The only icon that Cher takes inspiration from is herself. The 79-year-old made a stunning return to the Met Gala on May 4, wearing an all-black outfit that referenced the iconic 'naked' dress she wore to the event in 1974.
Cher rocked up to NYC's Metropolitan Museum of Art for the first time since 2015, wearing a custom look by Burberry's Daniel Lee, consisting of a long silk-tulle twisted dress with semi-sheer fabric and a floor-sweeping train.
The outfit was completed with a leather corset and a cropped leather jacket with structured shoulders and black crystal embellishments.
Her Burberry outfit paid homage to the feather-trimmed sheer jumpsuit designed by her close friend Bob Mackie that she wore to her first Met Gala in 1974, according to Vogue.
Reflecting on the iconic look, she told the publication on Monday: "At the first Met Gala, I was naked, and so many people were upset about it, but now people wouldn't even give it a thought," she said. "I was real skinny, so there was nothing really showing."
Speaking about her favorite part of the Met Gala, Cher added: "I love to see people expressing themselves and it gives me ideas and encouragement about the generations that are coming up."
© Getty ImagesIn 2025, Bob Mackie spoke about the hysteria Cher's 1974 Met Gala appearance caused, telling Interview magazine: "The place went crazy. I've never seen so many photographers just come out of the shadows at the Met and take her picture."
He added: "And, of course, she was in every newspaper the next day, and they've been printing it in the last 50 years, over and over again."
© Getty ImagesWhile she performed at the 2019 Met Gala, Cher has only walked the carpet three times, including her debut in 1974.
The second time she attended the high-fashion event was in 2015, when the theme was China: Through the Looking Glass. She wore a low-cut sequin gown by Marc Jacobs and brought the designer as her date.
© FilmMagicShe skipped the carpet in 2019 but performed a medley of her hits, wearing a sheer black jumpsuit, a black leather jacket, and a blue wig, as revealed by Gwen Stefani, who broke the event's no phones rule and posted clips of Cher's performance on her Instagram story.
© InstagramThis year's Met Gala theme, Costume Art, was accompanied by the dress code Fashion is Art, and was co-chaired by Anna Wintour, Nicole Kidman, Beyoncé, and Venus Williams.
As per Vogue, this year's theme, curated by Andrew Bolton, explored "the relationship between clothing and the body beneath."
