Sophia Anness
The 2024 Met Galabrought unique looks full of florals and intricate designs to the famous steps of The Metropolitan Museum of Art. While many celebrities attended the event adorned in stunning outfits, a few stood out from the crowd.
The Met Gala is a fundraiser for the non-profit museum and it is organized every year by Anna Wintour, the editor-in-chief of Vogue magazine. The only way to attend is by invitation, and besides the publicly broadcast red carpet arrivals, what goes on at the Met Gala is a secret.
The Met Gala coincides with the grand opening of the museum’s fashion exhibit. The theme of this year’s exhibit is “Sleeping Beauties: A Reawakening of Fashion.” The exhibit contains garments that can no longer be worn because of the fragility of its designs.
The Met currently houses 220 fragile garments from over four centuries across fashion history. The museum used technologysuch as AI to display outfits that are too fragile for display on a mannequin. It also used smell molecules to extract some distinct scents from the garments. Overall, the exhibit is very immersive for museum-goers who visit.
Unlike the museum exhibit, The Met Gala had a different theme: “The Garden of Time.” This theme is based on the short story of the same name written by JG Ballard. The story details the ability to create and destroy and explains time’s short-term and long-term effects.
The gala saw many musicians, reality stars and actors walk the carpet. Many stood out, but some also played it safe.
Zendaya is one celebrity who made heads turn. She first came out in a stunning dress inspired by a 1999 Dior gown, perfectly matching the night’s theme. She then walked the carpet a second time with a whole new look.
For her second look, she wore a 1996 Givenchy gown completed with a dramatic headpiece from the spring 2007 Alexander McQueen collection. As one of the four co-chairs for the night, Zendaya was sure to make her two looks memorable.
Another stand-out attendee of the night was Tyla. The “Garden of Time" was her first gala, and she surprised viewers with a Balmain gown that looked like it could have been sculpted onto her body because the garment was covered with sand. Tyla held an hourglass in her hand to signify the sands of time, therefore tying into the theme.
Emma Chamberlainsurprised viewers when she came out wearing a gorgeous brown gown designed by John Paul Gaultier. The gown put a goth spin on nature, almost looking like Chamberlain was covered in thorns.
Wisdom Kaye, an influencer and model, also shocked viewers with his first Met Gala attendance. Officially considered the “best-dressed guy on TikTok” by Vogue, Kaye wore a custom, dramatic red tailcoat by designer Robert Wun. The look even had holes burnt into it, representing the decay of rose petals’ redness over time. Perhaps he can also be considered the best-dressed guy at the Met Gala.
Other stars such as Lana Del Rey, Lea Michele and Lil Nas X were just a few other standouts from a night of outstanding looks.
While many mastered the carpet, others left viewers confused. Kim Kardashian confused many with a gray cardigan draped over her shoulders and silver gown. The sweater cheapened the look, according to critics.
The Margiela by John Galliano dress sinched Kardashian’s waist and she looked as though she had trouble breathing with it on. However, the sweater took attention away from the dress. Kardashian explained to Vogue she was going for “the wildest night of my life in a garden” before she “grabbed my boyfriend’s sweater and threw it on.”
Many men continued to disappoint at the gala, showing up in plain tuxedoes. Guests are encouraged to go over the top for the gala, but many men tend to play it safe.
Overall, it was a great year for the Met Gala. The first Monday in May is always an interesting day, yet it is definitely the most important day for fashion.
