MET-GALA

The Costume Institute Gala or better known as the Met-Gala is the one show that celebrates all that fashion is and the Met is not shy about pulling out all the stops. The event has gone from an annual fundraiser attended by the fashion industry and New York high society to an absolute cultural phenomenon which in turn attracts global media coverage and attention. The exclusivity of the event is second to none, with tickets costing as much as a new car – It provides designers with the opportunity to showcase their most coveted work on their celebrity muses – and it all goes to a good cause. The Anna Wintour Costume Institute, is home to the largest collection of fashion in the world, it is also the only department at the Metropolitan Museum of Art that has to fund it’s own operations. So as it’s exhibitions have become more elaborate over the past 80 years, its only natural that its benefits, decked with equally spectacular décor, would follow suit.

The theme for this years MET was Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic imagination. This theme has caused a bit of a stir as far as it being labelled by religious Catholics as blasphemous. However, I feel that the theme is actually genius, it has created a dialogue between fashion and the masterworks of religious art currently in the museums’ holdings, the display of these extraordinary ecclesiastical pieces have highlighted the enduring influence of religion and liturgical vestments on fashion, this event was even supported by the head of the catholic church which also provided dozens of precious objects from the Vatican itself, many of which have never left Rome before. By placing fashion within “the broader context” of religious artistic production, like paintings and architecture, they successfully produced a show that portrayed how “material Christianity” has helped form the Catholic imagination. The intersection of faith and fashion is evident throughout history, from how representatives of the church have dressed, including those representatives of the monarchy who are also seen as religious heads of the church, it has even had an effect on hair trends throughout history with the act of tonsure and different head-dress. The juxtaposition between the sacred and the profane, as it were, has not always been easy, it is so complex and hence how it is sometimes contested.

Now for some fun, below are my favourite looks of this years 2018 MET:

Madonna – Jean Paul Gaultier

Madonna completely shut the MET down with her dress theme, a lot of fashion attendees went to the event in pretty angelic looks, however I feel like the stars that took the androgynous route really made the most impact and correlation to the theme.. ALL BOW DOWN TO QUEEN MADONNA.

Blake Lively – Versace

This crimson dress, embroidered bodice, bejeweled straps, that train and halo headpiece has me going crazy! She looked like a 14th-century Catholic queen!

Rihanna – Megiela

I love this look but I also hate it for the simple fact that turning up dressed like the pope is kind of too uninventive, its almost the first thing I thought of when I heard the theme. However this look is undeniably insane, and if anyone else turned up dressed like the pope or in this actual attire they would be on the worst dressed list. Rihanna has this amazing ability to pull off some of the hardest looks I have seen and still be wearing the dress and not letting the dress wear her.

My Worst dressed is taking hit at the Kardashian/Jenners, whilst I love watching their reality shows and will sheepishly admit that I follow them on all platforms and do love them in general. They just didn’t do ENOUGH to portray the theme. Kendall looked like she has just rummaged through her designer laden wardrobe for something white and just threw it on, while I feel Kim put more effort in, I just don’t think it was enough.. She wore a gold sequin dress and added a few crosses.. I mean this is the fashion event of the year, the one red carpet that you can be forgiven for dressing excessively like the theme chosen. my view is; go all out at the MET or don’t bother coming.