It’s Met Gala time and the fashion parade of A-listers included a swirl of flora and fauna looks on a green-tinged carpet surrounded by foliage. Jennifer Lopez went for silver leaves in a second-skin goddess gown and Zendaya was all vamp and fantasy.
Both are co-chairs of the annual fundraiser at The Metropolitan Museum of Art. And both received cheers from the crowd of fashion enthusiasts packed behind barriers outside.
Flowers were everywhere, in line with this year’s theme: “The Garden of Time.” Lopez (in Schiaparelli) was all va-va-voom in a near-naked gown that hugged like a second skin. She’s got the Meta Gala down: It’s her 14th. Zendaya put on her fashion face in hues of blue and green, with a head piece to match and leaf accents.
It’s been five years since Zendaya last attended the Met Gala. Her look, in peacock colours, was by Margiela. Lopez went with Tiffany & Co. diamonds, including a stunning bird motif necklace with a diamond of over 20 carats at its centre.
Colman Domingo donned an ivory jacket with a cape, holding a bouquet of white calla lilies, while Tyla chose a gown made to look like sand. She needed help with the hourglass she held as she made her way up the museum stairs.
Sam Smith wore silver and gold metal roses tucked into the waist of a jacket, and Jack Harlow also channeled florals, but subtly with a silver and pearl floral boutonniere.
Gala mastermind Anna Wintour wore a black coat adorned with multi-coloured flowers. Her fellow co-chair Bad Bunny donned all black. A pregnant Lea Michele wore Rodarte, inspired by the brand’s 2012 spring/summer collection.
“I’m honoured to be here and bring my baby with me,” Michele said. “I don’t think I was allowed a plus one, but I’m bringing one,” she said with a laugh. “I’m so grateful. I feel really beautiful, you know, in this pregnancy.”
Looking to follow along? Here’s a quick primer on what you need to know about the palooza of A-list celebrities from film, fashion, music, sports, politics and social media.
Only the event’s stacked red carpet is watchable — the gala’s cocktail hour and dinner are notoriously private events.
What’s the point of the Met Gala?
It’s a party, for sure, with cocktails and dinner for about invited 400 guests, but it’s also a huge fundraiser for the Met’s Costume Institute, the only department at the museum required to pay for itself. Last year, the gala raised about NZ$36 million. Wintour, a Met trustee for whom part of the institute has been renamed, organises the whole shebang. No phones are allowed, adding to the allure.
What’s this year’s met gala theme?
There’s a dress code each year tied to the museum’s spring exhibition. Some guests, not all, step up at the request of Wintour. This year’s theme is inspired by J.G. Ballard’s 1962 short story of the same name. It’s a squishy fashion ask considering how specific last year’s theme was: all things Karl Lagerfeld.
What is the museum exhibit this year?
It’s called “Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion.” But we’re not talking fairytales or Disney princesses. It includes 250 items from The Costume Institute’s permanent collection, including some garments very rarely seen in public and so fragile they need to be under glass. Curators wanted to engage all the senses, including smell. They worked with a “smell artist”. And there’s a garment that actually grows. Part of the idea is to pay tribute to the natural world. The exhibit opens to the public on Friday and runs through to September 2.
