A review of the MET Gala

In a recent interview by Vogue, Andrew Bolton asserts that there is no clear-cut definition of what American Fashion means. Unfortunately, it seems that those who attended the Met Gala took his words far too seriously, and stretched the definition beyond comprehension.  Many deemed the theme of the night, “In America: A Lexicon of Fashion,” as optional. Several celebrities were disconnected from their outfits. For instance, when pressed on the inspiration of her outfit, Margaret Qualley stated: “Chanel.” Although celebrities are not tasked with designing their outfit, it is incredibly unfortunate that this opportunity to express one’s own individuality through American Fashion was thrown away.  Margaret Qualley’s message of the night… was just “Chanel.” Evidently, Chanel is not very American nor does wearing a designer brand automatically elevate the status of an outfit to fit the theme. Despite the fact that Anna Wintour approved the outfits herself, many that had the opportunity to walk the red carpet were distinctly un-American or unfascinating. 

Worst Outfits (by theme)

Tessa Thompson:

Tessa Thompson’s dress for the MET was beautiful, but it absolutely did not fit the theme. Her dress was designed by Iris Van Herpen, a Dutch Designer, known for creating organic beauties that feature breathtaking creativity and feats of engineering. The only problem is tonight’s theme was about America; neither the dress nor the designer felt distinctly American. Iris Van Herpen created a beautiful red dress that would have been wonderful any other night. Just not the MET.

Kendall Jenner:

Kendall Jenner’s dress was inspired after Audrey Hepburn’s dress from My Fair Lady. The dress was gorgeous, but again was not thematic. There is nothing really American about Audrey Hepburn, a British actress starring in a movie centered around British high-snob society.  

Taika Waititi and Rita Ora:

Not only did Taika Waititi and Rita Ora wear Prada, a European brand, they also showed up to the MET in incredibly dull clothing. Taika Waititi wore an unimaginative and boring black suit, and Rita Ora wore the most basic evening-wear silver dress.

Fortunately, there were some notable outfits that carried the MET gala. 

Best Outfits (by theme) 

Gemma Chan:

Gemma Chan sported a dragon embroidered black dress, the dragon embroidery was traced directly from a Qing Dynasty handscroll. The dress was inspired after Anna May Wong, a true icon and the first Asian-American Hollywood star.

Lupita Nyong’o:

Lupita Nyong’o understood the assignment. Her hair was modelled after the art of Lorna Simpson, paired with her American Denim dress that featured silver lines flowing across the gown. Lupita Nyong’o truly was one of the best looks of the night.

Lil Nas X:

Now it is up for debate if this outfit truly fit the Met’s theme, but according to Lil Nas X, the shedding of the outfits represented how he progressed to become his true self. Some interpreted this as symbolic of America and its revolution, and the “shedding” of Great Britain. All in all, Lil Nas X, served the MET with three iconic gold outfits that bedazzled Americans. 

While this year’s MET Gala did have an eclectic mix of styles, the general critique was the lack of creativity and ability to uphold the bare minimum — sticking to the theme of the MET Gala. After last year’s hiatus, the much anticipated return of the MET gala felt disharmonious and lackluster.