Met Gala 2024 Digest

The Met Gala is the Olympics for fashionistas. Except we are much worse than sports fans. Not only do we cheer, but we also judge. And this year was no different.

The exhibition “Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion” was accompanied by “The Garden of Time” dress code, inspired by J.G. Ballard's short story of the same title. While both were conceptually and literally connected, many of the guests didn't bother to understand either the dress code or the display theme. It makes one wonder for how long the Met Gala will remain alive with invitees who don't value fashion, its power, and its complexity. 

The event was hosted by Anna Wintour, who has done it since 1995, and four celebrities: Bad Bunny, Chris Hemsworth, Jennifer Lopez, and Zendaya. The editor-in-chief of Vogue chose a custom Loewe look that, while evoking the time flowers of the short story, also references one of the garments on display at the exhibition, an iconic cape crafted by the father of couture, Charles Frederick Worth, circa 1889.

As for musician Bad Bunny, less florals, more character focus. Appearing to be referencing the main character from the story, Count Axel, his look was a Maison Margiela suit with its signature deconstruction and darkness. Actor Chris Hemsworth, however, dishonored his co-chair position with a simple beige suit. Singer Jennifer Lopez wore a very JLO crystal Schiaparelli gown, possibly alluding to the time flowers. 

Last but certainly not least, Zendaya returned to the Met Gala after five years as a co-chair. The actress wore a custom, whimsical Margiela gown. Her look was adorned with a blue jay on her neck and shoulder and an eerie glam that only someone like Pat Mcgrath could create. It was perfect. But Law Roach decided to give fashionistas a little more. So Zendaya walked the carpet a second time in a different look. It was a Givenchy Spring/Summer 1996 couture, sourced by Lily et Cie, with a headpiece from the Alexander McQueen Spring/Summer 2007 collection by Philip Treacy. 

When the dress code was considered, the majority looked at the word garden and decided to explore florals. From living bouquets — such as Jessica Serfaty and Jordan Roth  — to floral prints or embroideries — such as Ayo Edebiri and Greta Lee in Loewe, Nicki Minaj in Marni, and Dove Cameron in Diesel—, few were the florals to outstand.

But those who made it were groundbreaking. While model Paloma Elsesser wore an H&M look homaging the “Rose” Givenchy Spring Summer 2000 metal corset, Léna Mahfouf flirted with sculpture in a Schiaparelli Couture golden flower corset and a long black skirt. In terms of length, Alia Bhatt wore a custom Sabyasachi saree, intricately embellished with floral embroidery, and Gigi Hadid donned a custom Thom Browne dress that, when the skirt was opened, revealed much more fabric.

However, flowers were not the only aspect of nature represented. For the real sleeping beauty, Elle Fanning, a Balmain translucent dress with glass bird sculptures was the perfect natural option. Speaking of birds, actress Rebecca Ferguson pulled the drama with a voluminous black cape that when opened transformed into an embellished dress with a blue tail adorned with bird drawings. The piece, which is a custom Thom Browne, has 60,000 crystals; 7,000 folded petal raffia; and raw raffia frayed ravens. Not a bird but a flying creature, model Precious Lee wore a black Bad Binch Tongtong velvet dress with libellula wings. Butterfly-like, Mona Patel wore a textured Iris Van Herpen dress that couldn't feel any more sensorial. 

Sensorial was also the great and long-awaited Taylor Russell Met Gala debut, that was done with no one else other than Loewe. Russell's ensemble consisted of a three-dimensional molded trompe l'oeil corset that was tailored to her physique and subsequently printed with a wood pattern using a technique called hydro sublimation. The ensemble was completed by a waist-draped skirt that perfectly complemented the overall look. Growing a real biosphere inside her dress, model Amelia Gray wore Undercover, putting a twist on the nature picture. 

Another addition to nature was Donatella Versace, who wore her own design, a Versace green dress with Ivy-like details. The designer was escorted by actors Andrew Scott and Jude Law. While she's seen in a glamorous dress, both men are in dull tuxedos, thought Scott’s is a bit more innovative. Suppose they did it on purpose to keep the focus on Donatella.

It's not just these days that men dress up in plain outfits for events. But there are always those who make menswear amusing. For instance, Reece Feldman wore a custom Thom Browne, Wisdom Kaye wore Robert Wun, Colman Domingo wore Willy Chavarria, and Jonathan Bailey wore a custom Loewe that revealed flowers inside his jacket. 

Once again leaving the flower memo, nature has taken on some more macabre dimensions. From the model Ashley Graham in a custom Ludovic de Saint Sernin gown to the rapper Cardi B in a Windowsen ensemble, the appearance of mystery was suddenly infused into such a fairy carpet.

In addition, Emma Chamberlain graced the Met steps in a custom Jean Paul Gaultier inspired by a corseted brown look from Fall/Winter 2003 couture. As the YouTuber told a Highsnobiety reporter, she wanted to "channel the sort of darker side of the theme," which was evident in the almost thorn-like details throughout the look.

In a similar path, the singer Lana Del Rey donned a custom Alexander McQueen look, which featured a headpiece inspired by the Fall/Winter 2006 collection, entitled "Savage Beauty." One might wonder if this is Seán McGirr’s way of proving that a debut can’t define a designer. But this will only be revealed in his next collection for Alexander McQueen. Then, only time will tell. 

Speaking of time, the guests who explored the aspect of time fell into three categories. First, history. The It Girl to end all It Girls, Chloë Sevigny, wore a custom Dilara Findikoglu Victorian gown. The second is time and the means to measure it. From Sabrina Harrisson in a gold Chrishabana clock dress to Ben Simmons with a Thom Browne clock purse, Tyla's Met debut was the most innovative with a molded sand Balmain dress and matching hourglass purse. Playing with the theme of time through the sand in the hourglass, the singer combined both nature and time, making her debut even more memorable.

And, the third category is archives.  From Emily Ratajkowski in a Fall/Winter 2001 Atelier Versace glittery naked dress to Kendall Jenner wearing a Givenchy Fall/Winter 1999 look by Alexander McQueen, the number of archive pulls did not meet expectations. Jenner, who claimed to be the first human to wear the dress, prompted a controversy online after a Winona Ryder photograph from 1999 in Flaunt Magazine was discovered to feature the same dress. 

Among the many polemics that arose at the Met Gala, another that's hard to forget is Kim Kardashian pairing a metal Maison Margiela corseted look with a gray cardigan. While some argue that this was an intentional act of performance, others believe that the piece ended up diminishing the power of the look. 

Despite the many episodes that captured people's attention, it did not fail to notice how many attendees wore John Galliano's designs. Not under his own label though, but Margiela. 

It seems that he merged his position at Margiela with his ideas, personal inspirations, and past work. Kardashian's look, for instance, was a Margiela work but inspired by a Galliano's Dior piece. Same for both of Zendaya's looks, yet the second was one of his Givenchy pieces. Some say this is due to the fact that the other theme option was a John Galliano one, while others suggest that true house heritage is dying. 

It's a question that's been asked many times, whether because of the designer chairs game or the power of multinationals like Kering. However, could it be the designers themselves who end a legacy, a story that is not theirs but that they have remained connected to for so long? Never say never. Still, on the cream-green steps of the Met, one could see many looks — like the ones in Gwendoline Christie, Bad Bunny, Natasha Poonawalla, and Ariana Grande — which were exclusively devoted to Maison Margiela. 

With a hint of polemic, Gvasalia quarrel made it to the Met Gala, one way or another. Picture it: Actress Nicole Kidman wearing a Balenciaga gown by Demna Gvasalia, reminiscent of a Cristobal Balenciaga look from 1951. 

While on the other hand, a  whole week of gimmicks à la Bianca Censori by Doja Cat revealed a disappointing look at the year's biggest fashion event. Designed by Vetements, the singer appeared in an oversized wet white shirt. Speaking to an Entertainment Tonight reporter about her inspiration, she said she focused on the most used flower, cotton. In a somewhat surprising turn of events, Demna has emerged as the clear winner today.

There were numerous minimalists, some of whom adhered to the theme and others who did not. In the minimalist on-theme category, Lily James wore a custom Erdem dress, Jennie Kim donned a custom Alaia ensemble, and Phoebe Dynevor opted for a custom Victoria Beckham creation.  There was also an all-white craze going on, as evidenced by Kaia Gerber's ensemble from Prada, Kylie Jenner's custom Oscar de la Renta look, Hari Nef's custom H&M piece, Ariana Grande's custom Loewe pearl-made dress, and Bruna Marquezine's Tory Burch design.

In contrast to the predominantly monochromatic ensembles, the Swarovski girls —Anok Yai, Karlie Kloss, and Imaan Hammam— made a striking visual impact. A few attendees opted for dresses embellished with silver or golden crystals, exemplified by FKA Twigs in Stella McCartney, Keke Palmer in Marc Jacobs, and Ugbad Abdi in Prabal Gurung. 

As for the real fashion victims and half-fashion victims, there were many. From off-the-theme guests — the Chloé clan, comprising Sienna Miller, Chiemi Karasawa, Greta Gerwig, Emma Mackey, and Zoe Saldana; Shakira in Carolina Herrera; and Sabrina Carpenter in Oscar de la Renta — to genuinely bad looks — Rita Ora in Marni, Sarah Paulson in a Prada coquette dress, Dua Lipa in Marc Jacobs — many fiascos defined the first Monday in May.

Many of these events raise questions, and most of them remain unanswered.  In a fashion scene obsessed with vintage clothing, why is it that when an event that pays homage to archival and historical looks is held, most celebrities show up with custom looks? Do they all want so desperately to outdo each other?

What will happen when no one respects a theme? And given that Anna Wintour must approve all the looks, why does she accept everything that escapes the dress code she chose with her team? In this way, isn't it easier to make a free dress code? 

With fewer and fewer good looks every year, the burning question is: Is the Met Gala dying? Or perhaps the fashion industry has become too predictable? Let’s see…