By: Nick Pranger
On May 1st, the New York Metropolitan Museum of Art hosted its annual “Met Gala”. Each year, a new theme is selected and an exhibit is revealed, displaying the changing fashions. This year, the Met Gala’s theme was Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty, and despite the controversy surrounding Karl Lagerfeld’s fatphobia and other bigotry, the fashion had us dying and reviving ourselves begging for more. So, let’s go through my bops and flops of the evening and review some trends.
Starting with a strong Met Gala debut, we had Doja Cat in Oscar de la Renta as Choupette, Lagerfeld’s beloved cat. The beading on the dress and the feather train is beautiful. The silhouette and jewelry nodded to Lagerfeld himself. Also, Doja Cat stayed in character meowing in some of her interviews. All things considered, Doja Cat slayed this evening, so we’ll give her a bop. (Bop/10)
Another musician on the carpet, Bad Bunny, was decked in Jacquemus. This breathtaking 26-foot floral trail and the backless suit is perfect for the Karl Lagerfeld vision and for the moment. The Met Gala’s men’s fashion is often overshadowed by the other, more opulent looks. Nonetheless, Bad Bunny stepped up and out on this carpet with clean lines and a slick hairstyle, so I would “consider” it a bop. (BOP/10)
On the topic of jaw dropping, Michelle Yeoh’s appearance at the Met Gala wearing Karl Lagerfeld had me fully stopped. The dress was perfect for her, and the train and sleeves made her look like she’s floating. Michelle Yeoh was everything (and everywhere and all at once). Overall, I would “consider” this a slay out of ten. Multi-dimensional bop. (Bop to the Top/10)
Some influencers, however, were not looking their best. The Miu Miu dress Emma Chamberlain wore is one example. The slit makes the skirt sit awkwardly and the unfinished hem on the white undershirt doesn’t really fit the theme, or the outfit. The shoe is the final nail in this coffin as it stands out, and not in a good way. This look was a let down, which is particularly disappointing to see on Emma Chamberlain or from a brand as interesting as Miu Miu. I’d “consider” this a flop. (FLOP/10).
Another disappointment came from the lip kit princess herself, Kylie Jenner. She was dressed by Jean Paul Gautier and, don’t get me wrong, the dress is beautiful. The coat however, I cannot justify. It’s not on theme, it camouflages the dress, and it doesn’t read Karl Lagerfeld distinctly, especially given the color palette. I was hoping for more from Kylie and JPG for the Met Gala, but I would “consider” this a medium flop because she still looks good. (soft flop/10).
To end with my favorite look of the night, we have Anne Hathaway, dressed in Versace. The tweed pays homage to Lagerfeld, while the style and cut of the gown is truly and undeniably Versace. The proportions and sleeves, the safety pin detailing and beautifully styled wig all are working for her. This look is the closest thing to perfection we saw that night. I “consider” Anne Hathaway our Top Bop of the Met for somehow being on theme and staying true to the Versace aesthetic. (TBotM/10)
TREND ALERT:
After going through and picking out my bops and flops, I noticed a couple noteworthy trends.
1) Tweed
This is a rather obvious standout. As the Creative Director of Chanel during its revival, Lagerfeld constructed a large part of fashion history. He worked rather often with tweed, so it makes sense that we saw it on a lot of people throughout the night, from Dua Lipa and Jack Harlow to Keke Palmer and Anne Hathaway.
2) Black and White
“Black and white always looks modern, whatever that word means.” - Karl Lagerfeld
3) Florals and Feathers
Two more motifs that appeared throughout the years of Lagerfeld’s work were the floral patterns like we saw on Cardi B, Bad Bunny and Rihanna and the feathers as seen on Nicole Kidman, Doja Cat and Viola Davis.
Overall, the Met Gala this year seemed to me like a great success. There was great fashion and most everyone was on theme. But my favorite part about the Met Gala every year is that the stretch of those museum steps are the perfect place to push fashion’s boundaries, opening the door for so much discussion. So what are your slays and flops of the evening? Who did we miss, or who do you want to add?