COVID delayed the nation’s biggest night in fashion for 18 months but at long last the Met Gala returned to New York this week. Every year I look forward to this fundraising event that raises millions of dollars for Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute.
It’s the best red carpet event because designers, models and celebrities come together to show off the most over-the-top looks the fashion industry can imagine.
There’s a lot of hype and a high bar to top every year. So with all that said, I must admit, I’m a little disappointed with the designs at his year’s event. The biggest fashion icons of our time attended and yet they were dressed pretty basic. I’m not speaking about everyone, there were definitely some looks that were to die for, but I feel like overall the theme was missed. So let’s discuss the outfits.
IMAN
People’s opinions will vary on whose outfit won the night but in my personal opinion it was IMAN. This dress is why we have the Met Gala. It was spectacular. As I said before, the Met Gala is the Oscars for fashion and Iman just took one home. She had the most unique outfit of the entire night. The head piece was absolutely phenomenal and the fact that the designer, Harris Reed, wore a matching hat was even better. She said that her dress was supposed to represent the sunlight after a year full of darkness due to COVID.
Billie Eilish
R U KIDDING? She looked amazing last night. Obviously, we aren’t used to Billie in this super feminine look so that in itself make it shockingly amazing. This year’s theme for the Met Gala was American Independence and . Eilish’s outfit fit the theme well. It had an old Hollywood feel to it.
Kendall Jenner
Kendall looked beautiful last night in her Givenchy dress. Her look referenced Audrey Hepburn in My Fair Lady. Her necklace was my favorite part of the outfit. I love the big chunky diamond necklace. I love the nude sheer look. It made her long couture dress very sexy.
Gabrielle Union
Gabrielle Union did an amazing job of fitting the theme. On her Instagram, she states, “This work of art changes with every step. It’s what this dress embodies. For me, what’s needed in fashion and in life is change and evolution.” I couldn’t have said it better myself.
Imaan Hammam
Imaan Hammam killed it last night in her Versace dress. It’s pretty obvious how the dress fits the theme. Cut-outs are on trend so star cut-outs representing the American flag are perfect. I used to have a major obsession with star-themed clothing and jewelry so that might be another reason I love this dress so much. The sheerness of it is so hot. Overall, she killed it.
Dan Levy
I simply cannot tell if I love or hate this outfit from the great Dan Levy. The Schitt’s Creek star 100% did the best job of fitting the theme. He had such a unique fit compared to many others. This my friends says “welcome to the Met Gala”. This is the over-the-top design I’m looking for. Levy worked with Loewe’s Jonathan Anderson for a look that celebrates “the resilience and the love and the joy” of the LGBTQ+ community. I love that he didn’t wear the basic suit. Levy took big risks at his first-ever appearance at the Met Gala. He even got to wear shoes designed by Anderson that he fell in love with 11 years ago. I’m a big Levy fan and I enjoyed learning about the story behind his fashion design for the night which makes me love the end product even though I’m not sure I love the actual look itself.
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez
I love the message literally “behind” AOC’s dress. Get it… behind? The design of the dress was simple and innocent from the front with a bold media catching message on the back. Aurora James, who designed the dress for Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s says “economic equality and economic justice” was the message they were trying to send to the nation. She also stated, “fashion is thought of as this frivolous thing but ultimately we use fashion as a powerful tool for communication”.
I felt the dress was a perfect fit for AOC as she’s a politician who fights to reduce the wage gap between the rich and the poor in this country.
I’m also in love with the designer who created AOC’s dress. James is the founder of sustainable accessories brand Brother Vellies, She’s also an activist who started a foundation called 15% Pledge which calls on major retailers to dedicate15% of their shelf space to Black-owned businesses. James created AOC’s dress with sustainable fabrics and loaned it to the Congresswoman for the night.
Amanda Gorman
I am in LOVE with the color of this dress designed by Vera Wang. Amanda Gorman and the famous designer were going for a “reimagined Statue of Liberty” look. That bright cobalt blue is going to be huge this winter season so it was perfect Gorman who showed her fashion grit at Joe Biden’s inauguration with her bright yellow suit and red headband. At 22, Gorman became famous for being the youngest poet to write and recite a piece for any presidential inauguration. She was handpicked by First Lady Jill Biden and received national acclaim for the fierce message and her passionate performance reciting her poem called “The Hill We Climb”.
So while I love the color and the overall dress is beautiful, I’m not in love with the cut. The large slit which showed off the mini dress underneath isn’t my favorite. The dress would’ve been a little better if the under dress was long like the rest of the dress, thus making the train of the dress not sheer.
I did really love Gordan’s headband that gave me Lady Liberty vibes and a dusting of shimmering crystals across her face. Her long braid made her look as fierce as the words she writes on paper. Fashion isn’t just about the clothes people.
I do think that her dress and overall look fit the theme of the night. Gordan said, “I wanted the energy and spirit of tonight to be about America welcoming the world.” She took inspiration from the Statue of Liberty which works so well with the theme. Her dress had more than 3,000 hand-sewn crystals that Wang added to make Gorman look like a “starry night sky”.
Gordon’s purse was also thematic as it looked like a book with the words Give Us Your Tired engraved on the front. Those are the first words of the poem that’s on the Statue of Liberty, which couldn’t be a better fit.
Saweetie
Saweetie’s dress was stunning last night. The cut-outs were super on trend. I loved her train and while overall I loved the dress, I feel like it was more on the trendy side rather than a risky, edgy Met Gala-style ensemble. Still absolutely in love with the dress and she looked literally so good. Her train had the Black American heritage flag on it which is amazing and works so well with the theme.
Debbie Harry
Debbie Harry’s dress is not my favorite. It works perfectly with the theme so creds to her for that. It is eye catching and what could be Americana than red, white and blue combined with denim. My favorite part of the dress is the fact that it is sustainable. Marc Posen designed the dress with literal jeans he wore to drive across the country. Then he distressed them and turned them into the Met Gala dress for the legendary singer Debbie Harry. It symbolizes the reconstructing of America.
Kim Petras
No. That’s really all I have to say but I guess I can elaborate. The “Horse Girl” fit was just awful. I hated the idea behind it. I feel as if there are so many better things to do with the theme than to make a joke out of the Horse Girl trend on TikTok. Really just didn’t enjoy this look at all. It was definitely elaborate which works well for The Met but just no.
Hailey Bieber
Hailey Bieber’s look was definitely very sophisticated but not my idea of a Met Gala look. I loved her 2019 look so much so maybe I’m just comparing this years look to 2019’s. But I feel like she could have done so much better. Very underwhelmed.
Rihanna and ASAP Rocky
I was also not so thrilled about Rihanna’s pick for the night. This is another example of Rihanna setting the bar way too high. I’m not in love but maybe I’m just comparing Rihanna too much to….well Rihanna. I was underwhelmed because she’s like the queen of all Met Gala’s. I feel like the entire gala is made for her at this point. I kid you not, I was refreshing my screen all night waiting for Rihanna to be posted so I was definitely expecting a little more. I do love that she didn’t go for the classic dress. ASAP’s fit looked too much like a duvet but they are such a hot couple together.
Emma Chamberlain
Emma!!! Emma in the Louis Vuitton fit was amazing. Overall, I’m just so happy to see her there. I feel like she is such a good representation to have at the Met Gala for Generation Z. I did really enjoy seeing a younger audience represented at the Met Gala this year. She looked stunning. I loved the asymmetry in her skirt.
Elle Emhoff
This is another example of wearing something, other than a dress, that I actually really enjoyed. The leather baggy pants were so cute. The top was amazing. It kind of reminds me of the muscular system but make it Met Gala, if that makes any sense.
Lil Nas X
Lil Nas X did not come to play. His THREE looks reminded me so much of Lady Gaga with her three looks in 2019. This may have been his first Met Gala but he 100% understood the assignment. The first look with the HUGE coat reminded me of royalty. His second look with the gold suit almost reminded me of a gold Iron Man or just a gold knight, either way, super cool. And then the way he just ripped off the gold suit and wore that amazing gold and black bodysuit. He killed it!!
Addison Rae
I don’t understand why people are so outraged about having influencers at the Met Gala. Obviously, I am a little biased because that is literally my job. But influencers are a huge part of our generation and who is shaping fashion. So I feel as if it’s the perfect way of being represented through the Met Gala. I do understand the controversy with Addison Rae. Overall, I think her hair looked great. The dress wasn’t my favorite especially since Kourtney Kardashian wore something very similar during Christmas of 2020.
Precious Lee
So much respect for Precious Lee because she wore an almost 100 POUND suit to the event last night. That is insane. I love how she brought a bedazzled fan to match with her outfit. She knew it was going to be one long, hot event under that 100 pound suit. Her suit was inspired by a zoot suit. My favorite part of the entire fit was the sparkly braided fringe on the bottom. It was absolutely beautiful. Her jewelry and shoes were the perfect added touch.
Megan Fox
I am not as in love with Megan Fox’s outfit as much as everyone else. She absolutely killed it at the VMA’s the night before. I literally think that was my favorite look of hers, like ever. But last night’s dress just felt too outdated in my opinion. I think the criss-cross design was very 2010’s and I didn’t love how it looked on that particular dress. I feel as if it declassed the dress. The short bangs also weren’t my favorite but then again, I just loved her hair at the VMA’s so maybe I’m biased.
Olivia Rodrigo
I was so happy to see Olivia Rodrigo at the Met Gala. Again, I was obsessed with her look at the VMA’s so maybe I’m comparing it too much to that. This outfit didn’t feel very Met Gala-y to me. I loved the look on her, overall she looked great. Just think she could’ve do better for the Met.
Teyana Taylor
I am obsessed with how Teyana looked last night. Seriously, the hottest look of the night. I’m not sure exactly how it fit the theme but I’ll let it pass because I loved everything about it. She did mention that she had a little bit of a slip. When asked about it she said, “Well it wasn’t supposed to be included but I guess it is now” which is a great way of embracing a minor wardrobe fail. Plus, I loved her hair. I love when I see people incorporate hair, nails, and makeup into their look.
Lily Rose Depp
I liked Lily Rose-Depp’s dress. There are some aspects that definitely weren’t my favorite. I didn’t love the sparkly pink and black flowers, I feel like there could’ve been something else added that would’ve been cuter but either way it was still cute. I loved the low-waisted skirt look, very y2k.
Zoey Deutch
I definitely wasn’t expecting to see Zoey at this year’s Met Gala but oh my gosh, did I love her look. Seriously one of my favorite looks. The pastel purple was just so stunning on her. She overall just looked great.
Kim Kardashian
I just have so many questions. Can she breath in this? How does she use the restroom? Can she use her phone? Does she take it off to eat? Is she wearing makeup on underneath? How does she blink? I think once I know the answers to these questions, I might be able to like this outfit a little more, knowing that she isn’t suffering under all that material. Overall, I think that this was definitely interesting. Something everyone was talking about. I don’t know how much I love the look itself but the outfit is meant to represent her body’s silhouette and its impact on American fashion. Although you can’t see her face, or any recognizable part of her, you still know it’s Kim Kardashian. It just proves she’s had a big influence on fashion.
Zoe Kravitz
I don’t have much to say about this look. I am in love with it. She literally looked phenomenal. No complaints here.
I reviewed most my favorites and least favorites so I’ll give your eyes a break from reading. Overall, I enjoyed watching the Met Gala this year. I was a little disappointed because this year just didn’t compare to the fashion designs at 2018’s Met Gala. So I’m definitely hoping to see something more for next years Met. More risk-taking please.
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