The biggest fashion night of the year, the Met Gala, just took place; There was a moment of frenzied anticipation during the behind-the-scenes deliberations over which designer would have the honor of dressing and which celebrity would finally come to fruition (each pairing and outfit was individually designed when the hallowed Anna Wintour seal of approval was given) and the watching public decided who passed the dress code and who didn’t. will give.
The theme for 2024 felt loose, to say the least. A spinoff from this year’s major costume exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum in New York, themed “Sleeping Beauties: Fashion Re-Awakening” (consisting of pieces from the museum’s archives that are four centuries old and in various states of repair), celebrities will be wearing J.G. Ballard’s identical costume for the premiere on Monday evening. They were required to dress according to the “Garden of Time” dress code, a title inspired by his short story.
The choices that emerged from the unorthodox freedom of play felt more disjointed than ever.
Let’s examine the most striking looks:
Kim Kardashian with her controversially thin waist in her cardigan
Kim Kardashian wore a strapless, silver Maison Margiela dress with a slim waist that was reminiscent of the original Marilyn Monroe dress she wore to the same event in 2022. This design was so small that he had to adopt an extreme diet and exercise regime to accommodate it. BT.
Inevitably, the consternation on social media quickly increased. “Where did you put all your internal organs?” asked one commenter on Instagram. Of course, it’s worrying to see such influential figures supporting unattainable body standards, but we’ve come to expect as much from La Kardashian.
What we never expected was that it could also become a cardigan phenomenon. Of her outfit, which came complete with what can only be described as a bolero or shrug, she said: “It was the craziest night of my life in the garden and I ran outside and threw on my boyfriend’s jumper… my hair was a mess.” The cardigan is an indispensable part of those evening dresses that we think left their mark on the fashion history of the Noughties. Maybe not?
Lauren Sánchez joins fashion establishment
The woman who put “filthy rich” fashion on the map as the fiancée of Amazon founder and world’s third-richest man Jeff Bezos, but Lauren Sánchez tried “something different” at her first Met Gala, where she was reportedly impressed and closely watched by Wintour. on the way to the event.
Sánchez, who usually prefers a low-cut, sexy aesthetic, relied on Oscar de la Renta’s creative directors Fernando Garcia and Laura Kim for her dress, relying on the brand’s refined and luxurious design codes.
The black bustier with a broken mirrored glass skirt was designed to reflect “a metaphor for life.” “It’s a little bit about all your broken pieces in life and putting those pieces back together,” Sánchez said, adding that Bezos would be his best accessory of the night.
John Galliano’s secret retrospective
Allegedly, this year’s exhibition was planned to focus on the work of John Galliano, a one-time Givenchy and Dior designer who fell out of favor in 2010 due to anti-Semitic rhetoric and remained out of the industry working for the avant-garde brand. Maison Margiela.
However, these plans were said to have been shelved in favor of a less controversial theme. That didn’t stop Wintour (one of Galliano’s biggest cheerleaders, reportedly vying for a return to a major fashion house) from staging numerous red carpet tributes to her great friend; Among them, Zendaya appears on the red carpet with two Gallianos. designer looks, one a bespoke dress by Margiela and the other a Givenchy Spring-Summer 1996 creation from Galliano’s time at the house. Gwendoline Christie also appeared on the red carpet with the look created by the designer for Margiela.
Although Galliano himself did not appear on the red carpet, he did pose briefly with Kardashian.
Crisp packets, ice cubes and sand timers as new bags
Who needs a functional bag? A number of attendees at this year’s gala gave new meaning to the phrase ‘statement accessory’. Singer Tyla paired Balmain’s ‘sands of time’ dress (a sculpture) with an hourglass ‘bag’, while Camila Cabello carried a rose frozen in a block of ice instead of a handbag.
Actor Michael Shannon also turned heads when he carried a supple leather bag that looked like a cheese and onion crisp packet but was actually designed by Balenciaga. Price tag? $1,850. Slightly more than average for Walkers, then.
Those Who Didn’t Come: From Rihanna to Blake Lively
From Rihanna in a Chinese coat that gained instant meme status, to Beyoncé in sheer crystals and Katy Perry in a candelabra, the world’s biggest music divas have provided some of the biggest water-cooler moments the Met Gala has ever powered.
In the absence of Taylor Swift, Rihanna, Blake Lively, Beyoncé and Perry (despite Perry’s early sensational fake appearances), anyone looking for an iconic moment had to make do with Doja Cat leaving her hotel in a towel. on the red carpet in an oversized wet T-shirt, or being carried up the museum stairs in Tyla’s Balmain dress, which isn’t quite the same.
Are flowers groundbreaking?
We know Wintour never said these words: “Flowers? For spring? Groundbreaking.” The person who is said to have inspired the arrangement in the book and the movie is Miranda Priestly. Devil Wears Prada. And yet they always feel connected to his reputation for insulting put-downs and harsh standards.
This year’s theme choice could be a playful nod to the fraternity or a formidable challenge to designers to do something truly groundbreaking with vintage flowers. Wintour stepped up to the plate (or should I say flower bed?) in a coat adorned with floral motifs by Loewe, Sarah Jessica Parker opted for crystal and lace floral prints by Richard Quinn, Demi Moore looked gorgeous in an extravagant print by Harris Reed and Ayo Edebiri . She was wearing a dress with a pretty meadow flower on the skirt.
Groundbreaking? Maybe not, but it reminds us of the simple, timeless joy of a flower.