IMO: The Met Gala 2022

Well, here we are again on the first Monday of May. It's hard to find words to describe possibly the worst Met Gala I've kept up with, disappointing after such an exciting and promising theme, 'Gilded Glamour'. In general, there was far too much black and white. This is a gala, not a funeral. Furthermore, the Met Gala is a white tie event, so why are there so many black tie and even downright casual looks? Who signed off on this? Oh right, Anna Wintour. Wearing a sequinned Chanel dress with a flamingo feather cape and a tiara, if Anna can't be on theme then the rest of the guests haven't got a chance. As I am insufferably opinionated, I have curated my three stand out looks of the evening and three that deserve the electric chair.

Hamish Bowles - Ralph Lauren

At least someone showed up to work today! Hamish Bowles, European editor-at-large at American Vogue, was co-hosting the Met Gala livestream this year along with La La Anthony and Vanessa Hudgens. Fittingly, he stole the show in a white tie (the same can't be said for many of the men attending, despite the dress code) complete with coat tails and top hat. This look is all in the details: gold embellishments on the shoes, buttons, brooch and headpiece. Holding a stylish cane, Hamish Bowles always sets the standard for menswear at the Met Gala. One iconic example of this was his Maison Margiela feathered cape worn for the 2019 'Camp' theme. 

Blake Lively - Versace

While Blake Lively did not go for the classic late 19th century silhouette for her look, it is surprisingly on theme, perfect for one of the co-hosts of the event. She explained her dress was inspired by architecture of New York, specifically the Empire State Building and the Statue of Liberty. Her first look (yes, this is a twofer, people) is an intricately embroidered dress with a long, bronze train and bow at the back, resembling a bustle. When on the red carpet, she made a costume change to reveal the dress in a more turquoise colour. This represents the oxidisation of the Statue of Liberty. Unfortunately, I believe the first look was more spectacular. I preferred the colour and I think the bow/bustle makes it more on theme.

Billie Eilish - Gucci

This is my absolute favourite look of the night. Billie Eilish nailed the silhouette of the era, complete with bustle and corset. To make the look slightly more modern, she chose pastel colours and a satin fabric. The flower in the centre of her corset fits the themes of lavishness, opulence, extravagance. Her hair is also inspired by fashions of the era, however, I think it would have been made perfect with an over-the-top hat. While I love the addition of the choker, I think I would have liked it and the sleeves to match the colours of the gown to make the whole look a little more cohesive. Overall, this look won for me because this is the silhouette I was expecting, while still incorporating modern elements to create a more 'inspired' look. After all, this isn't a costume party and no one is going to turn up in a 100% period accurate look. It is also notable that this gown was constructed with sustainability in mind, her corset being made out deadstock fabric. 

Hoyeon Jung - Louis Vuitton

Poor, poor Hoyeon. Nicolas Ghesquiere has a LOT to answer for this year. It is obviously not period accurate in the slightest, nor is it giving 'gilded' or 'glamour' in any way. It's not even white tie! It took a while for Getty to release photos of Hoyeon on the red carpet and I seriously thought for a moment that she just turned around and went home. All the Louis Vuitton looks are objectively bad and not on theme, but I would be here forever dissecting all of them. It feels like the start of the epidemic of designers using the Met Gala as a way of showcasing their ready-to-wear collections. It is lazy, this is the most fun and over-the-top fashion event of the year so why is no one trying? 

La La Anthony - LaQuan Smith

La La Anthony was also a co-host of the gala livestream this year, and putting this look next to Hamish Bowles' is just embarrassing. She mentioned in an interview that she considered this look on theme and I have to disagree. The cutouts are so strangely placed and frankly unflattering, and doesn't even seem to fit her that well. That spaghetti strap is hanging on for dear life. The bracelets are too much and look awkward on top of her sleeves, the hat is giving mother of the bride. Extravagant hats are definitely on theme, but this is played way too safe and doesn't seem cohesive with the rest of the outfit. I would expect a lot more effort from a co-host to set an example of the theme. I think the most disappointing thing about this look was how seemingly excited and proud she was of it and how it suited her style, which is a shame that it just wasn't what the theme called for. 

Sebastian Stan - Valentino

They really should start turning people away at the door if they are not adhering to the dress code. The theme is nonexistent, why even show up if you're not going to try? This is yet another example of a brand using the red carpet to showcase a full ready-to-wear look straight off the runway with no styling whatsoever. This wasn't even the only fully hot pink look on the carpet that night, with Glenn Close also ignoring the theme in favour of this heinous collection. It's like they both showed up to prom wearing the same dress. I'm simply confused why Anna Wintour would approve this look as it does not tick any of the boxes required of the theme and dress code. It really is a let down.

Overall, I found this year's Met Gala wholly a let down. I'm sure many guests have limited choices when it comes to who and what they can wear, not to mention Anna Wintour's hawk-like gaze beadily eyeing their every move in the upcoming months. It is a white tie event, not a costume party, so we cannot expect every guest to adhere to the exact time period of the Gilded Age, the late 1800s. However, a corset, a bustle, or a few more puffed sleeves wouldn't have gone amiss and the references to the Regency and French Revolution eras were just laughably low effort and unresearched. My hopes for next year are not high, I have found it is easier to lower my expectations for the Met Gala and be pleasantly surprised, but perhaps it would be wise to find a theme broad enough for even the most half-hearted stylists to follow.