What. A. Night. Let’s say it again – what a night!!! The first Monday in May was just as special as always, but this year’s Met Gala themed “Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion” turned out to be more magical and surreal than ever. With the dress code being “The Garden of Time,” inspired by J.G. Ballard’s short story under the same title, the celebrities encapsulated in their breath-taking looks the magical aura, fragility, and fleetingness of beauty, which, as Vogue suggested, are all at the core of the theme. After all, some of the outfits from Costume Institute’s new exhibition “Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion” were designed so long ago that they’re much too fragile to be worn ever again. The tone for this special evening was indeed set by the Institute’s other-worldly exhibition, with about 250 items embodying the heritage of the last 400 years of fashion history. And undoubtedly, history was made yesterday as well. So let’s dive in the Garden of Time and check out the most stunning looks from the Gala!
Zendaya
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Zendaya has earned herself the title of a fashion icon over the last years, and being this year’s co-hostess of the Gala (together with Jennifer Lopez, Bad Bunny, and Chris Hemsworth), she proved there is no coincidence in that. You think one peacock-like, mind-blowing gown is enough? Not for Zendaya. She left us obsessed with two looks by John Galliano, one from Maison Margiela, evoking this year’s iconic Artisanal show in Paris, and the other one from Givenchy Haute Couture SS 1996. So, let’s get to the details shall we? The Maison Margiela look was a blue-green, glowing mesh dress with golden-blue-green fruit and leaves ornaments, and an impressive decorative back. And just look at the other-worldly makeup – do we need to say anything more? Now, the Givenchy look was a mottled grey silk gown with a long trail, complemented by a pink-white-yellow, bouquet-like hat. Hats off!
Jennifer Lopez
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Jennifer Lopez equals classy, powerful, and sexy femininity. Opting for a richly ornamented, semi-transparent, silver Schiaparelli gown by Daniel Roseberry, she made an incredible impression both with her glimmering outfit and her flawless body shape. The dress was inspired by butterfly wings, whose shiny embroidery with “warm silver pearls, rhinestones, and 2 500 000 silver foul bugles and beads” took over 800 hours to be completed, as Schiaparelli report. How would we sum up the look? Powerful, yet fragile; glowing, yet delicate, even spiderweb-like. The essence of “The Garden of Time.”
Ashley Graham
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Ashley Graham, who co-hosted the red carpet livestream with Gwendoline Christie, opted for a custom Ludovic de Saint Sernin gown, with the brand making a powerful debut at the Gala. Encrusted with Swarovski crystals and presenting LdSS signature cleavage neckline, the black dress with a leather-like corset was most body-hugging and sexy. And the glittering, semi-transparent trail gave the look a truly magical touch. She was glowing, wasn’t she!
Emma Chamberlain
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Emma Chamberlain’s, Vogue red carpet special correspondent, garden of time turned out to be a slightly more gothic place. The brown, lace custom gown by Jean Paul Gaultier, together with the smoky eyes and sleek hair, brought the sleeping beauty theme to another level. Meticulously crafted, complemented by a lace trail and briar-like, long gloves, Emma created a mostly ethereal aura around her.
Tyla
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Now, a gown nobody would’ve imagined – one made of sand. Yes, sand. Tyla couldn’t wish for a more iconic debut at the Met Gala, appearing in a form-fitting sand sculpture by Balmain, which beautifully hugged her body – and in addition, made body movements quite challenging; in fact, Tyla was lifted like a true princess to the upper stairs level, as she was unable to climb them herself. But oh boy, it was worth it! Could you think of a more suggestive embodiment of the fragility of beauty and the fleetingness of time than a gown made of originally loose sand? Ah yes, just add an hourglass clutch bag. Well, this is just genius.
Alia Bhatt
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“An ode to art and eternity” is how Alia Bhatt sums up the main idea behind her fabulous, multi-layered saree by Sabyasachi, which is said to have taken over 1900 hours and 160 men to be created. This piece of hand craftsmanship stuns with its romantic flowery details, fringe, precious stones, and feminine tulle cape. Standing out as the only piece so deeply inspired by tradition and personal background, Bhatt’s garden of time strives at timelessness, delving into Indian fashion heritage.
Dua Lipa
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Dua Lipa, one of the Gala’s Sleeping Beauties, opted for a custom Marc Jacobs look, inspired by lingerie aesthetics and bringing to mind sexy nightgown fits. The two-part look depicted the melancholy and nostalgic romanticism of the evening’s theme, consisting of a black, long lace intarsia skirt with a trail, tied in the front, and a black-white satin top. What made this sensual look complete was a long feather stole and dotted tulle gloves. It’s indeed a Sleeping Beauty in flesh, reawakening fashion.
Charli XCX
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Time for an environmental approach – it’s Charli XCX in Marni’s gown by Francesco Risso, recycled from t-shirts from the 50s, 60s, and 70s. Take a closer look at the dress to appreciate the details – the artistic loops, the linking of the layers of cotton, and the countless staples, which on one hand add an aesthetic – both edgy and glamorous – touch, and on the other one as if communicate the message of a desperate desire to survive, to live on, to fight the passage of time and be recreated and reused – in most environment-friendly manner possible.
FKA Twigs
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“I felt like a warrior alien water goddess queen boots diva,” comments FKA Twigs about her fabulous look by Stella McCartney. And what else can we say? The craftsmanship is truly impressive – c’mon, just look at all the little diamonds, which go far beyond the design of the top and the shorts, but are also there as part of the makeup and the artistic hairstyle. The super long knitted cape is just as mind-blowing in its meticulous design. And, last but not least, as McCartney stresses – all materials are fully sustainable, “explor[ing] notions of renewal and rebirth, timeless craftsmanship and cutting-edge technologies.”
Janelle Monáe
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Let’s stay in the topic of rebirth and sustainable design, shall we? Janelle Monáe’s custom dress by Vera Wang is a perfect embodiment of such an approach to the Gala’s theme, as the cherry of top of the glittering, opalescent, laser-cut sequins gown is a transparent flower on Janelle’s arm – and suffice it to say that this lovely flower is a product of the recycling process of plastic bottles. It’s here that fashion meets rebirth, re-usage, and passage of time – or, actually, finding a way around it. And frankly speaking, that’s what sustainable fashion should be about.
Mona Patel
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What’s special about Mona Patel’s gown from Iris van Herpen? It’s not just that the dress looks like multiple butterfly wings. It’s not just that the butterfly-shaped corset ends in a long trail of seemingly moving, aerodynamic layers of ivory fabric. It’s not even that some of the layers are so thin that they astonishingly well mimic actual butterfly wings. It’s the literally moving butterflies that Mona’s arms are adorned with. With their golden legs and bodies, the butterflies seem to be dancing around Patel, taking us to a truly magical garden of time.
Written By Julia Sułkowska
