Red Carpet Reviews: Met Gala
A deep dive into American fashion
Written by Jessica Katz, Online Editor and Jane Houseal, Contributing Writer
Photo compiled by Jessica Katz
On Sept. 13, many high-profile celebrities gathered at New York City’s Metropolitan Museum for the 2021 Met Gala. The event is normally held on the first Monday in May but was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. With the new date in the middle of fashion month, the stakes were especially high (Allaire 2021).
This year, the gala was held in celebration of the Met’s newest exhibit, “In America: a Lexicon of Fashion” (Allaire 2021). The guests of the luxurious event are expected to dress in a way that embodies the theme, which means taking risks and getting creative. Many unique looks made their way down the red carpet this year. Some were stunning and on-theme, while others failed to make a fashion statement.
Best dressed:
Hunter Schafer forced us to travel beyond reality as she slipped into a futuristic alien alter-ego. She stunned in a structured silver corset-like top and floor-length skirt from Prada’s Spring 1999 collection, emphasizing her statuesque silhouette (Regensdorf 2021). But what truly wowed us was the detail of her accessories. With biomorphic face jewelry and sculptural glass nails, Hunter’s look was ‘out of this world.’
Iman turned heads in a metallic gold jumpsuit with a massive gold feathered headpiece and hoop skirt cage. This eccentric yet beautiful look was the product of a collaboration between Harris Reed and Dolce & Gabbana. Iman described her feelings behind this ensemble, “It really felt hopeful, a ray of light after all the darkness we felt” (Garner and Kimble 2021). She was right — she dazzled on the carpet like a ray of sunshine.
Lupita Nyong’o dazzled onlookers with a Versace gown that was both unique and elegant. The dress was constructed out of asymmetrical denim panels and featured ornate beaded detailing. The denim on the dress tastefully references the influence of denim in American fashion history. One can’t talk about Nyong’o’s outfit without mentioning her incredible hair. Inspired by conceptual artist Lorna Simpson, hairstylist Vernon François created a striking vision that played with movement and texture (Paris 2021). Her voluminous waves complemented the dynamic dress, making her look a true show-stopper.
Imaan Hammam looked sexy and sleek in a daring Versace gown with a sheer bodice and tulle skirt. Our favorite aspect of this look was the stars. The look featured both silver stars, which covered her breasts, and mesh stars throughout the bottom half. The dress hugged Imaan’s body beautifully and the stars allowed it to feel very on-theme.
Model Anok Yai flawlessly emulated old Hollywood glam as a tribute to entertainer and activist, Josephine Baker. She wore a hand-embroidered gown from Oscar De La Renta’s Spring 2022 collection. The delicate dress was covered in crystal stars and flowers, creating a strong celestial motif. Yai paired the gown with sheer black opera gloves and a statement-making black feather shawl.
Yara Shahidi also paid homage to icon Josephine Baker, yet her look could not be any more different from Anok Yai’s. Shahidi dressed in head-to-toe Dior, a designer Baker often wore (Okwodu 2021). The outfit included an intricately beaded strapless gown and matching tulle cloak. Paired with beaded gloves and a gold tulle headpiece, the outfit was gorgeous, refined and arguably one of the best of the night.
Most on theme:
Jennifer Lopez is no rookie when it comes to red carpets. This was especially clear from her most recent appearance at the Met Gala. She looked striking in a hand-embroidered Ralph Lauren gown featuring a plunging neckline and high slit. Ralph Lauren is a classic American designer, making him a great choice for this year's Met Gala theme. The dress was paired with a faux fur shearling cape, a hat, belts, and an array of vintage jewelry. Together, the different elements perfectly embodied all things western. Additionally, Lopez’s accessories honored the Navajo Nation, the largest federally recognized Native American tribe (Liao 2021). Lopez’s unique look was remarkably beautiful and successfully explored the American theme.
Lil Nas X is not afraid to be bold, honest and 100% himself, and that is why we adore him. For his first look, Lil Nas stepped out in an elaborately beaded cape with a long flowing train. Removing his cape, Lil Nas revealed his second look — a golden suit of armor. Eventually he shed that armor to shine in a crystallized bodysuit. Lil Nas not only looked royal in all three looks, but his ensemble held deep meaning. The process of removing layers represented his current reality, coming out of his shell and into the world as an iconic artist and proud member of the LGBTQ+ community (Robinson 2021).
Saweetie showed up to her first Met Gala wearing a shimmering Christian Cowan gown made up of an impressive 10 million crystals. The dress featured an asymmetrical neckline, a cutout bodice, a high slit and most importantly two flowing skirt panels that represented the Black American flag and the Filipino flag. Saweetie said in an interview that she chose to wear the flags because they are what make her an “American Girl” (Nesvig 2021). Saweetie’s look was extremely well executed; it was jaw-dropping, and it honored her heritage in a unique and beautiful way.
Nikkie de Jager (Nikkie Tutorials on YouTube) graced the carpet in an aquamarine tulle gown with floral accents by Edwin Oudshoorn. The look paid homage to Marsha P. Johnson, a Black transgender icon who stood at the forefront of the Stonewall Riots in 1969 (Onibada 2021). The dress even featured a sash with Johnson’s famous phrase, "Pay it no mind," written across it. As a transgender woman herself, Nikkie aimed to make her community proud, and she looked absolutely beautiful doing so.
One of the most incredible and on-theme looks came from activist and indigenous model, Quannah Chasinghorse. She wore a flowing gold lamé dress and layered turquoise jewelry from her “aunty” Jocelyn Billy-Upshaw’s personal collection. The jewelry was made by different Navajo artists from across the Southwest. According to Chasinghorse, turquoise jewelry represents protection, guidance and love in Navajo culture ( Barnes 2021).
Biggest flops:
Madison Beer looked gorgeous as always but disappointed many with her fashion choices. Apparently, Beer’s inspiration was old Hollywood Glamour, but her Patricia Voto dress looked more like a prom dress than a Met Gala gown (Sutton 2021). The look was tacky and boring, and Beer’s audience expects more!
Camilla Cabello walked the carpet alongside boyfriend Shawn Mendes, wearing a purple glitter gown by Michael Kors Collection. With the use of sequins and feathers, the look took inspiration from the 1920s-era flapper fashion. While it was somewhat on-theme, and we wouldn’t describe it as boring, it felt quite costumey.
Hailey Bieber is widely regarded as a style icon, which is what makes her underwhelming Met Gala look such a let-down. Bieber showed up in a simple low-cut, black Saint Laurent gown. There is no question that the dress was flattering, but for a “style icon” the look did not deliver. There was also no strong tie to the American theme, which is the objective of the Met Gala. In the future, hopefully, we see Bieber doing something a bit more interesting.
Channing Tatum. Lil Baby. Swizz Beatz. Justin Bieber. James Corden. What do all these men have in common? They did the bare minimum. They were boring, subpar, repetitive. You guessed it, they wore plain black suits.
Interesting:
Grime’s stunning look proved the musician’s close attention to detail. The tantalizing Iris Van Herpen gown she wore was stunning with her lavender Marc Jacobs lace-up platforms. However, the most eye-catching part of the ensemble was the giant sword Grimes carried with her down the red carpet. The sword was made of melted-down AR-16A3 rifles, which feels very fitting given the theme. Grimes never fails to make an impression, but this may be one of her best fashion moments ever.
AOC caused quite a conversation with her provocative look. The New York representative wore a white gown with the phrase “Tax the Rich” emblazoned in red on the back. Some critics think her statement was “performative” because she was at an event that costs so much money to attend. Others have pointed out that she most likely did not pay for her own ticket. Supporters of her decision think she chose the perfect place to wear the dress because she had such a large platform and was surrounded by many rich celebrities. Regardless of what your opinion is, she certainly got people talking.
After seeing Frank Ocean in Prada x Homer, many were left wondering, who’s his small green friend? While Frank has given no explanation of his look’s relevance to American culture, his look is definitely fascinating. Both he and fans seemed to enjoy his time with Cody, the animatronic baby he cradled in his arms the entire night.
Kim Kardashian stirred the pot in a faceless, full-body Balenciaga morph suit. The look represented Kim as an icon of American culture, as she can be recognized simply by her silhouette. Many were quick to project their feelings and interpretations onto this simple black outfit, which feels very distinctly America due to Kardashian’s impressive influence on pop culture.
Sources:
Allaire, Christian. 2021. “Everything We Know about the 2021 Met Gala.” Vogue.
Barnes, Sara, 2021. “Indigenous Model Makes Her Debut At 2021 Met Gala and Goes Viral for Her Look.” My Modern Met.
Garner, Glenn, and Lindsey Kimble. 2021. “Iman Turns Heads in Massive Gold Feathered Headpiece at 2021 Met Gala: 'It's Not Heavy At All.'” People.
“Met Gala 2021 Red Carpet: See Every Celebrity Look, Outfit and Dress Here.” 2021. Vogue.
Liao, Marina. 2021. “Jennifer Lopez's Met GALA Look Left Twitter Talking.” The Zoe Report.
Nesvig, Kara. 2021 “Naomi Osaka AND Saweetie Paid Homage to Their Heritages at the Met Gala.” Teen Vogue.
Okwodu, Janelle. 2021. “Yara SHAHIDI'S Met GALA LOOK Honored JOSEPHINE BAKER'S LEGACY.” Vogue
Onibada, Ade. 2021. “YouTube Star Nikkie Tutorials Paid Homage To Black Trans Icon Marsha P. Johnson At The Met Gala.” Buzzfeed News.
Paris, Calin Van. 2021. “The Story Behind Lupita Nyong'o's DENIM-INSPIRED Met GALA 2021 BEAUTY LOOK.” Vogue.
Regensdorf, Laura. 2021. “How Hunter Schafer Slipped into an Alien Alter-Ego for the 2021 Met Gala.” Vanity Fair.