GOOD OL’ U.S.A. IN FASHION AT GALA

Comeback of Met show to feature American designers

The 2021 Met Gala is fashionably late — but returns with plenty of star power after a more than two-year absence.

The glitzy, fashion-focused event at New York’s famed Metropolitan Museum makes its comeback Monday after the COVID-19 pandemic canceled the 2020 edition and pushed back this year’s gala from its typical early-May slot.

With the theme of “In America: A Lexicon of Fashion,” celebrities are expected to feature U.S. designers in their clothing and accessories.

“People are so hungry for celebration,” says fashion historian Nancy Deihl, chairwoman of the art department at New York University. She described the gala as an opportunity for “escapism” during the pandemic.

The guest list for the notoriously secretive event has not been revealed, but this year’s lineup of co-chairs includes big names like actor Timothée Chalamet, Grammy-winner Billie Eilish, poet Amanda Gorman and tennis star Naomi Osaka.

Organizers say the 2021 gala will feature a “more intimate” setting and will adhere to guidelines for health and safety.

The gala serves as a fund-raiser for the Met, which opens the first installment of the museum’s two-part “In America: A Lexicon of Fashion” exhibition next Saturday.

“American fashion has a reputation of just being practical, right?” Deihl told the Daily News. “But the exhibition is going to show a lot of different things, and also hopefully the celebrities will show up in American designer fashion, and so we’ll be able to see both sides, from the practical things to the beautiful, elaborate, one-of-a-kind creations.”

The celebrity arrivals at the gala Monday will be livestreamed online by Vogue beginning at 5:30 p.m., with entertainers Keke Palmer and Ilana Glazer hosting the broadcast.

Here’s a look back at some of the most memorable attires at past Met Galas.

Rihanna

Long known as a Met Gala fashion standout, Rihanna shined even brighter in a stunning, sprawling yellow gown by Guo Pei in 2015.

The pop star’s dress embraced the night’s “China: Through the Looking Glass” theme, and although Rihanna laughed with “Access Hollywood” last year about a meme comparing the gown to a fried egg, it has prevailed as one of the Met Gala’s most iconic outfits.

Among the many notable blasts from the past at the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s famed fund-raiser is Rihanna’s appearance (main) in 2015 in a stunning, sprawling yellow gown, which has remained one of the gala’s most iconic outfits.