Met Gala 2022 in pictures: Kim Kardashian in famed Marilyn Monroe gown and more

Reality TV star Kim Kardashian recreated fashion history at the annual Met Gala 2022 on Monday, donning one of Marilyn Monroe's most iconic dresses -- a gold-beaded body hugger the actress wore when she sang "Happy birthday, Mr. President" to US President John F. Kennedy 60 years ago. 

Kardashian reportedly had to lose 16 pounds to fit into the dress, designed by Jean Louis and purchased in 2016 by the Ripley's Believe or Not! museum in Orlando, Florida, for a whopping $4.81 million, reports AP.

Some of the biggest names from fashion, entertainment, sports and beyond were among the about 400 guests at the Met Gala this year.

The annual gala is a fundraiser for the self-funding Costume Institute of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

This year's Met Gala, themed "gilded glamour", earned a record $17.4 million, museum officials said Tuesday.

The funds raised at the Met Gala pays for operation of the institute and to put on annual blockbuster exhibits like the current "In America: An Anthology of Fashion", part of a broader two-part exhibit exploring the roots of American fashion, which was launched at the gala on Monday night and will open to the public on May 7. 

The gala is traditionally held on the first Monday in May, but because of the pandemic, the 2021 version was held last September. The two galas together brought in $33.7 million, the institute said.

Celebs on Monday showed up in elaborate outfits with intricate designs and exaggerated silhouettes, exploring the origins of American fashion and celebrating the unsung heroes of US design, reports AFP.

The Met Gala has grown to become a much-awaited and loved celebration of fashion, which is organised and presided over by Anna Wintour, the editor-in-chief of Vogue since 1995.