2024-05-08 00:28:38
From reggaeton prince Bad Bunny’s Tudor-inspired hat to the realistic hummingbird perched on actress Zendaya’s neck, the hosts set the tone for fashion’s biggest night this Monday: the Met Gala in New York .
Flowers, animals and vintage haute couture abounded in the considered ‘Oscars’ of fashion in 2024 at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the prestigious venue on Fifth Avenue in front of Central Park that annually welcomes a constellation of celebrities dressed with excess and extravagance .
A global event, the Met Gala has its codes and a wardrobe theme, from which prestigious designers draw inspiration to make unique outfits, often disproportionate and extravagant.
After a tribute to Karl Lagerfeld last year, this year’s theme is the “Garden of Time”, a nod to the eponymous short story by science fiction writer JG Ballard.
In essence, it portrays the ephemeral nature of beauty, perhaps a compelling issue for the stars attending the philanthropic event that combines fashion, society and popular culture.
Zendaya dominated the green and cream carpets in her first appearance at the Met Gala since 2019: she made a much-anticipated early appearance under John Galliano, dressed in lace, organza and satin with sapphire vines climbing up her corset of duchess and her arms, and what appeared to be a hummingbird nestled in her neck.
And hours later, she made a second surprise appearance, this time in a dramatic black dress inspired by a Mexican Gothic style and a striking headdress of colorful roses, with which she closed the fashion show and underlined the transience of beauty.
Many of the guests chose to evoke awakening and life, and perhaps challenge the theme by demonstrating the immortality of fashion through time, with many flourishes from the 17th and 18th centuries.
Some emphasized the decadence, like singer Lana del Rey, who showed structured twigs climbing up her dress to hold a cream tulle veil over her head.
South African singer Tyla needed help climbing the stairs of the MET because of how tight her strapless Balmain dress was, which evoked the sands of time and which she accompanied with an hourglass as a bag.
In shiny patent leather shoes, Bad Bunny evoked a kind of Tudor matador with a wide-brimmed hat and a bouquet of black flowers. His only touch of color stood out on the inside of his leg with a red stripe.
Cardi B made a statement in a deep black dress with a train so long it took nine men in tuxedos to lift it up the stairs.
“It’s a black rose,” he told reporters.
– “Mysterious and unexpected” –
Celebrities’ interpretation of the Met Gala themes has been very varied and has often generated debates on social networks. This year’s attendees seemed not to feel pressured
“I don’t even think there’s pressure at all, I think it’s more of an opportunity,” actor Colman Domingo, carrying a bouquet of flowers in a lily-colored cape jacket and wide-leg pants, told reporters.
Traditionally, the event takes place on the first Monday in May and accompanies the opening of the large exhibition of “The Custome Institute”, which this year is titled “Sleeping Beauties, the Awakening of Fashion”, open to the public from next 10 May and until September 2.
The exhibition provides an immersion in the department’s gigantic collection of 33,000 pieces, to revive those that are too fragile or worn to be used, and amid an atmosphere of sounds, smells or images.
The Met Gala is a dream for celebrity fans, but its initial vocation is philanthropic, as it is the main source of financing for “The Costume Institute”, the fashion department of the prestigious museum.
According to The New York Times, a place at this year’s dinner costs $75,000 and a full table costs $350,000. The previous edition raised about 22 million dollars.
“Something mysterious, I’m sure, and unexpected,” actor Jeff Goldblum told reporters on the red carpet, dressed as a count draped in Tiffany jewelry.
– TikTok on the red carpet –
The show is a social media gift for celebrity watchers and, once again, both the gala and the exhibition are co-sponsored by TikTok.
The world of technology joined stars from music, film, politics and sports on the carpet, which was attended by Shou Chew, CEO of TikTok, whose video application is very popular among young people, and owned by the Chinese group ByteDance , sponsors the event.
Outside the event, several hundred protesters against the Gaza war demonstrated nearby, with tight security measures and several arrests while the stars walked the red carpet.
© Agence France-Presse