This years Met Gala was held on September the 13th 2021 at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. The theme IN AMERICA: a Lexicon of Fashion, was somewhat open to interpretation even more so than previous years. The attendees cited pop culture moments, historical trends, political statements, American icons as well as International celebrities and designers that had an influence on American fashion.
These are some of my favourite looks of the night, the inspirations and insight into the celebrities or designers rationale and the incredible craftsmanship behind the ensembles.
I knew as soon as I saw Rihanna and ASAP Rocky's looks for the night I was instantly obsessed. Although many may disagree, for me personally this is still up there with my favourite Met looks from Rih. It was unexpected yet still true to her classic style. I knew the story behind the dress but not the story behind why Rihanna chose it. The more I pieced together the meaning and inspiration of their outfits I became more and more enamoured with the decisions they made.
The gown she chose is a Balenciaga Fall 2021 Couture piece by fashion designer Demna Gvasalia, who is known in the luxury design and streetwear world for his love of elevated basics. The black asymmetrical gown with a whimsical lapel collar leads into a mermaid silhouette. It is a modern day take of Cristòbal Balenciaga Couture cape/coat dresses from the 1960's, as pictured above. The coat dress made from Gazar silk is an example of Cristòbal's craft, a beautiful concept that showcases an exceptional cut that forms a quite stunning shape. The Spanish museum dedicated to Cristòbal's past works stated "his persistence with perfection, his techniques, fabrics and design work had an unquestionable impact on the world".
Rihanna and Rocky's attire has drawn inspiration across different genres and cultural movements going as far back as the womens rights movement and the 19th amendment, combining it with classic hip hop fashion of the 90's and early 00's. Rihanna achieved this by adding a black beanie, crystal headpiece reminiscent of the 1920's and a spectacular diamond heritage necklace and earrings from the jewellery fashion house Bulgari. Rocky wore pearl and diamond accessories to match.
Rih's captivating coat dress and beanie particularly reminded me of NWA's iconic fashion of black coats, bomber jackets and hoodies. NWA are widely credited for popularising gangster rap and known for their hard-hitting song 'Fuck The Police' that surged in streams during last years anti-police brutality marches. Rihanna stated in an interview "I wanted a look that seemed very powerful, yet feminine, yet like a black hoodie, which is the thing we are usually incriminated by as black people and I wanted to empower that. I wanted to take it and make it mine, make it fashion!"
ASAP Rockys look was one of the most talked about fashion moments of the night. He came to the Met looking extremely cozy wrapped in an eye catching, fun and eccentric patchwork quilt from American company ERL. Handcrafted quilting has been around since colonial times and continues to be an inherent part of American life. Vogue stated 'quilts have served as historical documents, family keepsakes and contemporary art.' ERL tipped their hat to this idea by attaching meaningful items to the inside of the antique thrifted quilt, designer Eli Russell Linnetz's boxers and his fathers bathrobe among other items such as flannel and plaid shirts.
Rocky who is a big fan of the brand loved the multifaceted meanings behind the quilt, he said in an interview 'It represents all Americans, its different cultures put together, we're part of the same cloth, part of the same quilt..'. Underneath the quilt he revealed a super stylish, off beat take on classic suiting, with a cropped loose fitting jacket made from silk taffeta over a ruffled white shirt.
American artist Lil Uzi Vert was in attendance with R&B icon and friend Erykah Badu or “Big E” as he refers to her. They were both impeccably dressed by Thom Browne. Uzi in a distressed suit with a past the knee pleated skirt and Erykah in a suit jacket, suspender skirt, padded shawl and her signature sky high top hat to complete the fantastic look. Both Uzi and Erykah had matching leather accessories. Hers an adorable dachsund handbag and His an abstract circular snake bag.
Thom Browne is an American designer who is known for reconceptualising classic suits and work wear. He is also widely known for his signature use of grey, black, white, red and navy. For the Met he decided to dress he’s attendees in black and white ensembles with pops of his branded red, white and blue stripes.
Uzi and Erykah's looks by Browne were a perfect mix of their own unique trendsetting styles and classic Thom Browne attire with pops of sportswear motifs like Erykah’s pointed boots with hiking laces.
Kendall Jenner arrived at the Met Gala looking etherial wearing a sheer jewelled Givenchy dress by Mathew M. Williams. The dress took 2500 hours and 30 beaders to complete, and was a new take on Audrey Hepburn's gown worn by her in the film 'My Fair Lady'. Audrey Hepburn, although a British actress, was ranked by the American Film Institute as the third greatest female screen actress from the golden age of Hollywood. Williams stated in a vogue interview with Kendall "It's that connection between French Couture and American cinema". Hepburn's association with Givenchy started in 1953 after a meeting with Hubert de Givency and continued until her passing in 1993, their relationship had a profound impact on Hollywood and the American film and fashion industry.
Kaia Gerber was dressed by design house Oscar De La Renta for the Met Gala. The dress is a salute to a 1970's dress by Christian Dior worn by Bianca Jagger at the Dior runway show in 1977. Bianca then wore the dress to the Met Gala in 1981 exactly twenty years earlier than Kaia. The dress is a black classical ballgown style and therefore timeless. She had her hair in a a similar waved style as Bianca Jagger and kept the accessories to a minimum, which allowed her natural beauty and the dress to radiate. The strapless dress has an exquisite floral detailing around the neckline which is almost identical to the original Dior dress.
Oscar de la Renta was an iconic American based designer who was awarded the Coty Award in 1967 and 1968 (US fashion industry 'Oscars') and was inducted into the Coty Hall of Fame. During his career he helped to define elegant dressing amongst public figures with his luxury designs that included elements of European fashion and American style.
Another Model who wore Oscar De La Renta was Anok Yai. Her glimmering show stopping dress with celestial crystal design and plunging V-neck was inspired by American born, French entertainer, and civil rights activist Josephine Baker. Baker was widely popular in the 1920's, making a mark on fashion with her sensational style and marvellous costumes. Baker fought hard for social and cultural change as she was extremely passionate about the world around her, making Anok's reference even more significant. Historical gowns worn by the infamous entertainer, as pictured below, showcase where Anok drew inspiration from for her dress. Finishing the look with a stunning double layered Tourmaline Paraíba necklace.
Eiza González decided to pay homage to renowned American movie actress Ava Gardner. Gardner was known for her sophisticated style in the 1940's-50's, in particular her A-line gowns that were figure hugging and tailored to perfection. Eiza emulated that sentiment in a custom Atelier Versace gown in striking scarlet red. The crystal embellished gown and attached glove took over 250 hours to craft and another 300 hours to complete the embroidery. She excellently accessorised the look with a Bulgari Serpenti diamond and ruby encrusted bracelet. Eiza's Met Gala attire perfectly referenced Gardner's influential style and encapsulated old Hollywood glamour at its best.
As soon as I saw the Rick Owens perspex heeled thigh high boots I knew right away it was Rosalía. The Spanish singer and songwriter from Barcelona worked with American born designer Rick Owens to create this distinctive dress that was inspired by The Manila Shawl, part of traditional clothing in Hispanic culture. The traditional shawls are usually made out of embroidered silk however Owens put his own indelible mark on the traditional garment by making the jumpsuit from dyed leather in passion red. He extended the original silhouette of the shawl to form an exaggerated train, trimmed with extra long fringing and accompanied by matching leather gloves. Rick Owens who is celebrated for his innovative designs and mixing goth and glamour, has gained him a cult following worldwide including Rosalía herself and many other influential personalities.
With this years Met Gala now wrapped up we can look forward to the next Met Gala on the 2nd of May 2022!
Amelia Rose xx
Comentarios