Well, the 2022 Met Gala happened. Other things happened too, but for now let's distract ourselves with flamboyant pageantry before we plunge back into the brokenness of American society.
This year's Met Gala theme was Gilded Glamor and White Tie, referring to the United States' Gilded Age. Stretching from around 1870 to 1900, the Gilded Age was a time of rapid economic growth, industrialization, and extravagant displays of wealth — as well as increasing wealth inequality and rampant poverty. Though the Met Gala theme was intended to follow the Metropolitan Museum of Art's exhibition In America: An Anthology of Fashion, some have pointed out that it's also rather fitting for the America of today.
Setting aside uncomfortable mirrors to society, you'd think Gilded Glamor would be a pretty simple theme to follow. Yet, as has become Met Gala tradition, the internet judged many of this years' designers and attendees not quite extravagant enough for the occasion. Among the disappointing outfits were Hoyeon Jung's cutout mini by Louis Vuitton, Emma Stone's white feathered dress by Louis Vuitton, and Phoebe Dynevor's transparent black gown by Louis Vuitton.
We're sensing a theme here, and it isn't Gilded Glamor.
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Riz Ahmed was also understated by Met Gala standards, showing up in a navy blue Prada jacket. However, the actor gets a special pass because not only did Ahmed nail the theme, he put his own creative, socially-conscious spin on it with an outfit inspired by the Gilded Age's working class immigrants.
It's proof that you can still fit a Met Gala theme even if you aren't ready to spend the evening bedazzled up to your eyeballs.
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That isn't to say there weren't some spectacular outfits. Dove Cameron made her Met Gala debut in a Iris van Herpen dress that Twitter users likened to the boning in a Victorian dress, while Cardi B dripped in gold chains from Versace. Met Gala co-chair Blake Lively also stole the show with a transforming Versace gown, her sweeping turquoise and copper skirt reminiscent of rust on the Statue of Liberty.
Another outfit that caught people's eyes was Fredrik Robertsson's silver Iris van Herpen jumpsuit, which looked as though it had a bunch of fish bones stuck to it. It was certainly ostentatious enough for a Met Gala, though this effort was largely overshadowed by people mistaking him for Jared Leto. Leto later turned up in a Gucci suit, dressed and styled identically to the designer's creative director Alessandro Michele.
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Of course, the dress code wasn't mandatory for those working at the Met Gala rather than walking it — but that didn't stop some from making the most of the occasion. Telemundo reporter Genesis Camilas showed up more than one star in a dazzling gold dress by Lucia Rodriguez, which had many people asking who she was.
Meanwhile, Vail the golden retriever kept it classically stylish, sporting a simple black lead as she carried out her duty of ensuring the event's safety.
However, the prize for most on-the-nose delivery of Met Gala's Gilded Glamor theme went to a surprise entry: The U.S. Supreme Court. While various celebrities were showcasing designer clothes on the steps of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Politico reported that the Supreme Court may strike down Roe v. Wade, according to a leaked draft majority opinion.
Roe v. Wade was a landmark Supreme Court decision made in 1973, and it currently protects the right to get an abortion. If struck down, it will have severe implications for the future of reproductive healthcare and abortion access in the U.S.
Unsurprisingly, seeing celebrities flaunt their wealth while ordinary people's rights are being jeopardized put a much more dystopian lens on this year's Met Gala.
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Topics Celebrities
