The first Monday in May is synonymous with fashion’s biggest night. Even those who aren’t attuned to fashion will check their Instagram to see if Rihanna stunned once again, or if, instead, someone pulled a Karlie Kloss “looking camp right in the eye.” Regardless, the Met Gala is incredibly entertaining, and this year was no exception. The fashion world had been buzzing ever since the theme, Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty, was announced. It was somewhat controversial, given Lagerfeld held some…interesting opinions, but nonetheless exciting as one could hope—no, expect—to see archival and reimagined pieces from his time at Chanel, Chloe, and Fendi.
I am happy to say that is precisely what we got; in a shocking turn of events, nearly every guest stayed true to the theme. Pieces were pulled, references were referenced, and Choupette was immortalized in not one but two hyper-realistic outfits by camp icons Doja Cat and Jared Leto. The former sported honestly frightening prosthetics and a fully beaded and feathered gown by Oscar de la Renta, while the latter graced the carpet with a full fursuit by Lagerfeld. Designers, stylists, and celebs were all on their A-game, with the main standout being Thom Browne. Nearly everyone in his entourage was styled to perfection (sans Skarsgard and Ricciardo’s boring suits and Olivia Rodrigo’s spaghetti dress that I’m still undecided about). Teyana Taylor’s reimagined drop-waist tweed set, complete with Karl shades and a pony, Sara Choi’s luxurious coat dress adorned with every Chanel motif imaginable, and Jenna Ortega’s reconstructed corset bustle mini dress wrapped in golden chains were just a few examples of Browne’s iconic, cohesive, and referential designs to Lagerfeld’s time at Chanel.
Valentino also pulled out all the stops for stars like Florence Pugh and Rihanna. The latter was one of the final looks on the carpet, opting to arrive fashionably late draped in 500 white petals with a 16-foot train trailing behind. She also donned a pair of white sunglasses with lashes stemming from the lenses to accessorize her look. Pugh was also in a magnificent white gown with a stunningly long train. She revealed her shaved head (which I am so here for), complemented with a black feather crown that was later subbed for a sheer black hooded cape.
Speaking of feathers, those were definitely on trend. Veils, sculptural pieces, pearls, chains, black, white, and gold also had their moments. These appeared in looks like Tem’s custom Robert Wun dress and feathered headpiece and Anok Yai’s 1993 Chanel Couture inspired chandelier mini dress by Prabal Gurung. Anne Hathway’s custom Versace dress beautifully blended the brand’s design ideals with Chanel’s in a marriage of safety pins, pearls, and vintage camelia hair pieces. Both Jordan Roth’s and Michaela Cole’s custom Schiaparelli looks exhibited the beautiful artistry of the house by utilizing sculptural designs and embellishments. This seemed to be favored by most designers like Miss Sohee’s pink showgirl look for Cardi B and Harris Reed’s custom dress for Ashley Graham based off of the Chanel Haute Couture 1987 collection.
As expected, some looks definitely missed the mark. The overall worst, and I will forever stand by this, was Brooklyn Decker in 2005 Chanel. As soon as I saw it, I thought, “white woman goes on a meditative retreat to find herself” mixed with Coachella 2016. Researching a bit more, it seems she was invited last minute and had to rush to throw together a look. Still, I cannot excuse this. There were other misses like Maison Margiela’s dresses on FKA Twigs and Ivy Getty. Getty was dressed in a confusing design that was the most boring shade of beige, and FKA Twigs’ black and gray dress didn’t feel authentic or exciting. Alexandra Daddario’s skin-tone Dior dress also felt off. The color washed her out, and the design was giving “mother of the bride,” which was a shame because her makeup was absolutely lovely. Of course, I must mention Olivia Wilde wearing a similar dress to Margaret Zhang. In my eyes, this isn’t an issue. However, seeing Margaret in the black version of the violin dress from Chloe made Olivia’s seem costume-y (almost as if Cleopatra was the Pope).
In terms of men’s looks, they were a bit underwhelming. I was expecting more from people like host Roger Federer, and was so disappointed when he appeared in the bare minimum of black suit, black bowtie, and watch. Yes, Lagerfeld wore many black suits, but so does everyone for any formal occasion, which is why looks like Taika Waititi’s and Sean Combs’ were such a breath of fresh air. Waititi stepped out in a custom Prabal Gurung floor-length wrap coat and creamy silk trousers, while Combs wore his own label, Sean John, breaking his decade-long designing drought. He was literally and metaphorically on fire as he donned a fluffy black cape covered in pearls and camellias layered on top of a studded black velvet set, which ended up being a bit too warm for New York springtime. He was dripping in sweat by the time he got up the stairs to his interview. Overall, I would say this was a successful Met Gala – at least one of the better-interpreted ones and at most a stunning tribute filled with classic designs. Will it go down in history as one of the most memorable ones? Probably not, but for the next few months, certain looks like Leto’s, Doja’s, and Lil Nas X’s will definitely be permanently ingrained in our brains (for better or for worse). Lagerfeld was a lasting figure in the fashion industry, and his controversial legacy was an influential one. We were able to see that through the stunning versatility of his archival pieces, creative direction, and stunning stylings that graced last night’s carpet.
Words by Miia Popovics.
Graphic by Reem Hinedi.