The Met Gala is the most- awaited fashion event each year. The fundraising benefit is usually held on the first Monday in May every year. Due to the pandemic, we missed the yearly event in 2020 and even saw a delay this year. But finally, we saw an outstanding and worth the wait event. There were first-timers, and they did not fail to impress. Every outfit was not only a fashion statement but had a message embedded in it.
Even though we missed a year of glamorous outfits, our favorite celebrities came back with groundbreaking looks this year. A lot of what we saw in the year 2021, as a result of the social and political concerns we faced in 2020 and over the years. The looks wouldn't be the same without the break that 2020 gave us as a society to look and reflect.
This year we saw the first part of the two-part event where the theme is American fashion. The first part was themed- In America: A Lexicon of Fashion. American fashion is acceded to be functional and ready to wear athleisure or loungewear. Usually, American fashion is considered to be rather dull when compared to sophisticated European designs. The theme of the 2021 Met is meant to reintroduce American fashion to the world and to let go of all misconceptions. American fashion is rich in culture and has expressive qualities. The Met celebrated the designers of America this year. The exhibition took inspiration from Jesse Jackson's patchwork as a metaphor for America's unique cultural identity. The designers wanted to showcase America's diverse, multifaceted and heterogeneous culture through their works.
Amanda Gorman, the 23-year-old US Presidential inaugural poet, Timothee Chalamet, 25-year-old Dune actor, Naomi Osaka, 23-year-old tennis champion and mental health activist, and Billie Eilish, 19-year-old singer and songwriter hosted the 2021 met gala. Gen- Z was rather a big part of the event. Anna Wintour played a large part as usual. The event opened in the Anna Wintour Costume Center and the second part will take place in May of 2022.
Although we missed our favorites like Zendaya, Nicki Minaj, Kylie Jenner, Harry Styles, Beyonce, Lady Gaga, Ariana Grande, Zayn Malik, Blake Lively, Jared Leto, and Andy Cohen, we saw multiple first-timers who built their careers during the lockdown.
The political stances of the attendees stood out in this specific event making it unique from the other Mets. Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez made her debut in an off-shoulder white dress creating quite the statement because of the message in red bold letters which stated "tax the rich". AOC stands strongly as an advocate of additional taxation to pay for the new green deal. The all-white gown had its political message — it was an invocation of the women’s suffrage movement in the US. Some called her a hypocrite because she wore a designer dress while some appreciated her stand for the cause. Dan Levy wore a JW Anderson and Loewe look that was rooted in the works of the LGBTQIA+ activist David Wojnarovicz. Soccer star Megan Rapinoe wore a Sergio Hudson pantsuit in bright red silk,
with a bright blue shirt that had white stars. She also carried a clutch with the words ‘In Gay We Trust’ printed on it.
No one can stop talking about Kim's look. She wore an all-black ensemble from luxury brand Balenciaga, which covered her top-to-toe, complete with a black veil. Various contemplations were made on her mysterious look. Kim's outfits are often criticized for being too revealing and she is often sexualized. The fact that people couldn't stop talking about her all-black outfit took to the fact that people are criticized no matter what they wear. Her idea behind the outfit was going incognito and about cancel culture. It could also be a tribute to the black lives matter movement.
Supermodel Cara Delevingne wore a white Dior tank top with ‘Peg the Patriarchy’ on it. She mentioned her outfit had a message of women empowerment and gender equality. Congresswoman Carolyn B Maloney wore a gown. Her train had ‘Equal Rights for Women’ written on it. The outfit was her homage to the Equal Rights Amendment proposed in 1979, which would guarantee “legal gender equality” for men and women. Maloney also carried a clutch with the words “ERA YES” again invoking the Equal Rights Amendment.
Rihanna went for a powerful look that still had a feminine hint to it. She also mentioned wanting to incorporate the black lives matter movement in her outfit and embrace it. She debuted along with A$AP Rocky who embraced patchwork, which showed American culture and also got a hint of lockdown to the met with a blanket-like look.
Camila Cabello and Shawn Mendes made their debut as a couple and it was Camila's first Met. The couple wore Michael Kors to the Met. Keke Palmer was inspired by Diane Ross. She had a sleek look but she embraced her afro. Addison Rae too attended her very first Met in Tom Ford. Her look was vintage with classic Hollywood glam, she also decided to go blonde for the Met. Emma Chamberlin, a well-known YouTube star went in for the first time too, she interviewed multiple celebrities. The YouTube community was highly in awe of her. Her look was simple but it caught an eye. And even though we missed Zendaya because she was busy filming Euphoria, her co-star Barbie Ferriera took to the Met with a classic pearl look, a glamorous and eye-catching look indeed. Olivia Rodrigo, our new favorite artist also attended her very first Met, her vision was to find a personal touch with American fashion, she ended up wearing an elegant yet punk pantsuit by Saint Laurant. Megan Thee Stallion wore Coach and had a Hollywood glam look from head to toe, it was her first Met too. Madison Beer, also a first-timer and paid homage to Marylin Monroe.
Lili Reinhart came to the Met in a gorgeous gown from Christian Siriano that had flowers from all states in the USA. It was also her first Met without Sprouse. As for Kendall Jenner, she was inspired by Audrey Hepburn's My Fair Lady. Classic, but a modern take on her look. Lil Nas X stepped up a level and gave us a grand transformation, we said he wanted to feel power and royalty and he served indeed. He decided to show up in a cloak as a metaphor for his career in Hollywood. Billie Eilish had a modern-day Marilyn moment. She had her Cinderella moment this year. She was inspired by Holiday Barbie. Simon Biles, a gold
medalist who wore a dress that represents her medals. Gabrielle Union's dress was made of 10,000 circles to represent unity. Iman's dress was as eye-catching as it gets. The gold circles represent a ray of light and hope. Yara Shahidi's look was a nod to Josephine Baker. Saweetie's dress had the colors of Filipino and Black American Flags. Jennifer Lopez was in a Western cowboy look while Lupita Nyong showed up in a sparkling denim dress.
The list is never-ending, there were too many alluring looks to count. What stood out more than ever was the thought behind each dress. More than fashion, there was thought and there was a message. There wasn't politics, there was creativity. Every look embraced something but didn't fail to catch the eye. More than a label it was America’s gusty, adventurous sartorial spirit.
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