Awards season is about the stars, but the Met Gala, traditionally held on the first Monday in May, is all about the clothes.
On Monday, the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute Gala invited guests to dress in outfits inspired by the short story “The Garden of Time.” The event supported its upcoming exhibition, titled “Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion,” which runs from May 10 through Sept. 2.
To paraphrase fashion’s most famous imaginary editor Miranda Priestly, florals for spring are not groundbreaking, but that didn’t stop celebrities from embracing nature themes. Blooms, butterflies, birds and branches were all on display, as evidenced by gowns such as model Gigi Hadid’s flower-strewn Thom Browne gown.
Others took more artistic liberties, such as Jennifer Lopez, one of the evening’s co-hosts, who wore a nearly-naked Schiaparelli couture gown covered in crystals. More subdued guests stuck to this season’s award show staple styles such as monochrome black or white.
The best looks offered something inventive, and the ones that stood out will reverberate across social media for months to come.
Here are the evening’s top takeaways.
Thin air
Tulle, netting and wispy overlays gave an ethereal look to many of the night’s outfits.
Actor and red carpet co-host Gwendoline Christie’s Maison Margiela ensemble featured a black tulle overcoat atop a blood orange gown, while actor Elle Fanning wore a glass-like Balmain gown with sculptural birds. Actor Michelle Williams wore a white chiffon Chanel minidress and matching coat. Musician Sam Smith’s suit, designed by their partner Christian Cowan, featured a black tulle cape, and actor Brie Larson wore a custom Prada gown featuring an hourglass-shaped tulle overlay.
Unsuited
As award shows from January’s Golden Globes through March’s Academy Awards have demonstrated, suits are getting more playful.
Designer Willy Chavarria dressed himself and actors Coleman Domingo and Morgan Spector in wide-legged suits and corsages, while actor Cynthia Erivo’s midriff-baring Thom Browne suit was covered in three-dimensional flowers and featured sweeping tails. Actor Lena Waithe’s Etro suit was made from floral-embroidered leather, and filmmaker Taika Waititi wore a brown leather suit, shirt and tie by Marni. Actor Eddie Redmayne’s sheer inset Steve O Smith skirt suit matched the dress of his wife, actor Hannah Bagshawe.
Old-school
Vintage and vintage-inspired designs reflected the upcoming exhibition’s theme.
Actor and event co-host Zendaya wore a vintage spring 1996 Givenchy couture gown made the year she was born. Nicole Kidman wore a Balengiaga gown based on a dress originally designed in 1951 by Cristóbal Balenciaga. Musician Charli XCX wore a Marni gown made from vintage t-shirts, and actor Chloë Sevigny wore a Dilara Fındıkoğlu gown made from repurposed Victorian fabric. Musician Rita Ora’s fringed Marni necklace dress incorporated beads from the first and second century BC.
Playing with proportion
Hips, trains, tails and even bra cups were exaggerated, padded and occasionally pointy.
Actor Josh O’Connor wore a Loewe suit with floor-skimming tails, perhaps in a nod to Jonathan Anderson, one of the evening’s co-chairs. Actor Amanda Seyfried wore a padded-hip Prada gown made from leftover deadstock fabric, while actor Sarah Jessica Parker’s Richard Quinn gown also sported padded hips. Celebrity Kylie Jenner’s cream Givenchy gown featured a sharply pointed bodice, while actor Mindy Kalig’s Gaurav Gupta gown featured pieces that arched and flowed behind her. Meanwhile, musician Cardi B wore a black Windowsen gown with a skirt so wide it covered the staircase.
Blue period
The evening’s most unexpected color was blue, in mostly icy shades but occasionally deeper tones.
Musician Ed Sheeran wore a powder blue Stella Mccartney suit embellished with lab-grown diamonds, while model Naomi Campbell wore a baby blue fringed Burberry gown. Actor Rebecca Ferguson wore a Thom Browne outfit featuring a gown with exaggerated hips shoulders and an opera coat lined in ice blue and embroidered with ravens. Gap’s new creative director Zac Posen designed a custom blue denim Gap Couture gown for actor Da'Vine Joy Randolph, who he accompanied to the event.
