Every year on the Met Gala is held on the first Monday of May. Hosted at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, the Met Gala is an annual fundraising gala to benefit the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute in New York City. It marks the opening of the Costume Institute's annual fashion exhibit. This night is known to many as the greatest night of the year for fashion.
Personally, I enjoy the concept of the Met Gala themes that differ from year to year. Emblazoned on the invitation send to guests, the theme is what depicts the attire worn by each individual at the Gala. The last Gala held was in 2019 where the theme was “Camp: Notes on Fashion.” Vogue, the organizer of the Met Gala, was not referring to a middle school summer camp or roasting marshmallows in the neck of the woods. The theme was inspired by author Susan Sontag's 1964 piece that states camp as the "love of the unnatural: of artifice and exaggeration.” Guests were encouraged to exaggerate themselves in their attire at the ball. The upcoming 2021 Gala the theme, announced today, is: American Independence. I am ever so excited. It is inspired by the Met Costume Institute’s next exhibition, “In America: A Lexicon of Fashion.”
2020’s Met Ball was quite intimate due to COVID, and now the 2021 event is postponed until Sept. 18, 2021 where it will take the place of both the 2021 and 2022 events. To commemorate the night of glamour and fame, here is a picking of my favorite outfits throughout the past years that have held a certain place in my style-obsessed heart:
The 2017 Met Gala theme was “Rei Kawakubo / Commes des Garçons.” Gomez went from wearing a leather combat piece in 2016 to a more elegant, soft dress to match the theme for 2017. Vogue described this custom Coach gown as “evokin[ing] summer love.” The thigh-high slit and lace detail on the neckline of the dress was sported by Gomez during the genesis of the trend. In 2021, both of these style concepts are impelled on almost every top or skirt found on the market. My own closet is full of pieces with these elements which is why I feel so connected to this dress. The pastel colors with embellishments of colorful jewels offered a simple and sophisticated yet playful appearance.
Lily Rose Depp, ironically born in 1999 wore a 90’s inspired gown by Chanel. This piece was severely overlooked in the carpet during the 2019 Met Gala when Lady Gaga presented herself in her parachute gown and the Jenner sisters wore a Versace set together.
Although Lily Rose Depp was barely alive during the 90’s, the decade was when her both of her parents (Johnny Depp and Vanessa Paradis) were some of the biggest fashion and beauty icons. She is not foreign to the era soulfully.
The archival, early 90’s piece may be one of my favorite pieces that I have analyzed at a Met Gala. Like Depp, I was barely alive in the 90’s. However; I take great inspiration from that era. The black gown with gold and ruby embellishments are a staple in any era. Opposing, when styled particularly it can scream 1990’s — just as Lily Rose Depp did in 2019 Chanel.
I debated putting KKW’s 2019 Met Gala dress in this blog for a few reasons. The controversy on whether or not the gown matched the theme was a major dispute after the Gala. Each year there is a theme set in place for the Ball, and I feel that it is attendee’s and designer’s responsibility to critically follow the theme! Additionally, social media had KKW under attack on how she fit into her dress. Describing the situation of a woman fitting into a dress as “controversial” is a bizarre word to use, but it is the word that W magazine uses in their article Kim Kardashian’s Controversial 2019 Met Gala Look, Explained. The theme (Notes on ‘Camp’) essay mentions that “the essence of Camp is its love of the unnatural: of artifice and exaggeration.” KKW captured that with the fake water droplets and appearance of wet hair and makeup, but did not need to go as far as crafting conspiracies that she may have had ribs removed to fit in this dress.
I did choose to include this dress in the blog because of my initial reaction to it. I remember first seeing the gown on Vogue’s Instagram page as I scrolled through my feed the night of the Met Gala in 2019. I immediately went to Google to find as many photos as I could of Kim’s style that night.
Her look was inspired by both her May 2019 Vogue cover (where she stands powerfully in a wet sheer tank) and Sophia Loren’s look in the 1957 film, Boy on a Dolphin.
To this day in 2021, I am still in love with KKW’s look in her custom Thierry Mugler. There is no arguing how amazing and clean that she looks. Viewing photos of Kim standing powerfully in her glossy minidress has me thinking that it will be a while before I fall in love with a look like I did with this one…
Gucci is timeless. If this dress were to appear at the 2021 Meta Gala or beyond, it would easily be admired by all. The 2015 Met Gala theme of “China: Through the Looking Glass” is simply displayed in this kimono-inspired gown embellished by both traditional Chinese patterns alongside typical Gucci landscapes.
The colors are ever-so 60s, 70s, 80s, yet were placed on this gown in 2015. Vintage colors were not nearly as popular a few years ago as they are now. This gown was a precedent to the trend of re-enlivening colors from past decades: That is why I find this gown most memorable. In 2015, this dress could have been critiqued as “outdated” to the tasteless, but in 2021 one would say that it is spiritual in regards to past decades.
The Met Gala is a night that I have analyzed in various extents since my junior year of high school. I love seeing what is new and what is fashion. Each year has its extreme highs and major lows (my love for Selena Gomez is unbelievable, but Met Gala 2018 was not her most shining night), but always results in a win for the fashion community. Designer gowns, memorable guests, the red carpet -- what more could you want?