010s.

Zendaya arrived at the 2019 Met Gala in a Tommy Hilfiger gown that her stylist Law Roach activated with a wand — the dress literally lit up, changing from dark grey to glowing blue like Cinderella's transformation. It was the first tech-integrated red carpet look that actually worked as both fashion and theater. The video was viewed 100+ million times. Law Roach and Zendaya have since become the most influential stylist-client duo in fashion. She was 22 years old. The moment cemented Zendaya as a fashion icon before she'd even won her first Emmy.

Rihanna's canary yellow fur-lined cape by Chinese couturier Guo Pei at the 2015 Met Gala had a 16-foot train that required three handlers. It weighed 55 pounds. It took Guo Pei two years to create. The memes were instantaneous — "Rihanna looks like an omelette," "Rihanna as a pizza" — and she loved every single one. The dress made Guo Pei an international name overnight (she'd spent 30 years as China's most celebrated couturier without Western recognition). Rihanna turned a single outfit into a career-defining moment for another woman's entire life work. That's power dressing.

Nyong'o won Best Supporting Actress for 12 Years a Slave at the 2014 Oscars wearing a custom light-blue Prada gown that Miuccia Prada designed specifically for her skin tone — a radical act in a fashion industry that had spent decades ignoring Black women. The dress was the #1 most-searched Oscar outfit that year. Nyong'o went from unknown Kenyan-Mexican actress to Vanity Fair cover star, Lancôme ambassador, and fashion's most celebrated new face overnight. One dress, one Oscar, one night — and the entire fashion industry had to recalibrate who it considered beautiful.

Chalamet showed up to the 2022 Oscars in a custom Louis Vuitton look: no shirt, a sequined open-front jacket exposing his chest, paired with a backless halter. It was the most Googled men's red carpet look in Oscar history. The outfit made the argument that men's red carpet fashion doesn't have to mean a black suit and a tie — it can be sensual, daring, and genuinely fashion-forward. At 26, Chalamet became Gen Z's first male fashion icon with a single look. Harry Styles opened the door. Timothée kicked it off the hinges.

Cardi arrived at the 2019 Met Gala in a custom Thom Browne oxblood gown with a train that required five handlers and took 2,000 hours to hand-embroider. The dress cost an estimated $500,000. It covered the entire red carpet like a blood-red ocean. She couldn't walk without assistance. She could barely sit. But the photos were so spectacular that they were viewed 200+ million times. Cardi treats the Met Gala like a competitive sport — her 2018 look (pearl-encrusted Moschino) and 2023 look were equally showstopping. Nobody commits to spectacle harder.

Leto showed up to the 2019 Met Gala in a red Gucci gown carrying a hyper-realistic replica of his own severed head. Alessandro Michele designed both the outfit and the prop. The image went instantly viral — "Jared Leto carrying his own head" was the #1 trending topic worldwide for 12 hours. It was camp in the truest sense (the theme was literally "Camp: Notes on Fashion"). Love it or hate it, you cannot forget it. Nobody had ever turned a red carpet into a horror movie prop before. Leto didn't dress for the Met Gala; he performed an art installation on it.