By Rami Mansi
The most exclusive invitation in the world, the one chance to make or break your fashion career, and Zendaya’s first Met Gala appearance in five years. Welcome to Rami’s Reviews, a series where I, Rami Mansi, Opinions Editor of The Vanguard, review various Lady Gaga VMA 2009 highs, and Stan Twitter fight lows of pop culture. In this piece, we will be diving into the do’s and don’ts, mishaps, golden hours, and powerful moments of the 2024 Met Gala.
The category for the red carpet was “Garden of Time,” which played on the classic short story by J.G Ballard. Its thematics can be interpreted through a variety of means. However, with “garden” in the title, flowers, botanicals, and other natural elements were expected within the couture. The main theme was inspired by the Met Museum’s new exhibition, “Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion.” Sleeping beauties in fashion are those that are so fragile and delicate that they have to be frozen in time for protection.
Now let’s deep dive into the looks, starting with YouTuber-turned-fashion’s favorite it-girl Emma Chamberlain, who was dressed in an original Jean Paul Gaultier dress. A darker interpretation of the theme, the brown piece was fitted with intricate floral lace details that took over 640 hours of work. This look was everything the public wanted from Chamberlain and became one of the top looks of the night (mine included).
Co-host Bad Bunny surprised viewers with his Maison Margiela suit. A theatrical ensemble combined with round opticals, a padded jacket, an oversized bonnet, and stitches were seen throughout the piece; the cherry on top was a bouquet of black florals. Although unexpected, this look worked perfectly with the theme.
Jennifer Lopez, another co-host, wore a nude illusion, crystal-dominated, and figure-hugging Schiaparelli gown. Although stunning, Lopez has worn this type of look several times before. Therefore, this dress offered no new sustenance to her brand, the theme, or the upkeep of her role as co-host.
On the contrary, Zendaya wowed social media audiences and fashion lovers alike with both of her red carpet-looks. The first look took inspiration from a 90’s Dior gown, mainly in its color scheme and aesthetic. It featured shades of blue and green, adorned with embellishments and a feather headpiece.
Coming back for a second appearance, Zendaya donned an archival ‘96 John Galliano couture gown, complete with a 2007 Alexander McQueen headpiece. Both looks were show-stopping and the very highlight of this year’s gala. Understanding the motif with the help of personal stylist and legend Law Roach, the duo came out on top and demonstrated what it truly meant to serve a Met Gala-worthy look.
From this point on, looks became breathtakingly stunning or simply a gown with flowers put onto it. Florals? For spring? How not very groundbreaking. This strong divide caused a rift between highly stunning looks and disappointments.
South African singer Tyla made her Met Gala debut in a form-fitting Balmain dress designed with actual sand to represent an hourglass. The look deteriorated over time to demonstrate the ephemerality of fashion, securing Tyla’s spot as a person to look out for in next year’s Met Gala and as an upcoming fashion icon.
A woman adorned in an original Iris Van Herpen piece went viral on social media as the public eye tried to figure out who this largely unknown mystery woman was. This mystery person turned out to be tech tycoon, three-time Ivy graduate, and billionaire Mona Patel, whose moving sleeves of butterfly wings shocked viewers and solidified her spot as one of the best dressed of the night.
When discussing transgression beyond the theme, a trend in this year’s Met was intricacy in accessories. Taking enough liberty to have limitless creativity while also having silhouettes stay to the syllabus was a risky move to pull off, yet many designers accomplished just that. Such ideas can be seen with Elle Fanning (who played Sleeping Beauty in “Maleficent”), as her shoulders held two bird sculptures that completed the crystal princess fantasy. Taylor Russel wore an authentic wooden corset designed by Loewe that took wood in the garden of time as a brave idea.
One celebrity that caused the strongest divide among fashion lovers was Doja Cat’s Vetements wet shirt-dress look. It consisted of a long dress resembling a white shirt, copious amounts of hair gel to create a wet look, and a glittery “crying” makeup look, finished off with nothing underneath the shirt to create an authentic nude appearance. This look was originally seen as a failed stylistic attempt, even though it pulled off the look of sculptures seen in upper-class and elegant gardens. I feel as though it could have been elevated to appear more formal by referencing another fashion ideal of the wet cotton look with Drag Race winner Symone’s step-down look, which invoked something similar.
For the best dressed, the golden crown goes to Bollywood actress Alia Bhatt, who demonstrated how South Asian fashion is truly ahead of the curve. Her pastel green sari with floral details and a stunning train captured the eyes of photographers and viewers alike, a show-stopping piece.
For the worst dressed, I give the bronze boot to the multiple men who showed up to fashion’s most extravagant night wearing lackluster suits that provided little creativity or appreciation for the theme. Looks from Chris Hemsworth, Omar Apollo, Jack Harlow, Stray Kids, and sadly cinema’s favorite newcomer Nicholas Galitzine, were all disappointing. Although regalness and elegance radiated off from all the gentlemen, certain risks to elevate the looks were not taken as stars passed for more plain fashion choices.
Thank you for recapping the Met Gala 2024 with Rami’s Reviews! Signing off until next time.