If you somehow missed it on your Twitter, Instagram and even TikTok feeds, Sep. 13 was the day of the 2021 Met Gala. This event, known for being held on the first Monday of May each year, had been pushed back due to Covid restrictions. It was well worth the wait. The star-studded evening acts as a fundraising event for the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute. This year’s theme was “In America: A Lexicon of Fashion.” This was done in honor of the new exhibition opening to the public on Sept. 18 in the Anna Wintour Costume Center of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Vogue Editor-in-Chief Anna Wintour served as Gala Chair for another year. She had an amazing team of support under her, including actor Timothée Chalamet, inaugural poet Amanda Gorman, singer Billie Eilish and tennis player Naomi Osaka. However, these were just a handful of the A-list celebrities that made it to the fashion industry’s biggest fundraiser (and party) of the year. Every Met Gala, a star or two will wear a designer look that is so beautiful and fits the theme so well that they go down as a Met Gala icon. Examples include Blake Lively’s 2018 Versace Gown or Kendall and Kylie Jenner’s 2019 Versace outfits.
At its core, this is an event put on to display the work of breath-taking designers. It would only be fitting for these designers to walk the red carpet themselves. Designers Tom Ford, Donatella Versace, Tory Burch, Michael Kors and the one and only Vera Wang were among the night’s attendees.
There were quite a few celebrity couples that made their appearances together on the carpet. The Met Gala queen herself, Rihanna, walked the carpet with her boyfriend, A$AP Rocky. She was dressed in a luscious black ensemble complete with a thick diamond necklace and headpiece designed by Balenciaga Couture. A$AP was dressed in a colorful overcoat similar to Rihanna’s designed by ERL.
The infamous couple, Shawn Mendes and Camilla Cabello arrived together as well. She was in a disco-inspired purple two-piece dress while he was in an open-chested leather jacket with western-accented belts. New Zealand Academy Award-winning film director Taika Waititi walked the carpet with a dazzling Rita Ora. Honorary mentions go to Stephen and Ayesha Curry as well as to Justin and Hailey Bieber.
An undeniable trend from the night: see-through dresses! A series of stars showed up in intricate dresses with carefully placed cut-outs and mesh-type fabric that accentuated their figures and added dynamic elements to the pieces. Hailee Steinfeld wore a short Iris Van Herpen dress with see-through portions fanning outward with white lining. This effect left her looking a bit like an elegant snowflake. Zoë Kravitz wore an almost entirely see-through dress made up of what appear to be interconnected diamonds. Polish model Anja Rubik appeared in a glittering mesh dress with teal feathered accents, reminiscent of the early 2000s bright fashion. Imaan Hammam stuck true to the American theme in a dress with a see-through top part that strategically placed silver stars cascading down into the bottom part of the dress. The blossoming new pop star Olivia Rodrigo debuted her first Met Gala in a jaw-dropping black mesh bodysuit.
Whether you love them or hate them, it really cannot be a Met Gala anymore without the Kardashian/Jenner crew. Kendall stole the show in a spectacular see-through dress made up of thousands of dazzling jewels designed by Givenchy. Straying away from the see-through trend, there are several other celebrities and looks that would be criminal not to mention. Mrs. Kim Kardashian made a statement in an entirely black ensemble that even covered her face in photos. Though she was certainly trying to go bold, the look has drawn mass amounts of criticism for being both simple and confusing.
Karlie Kloss, Megan Fox and Addison Rae all came in elegant red dresses. Ciara stunned in a sequined lime green dress inspired by American football. Kristen Steward and Lilly-Rose Depp both attended with Chanel. The so-called king of Staten Island, Pete Davidson, shocked with an elegant black dress/white blazer moment. Musical performers Kacey Musgraves, Megan Thee Stallion, Kid Cudi and Frank Ocean were all in attendance.
Lil Nas X took a leaf out of Lady Gaga’s book and arrived in a large white and gold coat that stripped down to show two more outfits underneath. “Anything Goes” podcast listeners were thrilled to see the host and Youtube phenomenon Emma Chamberlain make her Met Gala debut with 60s styled hair in custom Louis Vuitton.
Co-Chair Timothée Chalamet wore a silky white suit with a pair of white, worn All-Star Converse to ring true with the theme. The other Co-Chair, Billie Eilish, came in a Marilyn Monroe-inspired look by Oscar de la Renta. Political statements were made by both Carolyn B. Maloney and AOC. Lorde wore a beautiful headpiece that reminded fans of her recent album, “Solar Power.”
Finally, would it really be the Met Gala without Gigi Hadid? The model, and now mother, attended in Prada.
The Met Gala is known as the event of the year for fashion for a reason. Extravagant outfits such as that of Iman, Storm Reid and Valentina Sampaio are one reason for that, but so are the many other looks discussed in this article. It has been a long time in the waiting, but it was refreshing for designers, celebrities and at-home viewers alike to see the Met Gala returned to its full glory. This will be the first time in history that there will be two Met Gala’s within twelve months. So even if you missed the live stream this time, no worries, you can mark your calendars for the first Monday of May 2022!
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