The 73rd annual Met Gala took place on the second Monday of September after a two-year delay due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Met Gala, also known as the Costume Institute Benefit, is an annual fundraiser for the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute. The Met Gala is often referred to as the fashion industry’s version of the Oscars. Designers and Celebrities alike compete for media coverage and bragging rights. The guest list is extremely exclusive and the event costs 30,000 dollars to attend. This year's gala was hosted by Oscar-nominated actor Timothee Chalamet, seven-time Grammy winner Billie Eilish, champion tennis player Naomi Osaka, and poet and activist Amanda Gorman. Chalamet, Eilish, Osaka, and Gorman worked in tandem with Vogue Editor-In-Chief Anna Wintour to handpick the guest list, a wide-ranging group of celebrities from Rihanna to Pete Davidson to Dixie D'amelio.
This year's theme was "In America: A Lexicon of Fashion." One would think with two years of preparation, tons of inspiration from the recent turbulent times in America, and the opportunity to attend such a huge event after years spent inside, the Met Gala guests would take this opportunity to make some commentary on American politics or pop culture. One might think this, yes, but they would be wrong.
This year's Met Gala was, in a word, boring. It was indistinguishable from any other red carpets. In fact, this year's Emmys or the Video Music Awards had more engaging carpet looks.
Let's start with the total misfires. Tiktok star Addison Rae wore a bright red ruched 2003 Tom Ford gown that her bestie, Kourtney Kardashian, wore to her family's Christmas party in 2019. The dress was off theme, and the fact that Rae borrowed it from Kardashian's closet only makes it more underwhelming. Model and actress Cara Delevigne wore white trousers and some sort of corset/bulletproof vest that said: "Peg the Patriarchy '' from Christian Dior. This was clearly an attempt at social commentary, but instead it gave off unironic girlboss vibes. Musician Shawn Mendes wore a black leather blazer and suspenders over his bare chest with plain black slacks from Michael Kors. This outfit was entirely off-theme and left Mendes looking like a slightly dressier version of Magic Mike. Actress Tracy Ellis Ross wore a bob cut and Gvaslia gown that can only be described as a bright blue trench coat. The only connection her look had to American Pop culture was the fact she resembled Violet Beauregarde from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.
Most of the looks were perfectly average. Not as dismal as the above-mentioned outfits, but not anything special. Most of the men in attendance wore some sort of variation of a black suit. Most of the women wore similar sparkly gowns, with the primary colors of the night being black, gold, silver, and pink. The looks of Megan Thee Stallion, Tessa Thompson, Zoey Deutch, Lil Nas X, Jackie Ania, Jeremy Pope, and Paloma Elesser were compelling, but not on theme.
However, there were some winners of this year's Red Carpet. Billie Eilish looked stunning in her Marylin Monroe-inspired Oscar de la Renta dress. Jennifer Lopez was serving wild west realness in her brown Ralph Lauren wrap gown and cowboy hat. Dan Levy wore a dazzling J.W
Anderson piece that depicted the map of America shaped as two men kissing. Yara Shahidi and Barbie Ferra both wore stunning 1920s style flapper dresses designed by Dior and Johnathan Simkhai, respectively.
Ultimately, the most on-theme look was also the most controversial. This look was worn by none other than Met Gala heavy hitter and pop culture icon Kim Kardashian. Kardashian wore a black Balangeica look that covered every inch of skin, head to toe, with only her high pony emerging from the skin-tight ensemble. In a sea of bright, flashy outfits, and intricate makeup looks, Kim Kardashian stood out, conservative and faceless. Her look was confusing to people. Many people failed to understand what Kim's outfit had to do with the theme. Though this look may be confusing at first, glance closer, and you will appreciate the genius of it. Even with her entire face and body covered, everyone was able to immediately identify Kim Kardashian. Her body is so ingrained in American society that you can tell it's her by looking at her silhouette. Kim Kardashian's body is American pop culture. With this complex and clever look, Kim Kardashian took the title of best dressed at the 2021 Met Gala.
Overall, this year's Met Gala was forgettable. The Met Gala is supposed to be the most important night in fashion. It's a time to push the limits of style, set new boundaries, and be creative and original. With a few exceptions, the guests failed to take advantage of such a rich theme. On fashion's most avant-garde night, most people played it safe. Oh well, better luck next year.