The Met Gala which is one of fashion’s biggest and starriest events has rolled out its red carpet in New York for some of the planet’s best-known celebrities.
Held to raise funds for the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute, the Gala returns after being delayed last year due to the pandemic and although its famous guests must follow Covid-19 rules, including wearing masks indoors, that hasn’t stopped many going for all-out glamour.
The gala this year is in celebration of the Costume Institute’s newest exhibition, “In America: A Lexicon of Fashion,” which opens to the public in the Anna Wintour Costume Center on September 18, 2021.
It is worth mentioning that the looks were inspired by everything from the Matrix film franchise to the Statue of Liberty.
What is the Met Gala?
Organized and presided over by Anna Wintour since 1995, the Met Gala has become a much-loved annual celebration of fashion.
The Met Gala is typically held on the first Monday in May, but this year, the event was postponed due to COVID-19 and falls right in the middle of fashion month, meaning the stakes for stellar style on the red carpet were especially high.
It can be recalled that to mark what would have been the Met Gala 2020 on 4 May, actor and singer, Billy Porter urged his followers to take part in the #MetGalaChallenge online.
Fashionistas around the globe recreated their favorite Met Gala looks from years gone by, including Rihanna’s Guo Pei ‘omelette’ dress from 2015, and Porter’s own “sun god” look designed by The Blonds in 2019.
Year on year, the event raises eight-figure sums; 2019’s edition raised a record of 15 million dollars.
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Looks from this year’s Met Gala
On the red carpet, it was expected that celebrity guests will embody the theme of American style, whether through flashy, star-spangled ensembles, or more discreet nods to Americana motifs.
The Met Gala’s red carpet has a history of creating memorable outfits, like Rihanna’s high-fashion Margiela pope look from 2018. Therefore, it’s was bound to be an eventful night to remember.
That notwithstanding, the ball was co-hosted by pop star Billie Eilish, tennis player Naomi Osaka, actor Timothée Chalamet, and poet Amanda Gorman.
One of the most talked-about looks of the night came from the publicity machine, that is Kim Kardashian, who covered her face and body in an all-enveloping black outfit. The custom design was devised by Demna Gvasalia, the creative director of fashion house Balenciaga.
The 23-time Grand Slam winner, Serena Williams made a statement of a more colorful kind, wearing a star-spangled bodysuit beneath a feather-laden pink cape.
That notwithstanding, Chief Dame Anna Wintour, who oversees the event, wore an Oscar de la Renta dress in tribute to the late designer.
More so, Democratic congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez was in a dress emblazoned with the words “Tax the Rich”
Meanwhile, other attendees brought along props to accompany their outfits.
Without apparent explanation, singer Frank Ocean carried a green robotic baby, while musician Grimes brandished a sword.
Among the last to arrive at the Gala was Rihanna, who has stolen the show at past events, with outfits including a Pope-inspired costume in 2018.
The singer and businesswoman turned heads once again as she posed in an all-black Balenciaga overcoat, while her boyfriend, rapper A$AP Rocky, swathed himself in a multicolored quilt.
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