spilling the beans on the 2024 met gala
Last night, we all experienced the Garden of Time, a theme so confusing that Anna Wintour actually issued an apology. While overall the looks might suffer, I sometimes like when they keep it vague.
Having a more conceptual theme is interesting because there aren’t really any solid visual guidelines. This means that with the right story, you can spin almost anything into fitting the theme. Is it about gardens? Flowers? The preservation of clothing? The reinterpretation of fashions of the past? Dreams? Reawakening? The way that the past can catch up to us? The clout of archival pulls? Selling your latest collection? What about if your dream is to reawaken in a floral gown inspired by an archival piece that just so happened to be in the latest collection?
My point is that confusing themes make it very hard to judge the looks. Thankfully, I’m up to the task. I’m not going to be featuring every look from the carpet, just the ones I have strong opinions on. If I miss anything, I’ll throw it in Friday’s Weekly Spill.
Zendaya in John Galliano (twice!)
Zendaya walked the steps twice in John Galliano’s designs. The first was a custom Margiela look that he created for her. The second is an archive Givenchy gown from the year she was born that Zendaya purchased herself. There has been much speculation going around about the possibility of Galliano’s return to the center of the fashion world, and last night felt like a confirmation. I would not be surprised if we keep seeing his name pop up more and more in the future.
Jennifer Lopez in Schiaparelli
The impact of Cher’s naked dress is never ending. I told you last week that it’s one of the most influential met gala moments of all time. See, I know what I’m talking about here. She looks beautiful, but I could see her wearing this to any event. She tried to spin it as being inspired by butterflies leaving their cocoons, which only makes me think of this Jasmine Masters video.
Bad Bunny in Margiela
I’ve got the applaud the men who take risks at the gala. This look is so cool that it helped soothe my anger at his fellow male co-chair, Thor, who seemed to have no idea what the event was at all. Is it hard to google the gala that you are a co-chair of in the car on the way to the event? I really don’t think so.
Anna Wintour not in Chanel (it’s Loewe)
I am only including this because she broke tradition and didn’t wear Chanel. She wore Loewe, who was a sponsor of the Gala this year. This was big news, but also a true testament that the girls will do almost anything to get out of having to wear Chanel.
Colman Domingo in Willy Chavarría
I think this look is fabulous, but hearing him speak about it was the best part. I love when you can tell that a celebrity actually cares. He said that the cape was a way to pay tribute to both Chadwick Boseman and André Leon Talley. Stunning. Love.
Lana Del Rey in McQueen
If we are going to remember any looks from this red carpet in the future, this might be one of them, even if only because watching her almost poke Kim Kardashian’s eye out with these antlers during the red carpet interviews was comedy gold. This is a take on the antler dress from I think that anytime you reference Lee McQueen, it’s going to work in your favor.
Taylor Russell in Loewe
I think this is a really great look. I like the wood bodice, it’s a nice nod to the theme that isn’t as on the nose as flowers. Bravo.
Doja Cat in Vetements
It’s a no from me. This screams stunt, but what are you saying with it? What’s the point? I’m all for wacky looks at the Gala, but this just falls flat.
Tyla & Olivier Rousteing in custom Balmain
In my opinion, these are the best looks according to the theme. Using the metaphor of the sands of time was already a great move, but then to actually construct the garments out of sand is mind blowing. The exhibition inside the museum is broken into three zones representing land, sea, and sky as a tribute to fashion’s interactions with the natural world. A big focus has also been on the ways that the museum will display garments that are too fragile to ever be worn again. So, these looks that Olivier Rousteing created are perfectly on theme. Made from nature, and never able to be worn again. They will literally dissolve like the sands of time. Genius.
Isabelle Huppert in Balenciaga
I love that Balenciaga keeps doing these recreations of archive looks. They are consistently some of my favorites on any red carpet. This is a recreation of a bridal gown from the 1930s that is in the exhibition.
Nicole Kidman in Balenciaga
Another stellar recreation, this time of a gown from the 1950s. Kidman explained that the concept was to think of these designs from the past as sleeping beauties and the recreation of them as a reawakening. On the red carpet, she said, “So I consider this to be a ‘sleeping beauty’ brought back to life. It’s an honor to be able to bring it back to life.”
Amelia Gray in Undercover
Not only is this dress in the exhibition, it’s on the cover of the coffee table book. So, I’d say this is very much on theme. It’s feels way less gimicky than some of the other looks, and it glows in the dark so that’s saying something. One of the best of the night for me.
Chloë Sevigny in Dilara Findikoglu
It just makes me happy that she's there.
Kim Kardashian in Margiela
I was curious to see what she would wear, given the rumors that the theme was possibly a little inspired by her disregard for archival garments. I don’t understand why this look was chosen. I don’t think it’s on theme. After hearing her explain it, I am confident that she did not understand the theme at all. She said that the look was about having a wild night in the garden of time. “I just ran out and grabbed my boyfriend’s sweater and threw it on and had to get to work,” she said, according to “Page Six.” “And my hair is all messed up.” Girl, what are you talking about?
Greta Lee in Loewe
Greta Lee is the fashion girl we need. She always looks good, and this is no exception.
Elle Fanning in Balmain
This look tells me that Elle Fanning is the kind of person who does the assigned reading. The short story that inspired the theme is about a garden of crystal flowers. Elle Fanning looks like a crystal flower. She’s getting extra credit for this direct reference to the source material.
Lizzo in Victor Weinsanto
This is my pick for worst dressed. I do appreciate a big swing though, and this is anything but boring. The consensus in my group chat was that this was sort of giving coffee filter. So, there’s that.
Really quickly I want to list people who I was surprised didn’t attend because most of my night was texting people saying “no ___? I thought they’d be there!” So, here is my list of missing people: Anne Hathaway, Emma Stone (no Louis Vuitton? interesting…), Rihanna, Hunter Schafer, Billie Eillish, Lady Gaga, Timothee Chalamet, and Taylor Swift. I’m sure there are more that surprised me that I’ll think of later, but that’s what comes to mind right now.
I think that concludes my thoughts on the 2024 Met Gala, at least for now. Only 365 days until the next one! There is a chance that some of these might grow on me with time. Or… grow like the garden of time? See what I did there?