It has been two and a half years since the last Met Gala in 2019, and fashion’s biggest night was looked forward to by many after the long hiatus. Organized by Anna Wintour, this year’s hosts were Timothee Chalamet, Billie Eilish, Amanda Gorman, and Naomi Osaka, establishing the theme of “In America: A Lexicon of Fashion.”
During Monday’s gala, we saw numerous celebrities wear their interpretation of the theme. While some guests knocked it out of the park, others opted for safer choices, leaving viewers all over the world wanting more. Here are the highlights:
On Theme
Amanda Gorman: The host of the night, Gorman wore a Vera Wang gown inspired by the Statue of Liberty.
Frank Ocean: While Ocean’s look was slightly peculiar, it was very on-theme. The singer sported Prada while carrying a fake green baby, representing movie magic in America. The look certainly was bizarre and slightly confusing, which represents America perfectly.
Lorde: Wearing a two-piece sustainable design by Bode, Lorde paid tribute to the Arts and Crafts movement, featuring embellishments from the late 19th century.
Old Hollywood
Many celebrities and designers chose to pay homage to Old Hollywood, with great looks coming from Kendall Jenner and Zoe Kravitz. However, the best-executed designs came from Yara Shahidi in Dior, Barbie Ferreira in Jonathan Simkhai, and Billie Eilish in an Oscar de la Renta gown.
Boring Black Tux
This category is special for highlighting the lack of originality and effort, showing how this group of people are invited to fashion’s biggest night, but could not care less about fashion. This list includes Justin Bieber, Channing Tatum, Brooklyn Beckham, and James Corden, who had the audacity to be rude when Keke Palmer tried complimenting his obviously mundane look.
Best Dressed
Yara Shahidi: The actress’ Dior look was inspired by actress Josephine Baker, with a gown so beautiful, that earned my vote for best dressed of the night. Shahidi looked elegant and perfectly poised, embodying Old Hollywood at its finest.
Lupita Nyong’o: For me, Lupita wins the second-best dressed of the night. Her Versace gown was made of denim, which is probably the most American clothing staple. Nyong’o looked beautiful and understood the theme perfectly.
Nikkie de Jager: Nikkie Tutorials’ gown was a beautiful tribute to LGBTQ+ icon Marsha P. Johnson, honoring her memory by wearing a flower crown. Designer Edwin Oudshoorn also embroidered the phrase “Pay it no mind” on the dress, which Marsha used to say.
Quannah Chasinghorse: The rising model wore a show-stopping gown with Navajo jewelry, beautifully representing Indigenous people. Without a doubt, one of the best looks of the night.
Other spectacular winners on fashion’s biggest night include supermodel Iman, Emily Blunt, Grimes, and Timothee Chalamet (I know I personally loved the Chuck Taylor’s).
Worst Dressed
These celebrities wore looks that seemed slightly off, confusing everyone who saw them, and some of these looks were just simply not good. In my opinion, the worst-dressed celebrities included Camila Cabello, Kim Kardashian, and Kim Petras.
Lastly, there are some celebrities that we missed seeing on this night. It did not fully feel like the Met Gala without the presence of Beyonce, Zendaya, Bella Hadid, Harry Styles, and Taylor Swift. Hopefully, we will see them in the continuation of this year’s Met Gala, which will have the theme of “In America: An Anthology of Fashion,” happening in May of 2022.