The 2025 Met Gala had finally set, and while Lizzie Croft didn’t get to trickle glamorously on the carpet (she definitely deserves an invite next time, for crying out loud), let’s majorly throw it back when Tomb Raider queen fully and powerfully dominated 1997 fashion-a.k.a. the Alexander McQueen for The Face shoot, because really, it still slaps way harder than a bunch of star looks today.
Lara Croft, the pixelated diva who created gaming in the ’90s, was not just climbing mountains or dodging boulders-just delivers looks that don’t allow any God-mother of Met Gala to compete. The well-timed styles of the late brilliant Alexander McQueen-lending a perfect high-fashion counterpoint to Lara’s gritty adventurer chic. Leather harnesses, combat-style boots, and that braid-everything that spells perfection.
And really: it was no ordinary photoshoot. The great McQueen, who basically invented “dark glamour,” was dressing Lara in looks that felt almost plucked from her in-game wardrobe. Result? One fierce ensemble that practically made the damned T-Rexes look like a cakewalk, albeit without even breaking a sweat.
Fast-forward through 2025-where we still talk about it. Because Lara Croft was much more than another character; they represented a culture reset. Lara was the first-ever “it girl” of gaming before Instagram models and TikTok stars, saying loud and clear that virtual icons could be just as stylish as real-world celebrities. And that McQueen collab? Still reigns as the most iconic partnership between gaming and fashion to date.
But seriously: Why hasn’t anyone dusted off this darling for a contemporary Met Gala appearance? Would-be-2025 Lara in an armor-plated avant-garde gown, pistols swapped out for a clutch, would send the internet into a frenzy.
Until then, we’ll keep stanning that ’97 moment. Because some looks? They’re timeless. Just like Lara. Standards for an official 4K release for the shoot? Asking for a friend.
