By, Aditi Pardeshi
It’s that time of year again: the time of year when all you see on your Instagram feed are pictures of famous people in colorful and eccentric outfits. It is no doubt that the MET Gala is the biggest event of the year in the fashion industry because it brings together fashion designers and highlights influential personalities in the film, theatre, and beauty industries.
But what exactly is the MET Gala? This event is an invitation-only, annual event organized by the famed Metropolitan Museum of Art, aimed to raise money for the Costumes Institute—hence the attendees’ unusual outfits. The ensemble that celebrities wear depend on the Gala’s theme for the year, this year’s being “Camp: Notes on Fashion.” The theme was inspired by an essay written in 1964 by American writer Susan Sontag who defines Camp as the balance between sophistication and exaggeration. According to Sontag, “Indeed the essence of Camp is its love of the unnatural: of artifice and exaggeration.”
With that in mind, let’s take a look at a few of the best dressed of the night:
- Lady Gaga
Lady Gaga made all of our jaws drop as she changed her outfit four times on the MET’s pink carpet. Gaga dressed first in a stunning hot pink cape dress with a 25-foot train, followed by a relatively simple hot pink formal dress, and a grandiose strapless black dress. Last, but not least (as we know with Gaga), she donned a two-piece crystal set with bedazzled boots. Making possibly the grandest entrance ever performed at the MET, Gaga has certainly interpreted “Camp” it fullest extent.
2. Zendaya
Former Disney star and Spider Man: Homecoming co-star Zendaya played out all of our fairytale dreams when she wore an absolutely magical dress that lit up with a beautiful silvery-blue glow. Tommy Hilfiger, the designer of her fluorescent masterpiece, definitely went above and beyond to demonstrate the elegance yet extravagance of “Camp.”
3. Emily Blunt
Blunt really made her comeback to the MET after three years. I mean, who could forget someone dripping in gold? She donned a dress and headpiece designed by Michael Kors, shoes from Sam Edelman, and jewelry by Messika. In my opinion, she dressed just on par with the theme: not too extravagant to the point where it looks ridiculous but not too simple that it misses the theme.
4. Billy Porter
Porter made one of the most noteworthy and clearly extravagant entrances of all time. Carried on a velvet palanquin-style seat, he looked as majestic as his golden outfit. Glittering in the flash of the paparazzi, it seemed as though the performer was meant to be catching the light at every angle. The designers, Phillipe and David Blond, say that the “Egyptian Sun God” outfit was inspired by a ballroom fixture called Pepper LaBeija.
5. Anna Wintour
The notable and prominent editor of Vogue looked especially ravishing in my opinion. The contrast of textures in the fur coat juxtaposed the beading of the dress in a very sophisticated way. While the pink blended in with the bubblegum-colored carpet, her interpretation of the theme suited the elegance she exudes.
Photo credits: Vogue
