Ahhh…May. Classes are winding down, stress is ramping up, and everyone is tired. But the one thing that got everyone excited and wide awake for in my 11 a.m. class on Wednesday: talking about the Met Gala.
The theme this year? Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination. What does this mean? Heavy influence from Catholicism and using inspiration from architecture, art, and people. The Vatican sponsored the event and even lent the Met museum 50 garments and accessories. This set the stage for a night full of truly heavenly pieces of work.
Obviously, when one goes to the Met Gala, you dress the theme. And while some chose to do it in “subtle” ways, others really pushed the boundaries. The folks and I in my writing class agreed: if you go to the Met Gala, you better show the hell up. So when someone shows up in a black dress to the Met Gala, it leaves me wondering. You prepare for this event a year in advance, and while fashion is art, this is the event to really “go there” with the theme.
So with that, here are just a few of me and my classmates absolutely favorite looks of the night that we felt also fit the theme.
Zendaya
photo: POPSUGAR
This was my absolute favorite look of the night and the first person that started the conversation in my class, “Who did you think was best dressed?” Inspired by Joan of Arc and created by Versace, this dress has me absolutely floored. This look is the embodiment of being a powerful female and I love it.
Blake Lively
photo: Enews
It goes without saying that Blake Lively stole the show when she walked onto the carpet of the Met Gala. Dressed in this custom Versace gown with a bodice that took over 600 hours to make, Lively made quite the entrance. My favorite part is her halo-like headpiece, which reminded me of the subtle halos painted in Renaissance works.
Rihanna
photo: PureWow
While not some of my classmate’s favorite, we all agreed Rihanna definitely stuck to the theme, and she deserves props for that. With the cloak and headpiece, it’s obvious her inspiration stemmed from the pope. Designer Maison Margiela was the one who created the look and got the whole internet talking about it.
Lana Del Rey
photo: Vogue
One of the more elaborately dressed, Lana Del Rey really pushed the limits of the theme. Made my Gucci, Lana’s assemble included an extravagant avian headpiece and three-dimensional heart-and-dagger embellishment. Inspired by “Seven Sorrows of Mary”, this look wowed.
Katy Perry
photo: HollywoodLife
While a few of my classmates and I are not the biggest Katy Perry fans, we are big fans of this look. Katy Perry was an actual heavenly body at the Met Gala, donning 10-foot-tall feathered Versace wings. She even pulled up to the event in a Rolls-Royce, perched in the back seat looking angelic and ethereal.
Ariana Grande
photo: POPSUGAR
While Ariana Grande’s piece isn’t as avant garde as some of the others, I have to add her to this list because of her use of the theme. Created by Vera Wang, this gown is screen printed with images from Michelangelo’s fresco, The Last Judgement, which can be seen in the Sistine Chapel. I have to put this in here because Renaissance art is the love of my life and, while this look is simpler, it fits the theme in an effortless way.
So there we are, a few favorite looks from me and my classmates. We talked for a good 20 minutes about people’s outfits, so this is just a small collection of the ones we loved! Hit up HC SCAD on Twitter or Instagram to let us know which ones you thought were best.