Tue 7th May
Alessandro Michele & Harry Styles in Gucci
Jemima Kirke & Lena Dunham in Christopher Kane
Lupita Nyong'o in Versace
Ezra Miller in Burberry
Florence Welch in Gucci
Indya Moore in Louis Vuitton
Kacey Musgraves in Moschino
Cardi B in Thom Browne
Ashton Sanders in Telfar
Elle Fanning in MiuMiuOkay, so we all know Lady Gaga won last night by seductively undressing herself while mounting the soft pink stairs of the Met. Lady Neophitou declared it her moment of the night and we can’t fight the social media coverage coming from every corner of the world – she was the embodiment of what the new Met exhibition is all about. Camp with a capital C, and fashion’s interpretation of the term. Susan Sontag’s seminal essay Notes on Camp was the compulsory literature for the ball, with many of the attendees taking the cues quite literally from her words. But despite the abundance of Halloween costumes, this was one of the most fun red (pardon, pink) carpets in the history of Hollywood. Let’s hope this isn’t just a one-off – the freedom of dressing beyond a black suit and a sexy gown might just become the standard to Hollywood style. Choosing a top 10 was beyond difficult and many fabulous, campy people had to be missed out, but you know – we take our numbers seriously.
Stepping on the red carpet just after Gaga was one of her co-hosts Harry Styles, styled by our very own Harry Lambert in a custom Gucci black piece. The highest-waist of the night, some see-through frills and a pearl earring, with Alessandro Michele by his side… For a man that celebrates camp through his every-day wardrobe, this was a thoughtful and considered moment of fashion heaven. Up next were the Christopher Kane girls – Jemima Kirke and Lena Dunham took the fetish approach, wearing matching-but-not custom mini dresses with gel bags and latex accessories, all inspired by Kane’s AW19 collection. To say we were gagged would be a (punny) understatement. Lupita Nyong’o brought the camp of Joseph and his technicolour dreamcoat (Phoebe says she looks like a fashionable version of 1980s toys – popples) via a custom Versace rainbow, accompanied by a matching fan and a stellar hairdo which was one of the beauty highlight of the night. Speaking of beauty moments, it was Ezra Miller that had us looking twice. Actually seven times – each for one of his eyes. A face mask based on his face, a bejewelled corset, pinstripe suit, Marilyn curls… We expected a LOT out of Miller and he didn’t disappoint.
Florence Welch in Gucci might sound like a “been there, done that” situation. However, last night’s version was everything but that – the Game of Thrones-like embellished cape had us thinking she arrived there on a dragon, while her lace-y gown reminded us she’s still a leader of a coven and that she probably landed on a broom. If Liberace was a girl… The cast of Pose was on high form last night, each bringing a piece of old-school drag into the mix. And despite Billy Porter’s gold Cleopatra fantasy making us gasp, our favourite was definitely Indya Moore in a gold Louis Vuitton mini. What made the look a lewk was the loooong braid that ended up looking like a keychain or one of those velvet ropes standing in between you and Met Gala’s shenanigans.
Gucci aside, the brand that revelled the most in last night’s theme was Moschino, spearheaded by its creative director Jeremy Scott. Katy Perry as a chandelier that later turned into a hamburger was a moment that will probably be remembered for years to come. Country gal Kacey Musgraves was our pick for the win though, in her Barbie drag (hello, Trixie Mattel) that was completed with a hair-dryer clutch and a pink convertible which drove her onto the carpet. Cardi B was in her campy prime and doing the most, wearing a red symphony of a padded and curved Thom Browne gown that took the award for the longest train of the night. Beware – the competition was fierce. With a sense of humour and a strong message of female power – it was both beautiful, on-theme and poignant. When it comes to men’s dressing, black tuxedos just didn’t cut it. Ashton Sanders was the antithesis of classic, bringing to the table a matador-like silhouette in a custom Telfar piece and a Marcel wave-inspired do. Finishing off our top 10 was the most difficult of the night – see below our honourable mentions that missed out by a hair or two. This might not be the most popular opinion, but Elle Fanning brought a kind of camp not many others did. Part 1990s fly girl, part 1960s Barbarella, part 1970s disco queen – she mish-mashed a whole bunch of cultural references in her Miu Miu twinset, making the night even more fun. And so it should be.
Honourable mentions: Amber Valetta in Saint Laurent by Anthony Vaccarello, Lizzo in Marc Jacobs, Saoirse Ronan in Gucci, Gal Gadot in Givenchy Haute Couture, Paloma Elsesser in Brock Collection, Hamish Bowles in Maison Margiela, Billy Porter in the Blonds
