And with that the 2024 Met Gala comes to a close. We do hope you’ve enjoyed joining us.
The main takeaway for us? Perhaps celebrities and their stylists needed a clearer theme. On Monday morning in an interview with Today, Anna Wintour seemed to pre-empt this was how it was going to play out when she apologised for any “confusion” over the theme. “This exhibition broke my cardinal rule,” she said. “When we came up with the title ‘Sleeping Beauties,’ it’s wonderful and poetic and romantic, but actually, it could be many, many things….“So, I fear that we’ve unleashed a lot of confusion out there, and for which I deeply apologise.”
In the end, it was hard to decipher what exactly the majority of the looks were trying to express. Lana Del Rey in Alexander McQueen, Barry Keoghan in Burberry and Zendaya’s second John Galliano look for Givenchy were the exception. Balenciaga’s reinterpretation of archival gowns as seen on Nicole Kidman and Naomi Watts were also clever.
There were plenty of dramatic red carpet gowns but, compared to previous years, they felt like they could have used a little more drama. Unlike, say, the Oscars, the Met is when you can really push the red carpet boundaries. Think of Jared Leto as Choupette the cat in 2023. Zendaya’s light up Cinderella moment in 2019. And Rihanna’s omelette dress in 2017. Cardi B blocking the steps in a dress with the wingspan of a jumbo jet is fun but it’s not Lady Gaga doing four costume changes ascending those steps is it.
The sign of a memorable Met Gala is the memes and tonight, sadly, the internet was lacking them.
Let’s see if the after-party looks bring some more pep. For now, it’s good night from us.
Updated
Camilla Cabello’s clutch is in fact a giant cube of ice containing a singular rose. It’s slowly melting with the idea that by the time the night is over she’ll be left just holding the stem. But should it come with a frost bite warning?
