Our favorites from this year's Met Gala
By Clare Gallagher
October 13, 2021
Image Credit: Courtesy Kai Pilger for Creative Commons
Two years have come and gone since we’ve had a proper Met Gala on the first Monday in May. But this year’s September time slot only added to the public’s anticipation for the fashion industry’s most iconic red carpet of the year.
The theme, “In America: A Lexicon of Fashion,” certainly left room for interpretation. We saw political takes, homages to iconic American celebrities, and of course, our fair share of red, white and blue.
The Gala’s purpose is to fundraise for the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute, which means every guests’ look is highly scrutinized. This is not your average red carpet. What earns an outfit praise, in my opinion, is a unique interpretation of the theme, how interesting the styling is, and whether or not the cut is flattering on the person wearing it. But Terps have their own opinions on which Met Gala looks killed it and which ones fell flat.
Sophomore government and politics major Sydney Toole says Yara Shahidi “looked like a goddess” in her beaded gown, an homage to Josephine Baker. However, Sydney was “underwhelmed” with Emma Chamberlain’s look, stating that while her dress was “pretty” it was something that could have been worn “to a fancy dinner” instead of the Met.
Freshman philosophy, politics and economics major Tylyr Cauley praised Kim Kardashian’s all black Balenciaga look. Tylyr states that she believes Kardashian’s outfit served as a strong message that in society “many female celebrities, especially Kardashian, are oversexualized” despite being, “covered from head to toe.” On the other hand,Tylyr says that Kim Petras’ dress was “terrifying” and her least favorite look because “it did not relate to the theme.” The outfit, which featured a horse-head coming out of the bodice, undeniably lacked a clear connection to American culture or fashion history.
This lack of attention to the theme proved to be a common occurrence throughout the night. One of my personal least favorite looks was that of Justin and Hailey Bieber. The collective all-black ensemble the two were sporting not only had little to do with America, it simply lacked originality. Hailey’s dress felt like something we have seen so many times before, and Justin’s wide-leg trousers looked more like they didn’t fit him properly rather than a deliberate stylistic choice.
Another look I was disappointed by was Addison Rae’s ensemble. Her plain red dress felt like a lackluster attempt at incorporating the theme, and I felt that the ruching and corset details of the bodice were not particularly flattering on her. Overall, with the recent release of her Netflix film, I feel that Rae had the potential to deliver a showstopping look, and this simply fell flat.
Despite my disappointment, there were still two looks that blew me away. The first was Kendall Jenner’s stunning Givenchy gown. Covered head to toe in jewels, Jenner looked flawless in her sheer dress. A tribute to Audrey Hepburn in the 1964 film “My Fair Lady,” Jenner incorporated the theme perfectly as a physical embodiment of an American fashion icon.
And finally, the look featured as the cover photo of every best-dressed list, Iman’s Dolce & Gabbana x Harris Reed collab was truly outstanding. The gold jumpsuit outlined by the silhouette of the feathered skirt and headdress was both unique and jaw-dropping. She looked absolutely flawless, like a true American icon.
The theme, “In America: A Lexicon of Fashion,” certainly left room for interpretation. We saw political takes, homages to iconic American celebrities, and of course, our fair share of red, white and blue.
The Gala’s purpose is to fundraise for the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute, which means every guests’ look is highly scrutinized. This is not your average red carpet. What earns an outfit praise, in my opinion, is a unique interpretation of the theme, how interesting the styling is, and whether or not the cut is flattering on the person wearing it. But Terps have their own opinions on which Met Gala looks killed it and which ones fell flat.
Sophomore government and politics major Sydney Toole says Yara Shahidi “looked like a goddess” in her beaded gown, an homage to Josephine Baker. However, Sydney was “underwhelmed” with Emma Chamberlain’s look, stating that while her dress was “pretty” it was something that could have been worn “to a fancy dinner” instead of the Met.
Freshman philosophy, politics and economics major Tylyr Cauley praised Kim Kardashian’s all black Balenciaga look. Tylyr states that she believes Kardashian’s outfit served as a strong message that in society “many female celebrities, especially Kardashian, are oversexualized” despite being, “covered from head to toe.” On the other hand,Tylyr says that Kim Petras’ dress was “terrifying” and her least favorite look because “it did not relate to the theme.” The outfit, which featured a horse-head coming out of the bodice, undeniably lacked a clear connection to American culture or fashion history.
This lack of attention to the theme proved to be a common occurrence throughout the night. One of my personal least favorite looks was that of Justin and Hailey Bieber. The collective all-black ensemble the two were sporting not only had little to do with America, it simply lacked originality. Hailey’s dress felt like something we have seen so many times before, and Justin’s wide-leg trousers looked more like they didn’t fit him properly rather than a deliberate stylistic choice.
Another look I was disappointed by was Addison Rae’s ensemble. Her plain red dress felt like a lackluster attempt at incorporating the theme, and I felt that the ruching and corset details of the bodice were not particularly flattering on her. Overall, with the recent release of her Netflix film, I feel that Rae had the potential to deliver a showstopping look, and this simply fell flat.
Despite my disappointment, there were still two looks that blew me away. The first was Kendall Jenner’s stunning Givenchy gown. Covered head to toe in jewels, Jenner looked flawless in her sheer dress. A tribute to Audrey Hepburn in the 1964 film “My Fair Lady,” Jenner incorporated the theme perfectly as a physical embodiment of an American fashion icon.
And finally, the look featured as the cover photo of every best-dressed list, Iman’s Dolce & Gabbana x Harris Reed collab was truly outstanding. The gold jumpsuit outlined by the silhouette of the feathered skirt and headdress was both unique and jaw-dropping. She looked absolutely flawless, like a true American icon.