The Met Gala was themed “costume art”, in hopes guests would pull from artworks of the past for inspiration. Some celebrities blew any expectations out of the water with their outfits while several fell flat.
Hits
(1) Emma Chamberlain
Emma Chamberlain was the best dressed of the night. She encapsulated the theme perfectly, drawing inspiration from watercolor paintings. The splash of colors going all the way down the train of the dress seems to have a similar color palette to Van Gogh’s paintings. The texture of the dress is even more encapsulating as it looks like flower petals as one views the dress from top to bottom.
Chamberlain wore Mugler, designed by Miguel Castro Freitas and styled by Jared Ellner. Anna Deller-Yee hand-painted the dress.
(2) Rachel Zegler
Rachel Zegler had a simple but impactful outfit that fit the theme perfectly. The all white color was a great decision with the drapping of the shoulder pieces being perfectly placed. The blindfold was what brought the whole piece together. The long train from the arms with the train from the bottom of the dress makes it look even more elegant.
Zegler wore a piece made by Prabal Gurung and a blindfold made by Jennifer Behr. It was inspired by the painting, “The Execution of Lady Jane Grey” by Paul Delaroche.
(3) Anok Yai
Anok Yai was painted a slight gold shimmer with golden tears coming down her face. The dark silhouette reminds one of a statue with heavy religious undertones. The dropping hood connecting to the dress fit perfectly with the heavy layer bottom of the dress. The look was elegant but powerful. She did not simply follow the theme. She, instead, became the theme.
Yai’s outfit was designed by Balenciaga and Pierpaolo Piccioli. The look was built around the idea of Black Madonna, a religious figure that resembles strength, protection, and resilience. It is a tie to both religion and Black identity.
(4) SZA
SZA stood out with the colorfulness of her outfit and the carefully placed details. The gorgeous butterfly wings added a whole another level of impact. The layering of the fabric made her look light and airy with heaving earthy tones to match. The headpiece brought the whole look together, making it more cohesive and eretheral. The overall outfit felt like a magical fairy or nature goddess.
SZA’s outfit was a customized dress made by Emily Bode. It used vintage fabric and textiles. Instead of taking inspiration from a piece of art, the gown was inspired by textile art.
Misses
(1) Leah Dunham
Leah Dunham’s outfit totally missed the mark on the theme. There was no sense of artwork found. There is a lot of different textures going on in the dress, making it very distracting and busy. It does not compliment her at all and the shoes that are bedazzled are the cherry on top. Her hair and makeup are also very plain, making this look fall flat.
Dunham was in a custom Valentino dress, designed by Alessandro Michele. It was supposedly inspired by the painting, “Judith Slaying Holofernes”.
(2) Troy Sivan
Troy Sivan has made appearances in the past with way better looking outfits. The idea to wear denim to the Met gala is a bold one. The outfit looks like it could be worn down a street in NYC and no one would blink twice. The trench coat doesn’t do him any favors. He seemed to be very underdressed and the attempt to dress it up with a jean chain makes it look tacky.
Sivan was dressed by Prada and the outfit was designed by Marc Forne.
(3) Carey Mulligan
Carey Mulligan had an underwhelming outfit. The design is confusing on what the goal was. It is unclear if the inspiration behind the dress was textiles. If it was, then it was poorly done. Numerous other artists, like SZA, executed textiles in a more impactful and impressive manner, appropriate for the Met Gala.
Mulligan was dressed in Prada, designed by Danielle Goldberg.
(4) Hudson Williams
Hudson Williams had the right idea in this outfit but the train in the back of the suit throws it all off. The touch of the tailored top in the pants ties everything together if the train did not exist. The makeup also made the overall outfit worse. The two different tone makeup and the long uneven eyeliner did not do Williams justice. The color and design on the outfit was stunning though.
Overall Review
The theme, “costume art” was a great selection for this year’s Met Gala. However, it seems a lot of the guests had different interpretations, while many disregarded the theme all together. Even if one does not follow the theme perfectly, the idea of the Met Gala is to have a neck-snapping reaction when walking into the room.