Monday, May 1st, 2023 was this year’s Met Gala. A was a night to remember, with celebrities and fashion icons showing off their most daring and extravagant looks. From stunning gowns to avant-garde ensembles, the red carpet was a feast for the eyes.
This year’s theme is ‘Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty’. The night is will be in honour of Karl, the legendary designer who sadly passed away in 2019, aged 85. He was one of the most prolific and celebrated fashion designers of all time and has headed up some of the biggest fashion houses in the world, including Fendi, Chanel and his own namesake label, all of which he acted as creative director until his death (Harper’s Bazaar).
Taking into account this year’s theme, here are some of the most memorable looks from the event, including the hits, misses, and some that left us wondering what they were thinking.
*Disclaimer* These are MY opinions and they are just for fun. Celebrity fashion is made for our entertainment.
advertisement
The Met Gala 2023 was a fashion lover’s dream, with celebrities and fashion icons bringing their A-game to the red carpet. One of the best-dressed celebrities was Anne Hathaway, in the perfect Chanel-inspired Versace setting the bar for what a Met Gala design should be. An honourable mention to Emma Chamberlain and Miu Miu for the dreamy blue suit ensemble and embellished buttons as well. Designer Thom Browne had a fantastic night, taking some of Karl Lagerfeld’s famous details to a place of extremism- he created some of the most iconic looks of the night.
Dua Lipa, Gisel, Kate Moss, and Nicole Kidman were a dream in their original gowns designed by Karl himself. We love a repurposed queen! The styling was modest though. I would have loved to have seen more historic fashion moments with exaggerated hair and makeup looks.
Doja Cat is a feline fashion icon in her Oscar De La Renta gown which marries fashion & fantasy to perfection. Elle Fanning and Penelope Cruz came as iconic Chanel brides. Stella Mccartney is a futurist dream in her oversized pearled blazer and sequined tights.
While the Met Gala 2023 was filled with stunning fashion moments, there were also some outfits that missed the mark. I was disappointed at the lack of original looks shown this year. Many took the inspiration too literally doing white wigs in a white and black classic Karl attire. It would have been great to see more inspiration from Karl’s career and less from his own look. While his look was iconic, it became the obvious choice.
A tough night for Chanel, I actually think they had some of the worst dressed of the night. Lizzo’s pearl outfit looked like an afterthought, with cheap strings of pearls possibly bought from Ardène’s thrown about. Margot Robbie’s vintage Chanel, originally worn by supermodel Cindy Crawford, was quite a boring choice. Donatella wore a pink gown inspired by the original, which was tragically ill-fitted considering she is the head designer of Versace. Naomi Campbell is also in a vintage Chanel, which she wore on the runway. But as a supermodel with her fame- we expect something more extravagant.
Zac Posen and Madelyn Cline were simply snoozes (sorry not sorry!). Perhaps the only bad Thom Browne of the night was Olivia Rodrigo, who looked like a muddy mop. Emily Blunt looks like an expensive widow, while both Gigi Hadid & Billie Eilish are wrapped in yards of leftover black tulle. Both Gucci (Salma & Hayak) and Valentino (Viola Davis) got it wrong too. While the stars look splendid indeed, the gowns are just not really on theme.
The Chanel Camillia was the inspiration for many- which is unfortunate. It made for so many outfits to look exactly the same. While I do actually like some of the designs, Paris Hilton in Marc Jacobs for one, the design became so repetitive and uncreative by the end of the night.
Burberry soft launched their new signature blue colour by dressing everyone the same. Kylie Jenner looks gorgeous and we appreciate the burst of colour in her red & blue gown, but it’s not on theme.
Jessica Chastain is normally one of my favourites on the red carpet, I wasn’t feeling her Gucci interpretation of Karl himself. While neither Kim K nor Amanda Seifried is inherently bad, they seem to be referencing the same silhouette. While Kim does give more glamour and creativity in her Schiaparelli pearl attire, her corset/shapewear look is tired- I’m really looking forward to seeing her do something else soon. And Amanda Seyfried just isn’t doing enough for the Met (again, sorry not sorry!).
advertisement
While there were plenty of stunning and memorable looks at the Met Gala 2023, there were also some outfits that left us scratching our heads. Some outfits are too atrocious, it feels shameful to include them in a fashion review. Pete Davidson made a mockery at the Met Gala wearing a t-shirt and a bucket hat (at least it was Fendi), proving that fashion is no longer the focus of the event- but celebrity is.
Jared Leto took the feline fashion reference just literally. And while Lily Collins’s gown is gorgeous, who ever pulled the trigger on spelling out KARL on the train should be reminded of Coco Chanel’s famous words: “Take at least one thing off before leaving the house.” In this case, they need to take away 4 things.
Kendal Jenner looks stunning as usual, but the massive platforms with the body suit aren’t doing anything for me other than LEGS- which we already knew she had. Calvin Klein gave us quite literally Calvin Klein. Lil Nas X is supposed to be a crystal cat? I don’t see it, anyway, Doja Cat did it better. Jeremy Pope’s colossal train with Karl’s face imprinted is just not the fashion moment Balmain hoped for.
Pedro Pascal gave us shorts and combat boots at the Met….. And Erykah Badu is.. Erykah Badu.
My overall disappointment with the looks this season was the lack of glamour and extravaganza, also the lack of vintage Karl-designed looks. With such a long history of runway shows for the biggest fashion houses of all time, why were more runway moments not referenced? The lack of detail and innuendo to Karl’s artistry was lazy and obvious, leaving us wondering what place in popular culture the Met Gala has. We definitely missed our fashion Queen, Blake Lively. I wonder what wonderous reference to fashion history she might have made?
As luxury fashion continues to lose relevance in a world that values quantity over quality; and celebrity is favoured over fashion knowledge and creativity- is the Met Gala even relevant anymore?
Looking forward to reading your answers below!
*As I do one last look at my article before publishing, I realize I put most of the light dresses in the best dressed, and most of the dark dresses in the worst. Could it be because I am recently engaged and have my own wedding dress on my mind? 🙂 *
advertisement
From personalized wardrobe assessments to trend-savvy advice, discover how virtual styling can transform your fashion journey and elevate your confidence effortlessly. Embrace the future of fashion consultation and redefine your style with expert guidance.
As the countdown to the New Year begins, there's no need to hit the stores for a last-minute outfit panic. Let your closet take center stage using what you already have.
Research shows we only wear 20% of our closet 80% of the time.Unlock your full style potential with the help of a digital fashion stylist.
