By Isabelle Granger
The red carpet was filled with the fashion world's brightest stars for the 2014 annual MET Costume Institute Gala on Monday evening, in gowns inspired by this year's Charles James theme. Held in New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art, dresses from the runway and bespoke gowns designed especially for the evening were elegantly paraded by the guests making their way into the ball. See the Vogue Paris top 20.
In honour of the MET's upcoming Charles James: Beyond Fashion exhibition celebrating the work of the visionary US designer, the dress code for the gala heralded elegant evening gowns from the world's greatest couturiers. Actresses and models graced the red carpet in looks by Prada, Chanel, Diorand Givenchy to name but a few and as the celebrities paired up with their dress designers, Stella McCartney gathered quite a gang with Cara Delevingne, Reese Witherspoon, Rihanna and Kate Bosworth in an eclectic array of her designs. Predominantly in pieces designed especially for the evening or from recent Fashion Weeks, American actress and model Stephanie Seymour stood out from the crowd in stunning vintage fuchsia Balenciaga. Other strong looks included Blake Lively's bespoke Gucci Première gown and Lily Donaldson in a Burberry Prorsum monochrome silhouette, with a black bow motif. Take a look inside and explore our gallery of gowns from the MET ball, with the Vogue.fr pick of the best-dressed from an evening of unbeatable couture.