The Looks of the 2021 MET Gala That Met Our Expectations
This year, the Metropolitan Museum of Art (MET) chose a bold, but specific theme of “American independence” for their fabulous annual party, the MET Gala. The MET Gala is, for lack of a better word, iconic. Every year at the MET, entertainers, athletes, influencers, and anyone labeled a “celebrity” has the opportunity to dress up in glamorous looks for public reflection. With such limited room to interpret the theme, the only solution for some celebrities was to wear a literal American flag, but others chose to ignore the dress code and unleash their creativity.
Old Hollywood is a center point in American history, with Marilyn Monroe being the face of the operation. Eilish took inspiration from this timeless “vintage Betty” look. Her dress is stunning with the multiple layers creating this princess-like peach gown. Her new album era, Happier Than Ever, compliments her entrance in such a one-of-a-kind Oscar de la Renta look as both radiate an angelic feel to them. Eilish will forever be remembered as the princess of the 2021 MET.
Pearls are known for their effortless shimmer. Combine that with Barbie Ferreira’s goddess-like nature, and you get one of the best looks of this year’s MET. Ferreira stunned the public eye with her beautifully draped pearls lined down her waist thanks to her designer, Jonathan Simkhai. This dress is an amazing visual of the unlimited restraints of fashion, proving that you could go as far as using a stone as a concept. Inspired by the bubbly flapper dresses of the 1920s, Ferreira absolutely killed this look while paying homage to the merits of dance history.
Of course, no MET Gala review would be complete without co-chair Lil Nas X’s outfits. Nas pulled a “Gaga” and showed up to the ball in three completely opposite looks. Visually, these three outfits were stunning with their tiny detailing and big statements. Starting out with a royal cape, Nas arrived in a classy gold gown that dropped to the floor along with everyone’s jaws. Next, in front of all eyes, Nas transformed into a bulky golden suit, only to shock us again with his final look, a sleek gold and black bodysuit. To say the least, Nas may have topped the MET this year with the amount of time and energy put into this three-part look.
Somali model and actress Iman dusted away the competition with her beautiful feather look centered around her incredible masterpiece of a headdress. Iman’s headdress is absolutely stunning in-person and on camera as the model walked the red carpet with her head held high. Expectations were exceeded with this look as Iman, while not following an American theme, compensated by bringing to the public eye one of the grandest looks the MET has seen since the spectacular “Heavenly Bodies” theme in 2018.
Adorable. The perfect word to describe Lili Reinhart’s third MET Gala look is adorable. Pink is such a complimenting color to Reinhart’s dainty complexion. While from the outside, the look does not match the American theme, if you look closely at the flowers accompanying Reinhart’s dress, you will see that each state flower is presented upon her gown. This is an ingenious concept. Everyone at the MET repeated ideas but no one did it like Reinhart. This look is unique, adorable, and perfect for the MET Gala.
Choo-choo! The longest train award goes to Jeremy Pope for this year’s fashion ceremony. Breaking gender norms, Pope impresses his audience greatly with his all-white attire. The broad shoulders combined with the delicate white fabric is such a stunning juxtaposition and honestly worked impressively in his favor. The men of the MET hold barely a candlestick to the look Pope has created for us as he steps away from black and white suits and into the real world of fashion.
Denim makes a comeback through its carrier, Lupita Nyong’o. Denim is such an American fabric with iconic performers such as Britney Spears majoring in its creation and Nyong’o honoring the iconic look. Even her hair is a statement, as inspiration struck from classic Afro looks worn by past generations of Black women in America. Nyong’o took the theme of American independence in such a talented direction as she implements her own opinion of what it really means to be American.
Audrey Hepburn is recognized to be an iconic fashionista and actress in America. This year at the MET, a lot of women took inspiration from Hepburn’s stupendous career including Dixie D’Amelio, Emily Blunt, and even Kendall Jenner. All three ladies nailed Audrey’s vibe while modernizing her outfits to be more appropriate to the fashion of today.
Influencers were criticized for being welcomed to this year’s MET due to their quick rise to fame. Dixie D’Amelio was a controversial invitee this year but, with her Hepburn-inspired outfit, she silenced all of the critics. The sleek dress paired with the eye-catching gloves is a classic Hepburn trademark but, the show stopping hat D’Amelio sports is positively insane. The over-the-top feather hat is a perfect recreation of the accessories highlighted in previous American history and D’Amelio elevates her status within the fashion world by accessorizing with it.
Blunt rocks another Hepburn-based look but taken in a completely opposite direction. The British actress replicates Hepburn’s famous dress in My Fair Lady, an American classic movie. The curves of the dress accentuate the beauty that is Blunt and to take it a step further, with her tiara completing this shimmering masterpiece. If Audrey Hepburn was able to view the dress she would be in awe to say the least, as Blunt and her designer, Miu Miu, salvaged the memorable parts of Hepburn’s dress and added their own twist of modernization.
Keeping up with the Kardashian-Jenner tradition, Kendall Jenner wore a sheer dress to the MET to not only look stunning but to appreciate the looks of Audrey Hepburn. With another recreation of the dress from My Fair Lady, it is a visible contrast between Jenner and Blunt’s styles of the same dress. Jenner stands confidently in all her shimmering glory and proves to the world that a modern look to an older style is never a bad choice.
Class of 2023
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