Last night, the 2025 Met Gala brought a collection of the most famous people in the world together under one roof: Zendaya, Stevie Wonder, Diana Ross, and Rihanna among them.

Some of the attendees have become gala stalwarts, like Kendall Jenner, who completed her 11th Met, or Cardi B, who has attended six times and is clearly coming for the Queen of the Carpet title. But there was also a parade of first-timers, who came out in all their finery to celebrate “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style.”

This year, there was a handful of guests who we couldn’t believe were newcomers. Angela Bassett made her Met Gala debut in a blue velvet Burberry suit with black flowers, while Ms. Lauryn Hill opted for a butter yellow Stella McCartney suit with a gargantuan cape—and an escort to hold her parasol.

Other guests marking their inaugural Met Gala have defined culture over the last year: Doechii, Chappell Roan, Shaboozey, and Clairo have all given us earworms, while Aimee Lou Wood, Walton Goggins, and Patrick Schwarzenegger brought a The White Lotus reunion to the red carpet. There were quite a few star athletes in attendance, too: Brianna Stewart, Jonquel Jones, and Sabrina Ionescu took home the WNBA championship for the New York Liberty, and Jalen Hurts earned a Super Bowl ring for the Philadelphia Eagles.

Below, see 51 of the first-time attendees at the 2025 Met Gala, from Oscar nominees and to K-Pop stars to Olympic athletes—and, of course, the former Vice President of the United States.