Met Gala Hits and Misses
An interesting theme, The Garden of Time, that had the potential to inspire discussion and highlight new sustainable designers. Most just went literal. Florals and Clocks aplenty.
This year’s Met Gala saw JG Ballard's 1962 dystopian novel ‘The Garden of Time’ - as part of the inspiration for the dress code. Never heard of it? Neither… the important thing to know is that the short story is often seen as a metaphor for the evolution of human history and the endless cycle of creation and destruction. The other part of the theme was in homage to the Metropolitan Museum of Art's corresponding exhibit focusing on archival garments (or "sleeping beauties”). So lots of guests also went vintage or archival.
As we all poured over the images flooding social media feeds from our couches, discussions were indeed had and many memes sent. Fashion icon Mary Portas pointed out that most of the fashion cognoscenti lazily defaulted to wearing ‘florals’' - a miss in her opinion and we tend to agree. But does it really matter? We all just want to see pretty frocks right? Her view is that this was a wasted opportunity to highlight some of the incredible young designers making change happen, or at least to choose costumes made from the latest sustainable materials. Definitely agree with this statement!
Some did think more deeply about the brief then others - British designer Stella McCartney dressed her cool kid crew sustainably, Demi Moore was magnificent in an upcycled Harris Reed dress (more on that below), and Charlie XCX wore a Marni gown constructed from worn-out vintage T-shirts. Plenty of others looked resplendent in their florals, but the criticisms have been that, overall, the event lacked depth, felt uninspiring (florals in spring? Groundbreaking) and was out of touch, even distasteful, in the light of what is currently happening around the world. What are your thoughts?
Zara: One of my best dressed. Stunning, ethereal, the colour is perfect on her and I love her choice of designer, Gaurav Gupta. “The name of this dress is The Melting Flower of Time,” she explained at the event. “It shows a bud and a blossoming flower that is now wilting.” This is such an interesting way to incorporate both “garden” and “time” since most attendees chose one or the other. 10/10.
Caitlin: So glorious she gets three pictures! Mindy just looks better every year.
Zara: All I can say is B.O.G! Avant garde and perfectly on theme, but this look somehow feels effortless on him. His tall stature and beaming personality really shine in this look.
Caitlin: An icon. My favourite thing about his appearance is this interview with Emma Chamberlain at the top of the stairs. I think he may be the only guest who has actually read the short story on which the theme is partly based? He also recites Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Raven,” while Emma Chamberlain weirdly interpretive dances, and Emily Ratajkowski watches on. Chic, chaotic and amazing as only Jeff can be. Thank you Jeff.
Caitlin: I think Quannah Chasinghorse is just so beautiful and I always look forward to seeing what traditional, cultural touch she will bring next to a red carpet event.
This time she stepped onto the carpet in a periwinkle, princess-silhouette gown, made custom by H&M. The Head of Design Ann-Sofie Johansson told Fashionista that it's partly based on the brand's archives — a nod to its own sleeping beauties — and partly on Chasinghorse's own life and heritage. The gown is simultaneously attuned to the evening's "Garden of Time" dress code: it is the colour of forget-me-not flowers, which are the Alaskan state flower (her home state). Each year, Chasinghorse also works with a different native artist for some aspect of her look. She explains why,"It's really important to show the world that Native people are not a monolith, and that plays into fashion. Every single tribe had their own hairstyles, had their own regalias, had their own colors and designs.” This year, she worked with Heather Dickson, whose tribe is near Chasinghorse's own Alaska-based Hän Gwich'in in the North American region. Both of their tribes practice floral art, so Dickson's work "was a perfect way to fit into the theme and represent my people from the North," Chasinghorse said. Read the full story here.
Zara: This is truly divine. A concept that is perfectly realised in its execution and nothing was left to chance. This is where impeccable design and styling meet with tradition, culture and personality to create something very special.
Caitlin: According to Vogue there are a myriad of intriguing references at play in this look. Stylist Elizabeth Saltzman presented Maria Grazia Chiuri, the creative director of Dior, with a very specific protagonist for her client Elizabeth Debicki to play on the Met museum steps: Anita Louise’s Titania in the 1935 imagining of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, meets a “’70s kind of social cool girl today. You know the type… maybe she’s in music, or a thespian, or maybe she’s a poet? With the “whimsy of a ’60s heiress at a garden party” thrown in. Sure. Great. All of that. But mainly just: this colour on Debicki is heaven!
Zara: This is very pretty and I love the references. I’m a huge fan of golden chartreuse shades - I think they are very glamorous, uplifting and appealing on fair blondes like Elizabeth.
Caitlin: Demi Moore was an absolute vision in this Harris Reed dress. I cannot stop going back and looking at pictures of this dress from all different angles. Reed was inspired by the thorns in a garden, represented by the black points that surround her, saying ‘it was so important to show these almost thorns around her, because so many beautiful things are spiky to the touch.” Like a pineapple! He designed the dress so that it would begin to decay as it traveled down Moore’s body, the wilting flowers made of hand-painted silk organza, and around 5,500 hours worth of hand-embroidery. He said, “I wanted her to look like she was almost in full bloom for one split second on the red carpet before this flower then starts, like any flower, to decay.” Read more about the design here.
Zara: Demi is having a moment. This dress is truly exquisite. Demi is someone that pulls off graphic black - she always has. Some of her best looks over the years have been black. The juxtaposition of the white and pink that plays with the sculptural nature of the dress is utterly inspired.
Caitlin: Bollywood star Alia Bhatt looked absolutely stunning in this floral Sabyasachi saree. I’m obsessed with sarees and Indian jewellery so its a big yes from me.
Zara: Coming from the person that had a Bollywood 21st Birthday (me, yes it’s me) I’m biased towards this. I have always been in love with traditional Indian maximalism - it’s just so dazzling and full of incredible details. This is a masterclass in dressing for the theme whilst still maintaining culture.
Zara: Jonathon Bailey in custom Loewe is another of my best dressed. This look is one of my favourite mens Met Gala looks ever! Wearing a white double-breasted jacket with a black satin lapel and black trousers by Loewe. So far, so classic – but this wouldn’t be a Jonathan Anderson design without a twist: in this case, the addition of a hand-painted metal peony with a “sugar crystal texture”. A straightforward nod to the dress code (“The Garden of Time”), the metal flower embellishment is also ideal “for someone who has extreme hay fever”, Bailey quipped.
Caitlin: Jonathon Bailey in anything and everything. I love him. I will say I HATED the chunky square toed shoes he wore with this outfit though.
Caitlin: I can’t remember ever seeing a dress so exquisite - she looks like a princess straight out of a fairytale. Disney should cast her immediately. This dress is by Balmain and references the ‘time flowers’ in the short story. Read more here about the thought process behind the design.
Zara: This is BANG ON - truly breathtaking and perfect for Elle. I could stare at this and try to think about the sheer engineering of this gown all day. Seeing if off the body on designer Olivier Rousteing’s instagram is phenomenal. Take a look here.
Special mention to this after party look:
Zara: This is beautiful, age appropriate and totally timeless. I love the undone hair and soft glam makeup… but I would have chosen a better shoe - This shoe looks like a Tony Bianco sale rack special.
Caitlin: Kendall is SO classically beautiful but I often dont like her style choices. Probably just a generational thing. However I LOVE her after party look this year - a vintage Givenchy dress (Givenchy by Alexander McQueen 1997 to be exact). The dress is so beautifully cut, and is such a brilliant shade of white. Sublime. Also reminds me of some of my favourite film moments… iconic.