Chic but lacking the fabulous factor: Celebrity stylist MIRANDA HOLDER gives her verdict on the Met Gala (and her surprising pick for best dressed)
- The celebrity stylist and fashion expert reviews the Met Gala 2023 outfits
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The iconic red carpet covering the steps of New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art was a sea of monochrome last night, as the great and the good for the fashion world, together with the most noteworthy celebrities gathered to celebrate the opening of the latest Spring Exhibition at the Museum’s Costume Institute, at what is always the most anticipated fashion spectacle of the year.
The outfits are planned weeks if not months in advance and this year were paying homage to the late industry legend and innovator Karl Lagerfeld, the theme being ‘Karl Lagerfeld: A line of beauty’.
As Creative Director of Chanel from 1983 until his death in 2019 as well as being instrumental in the fortunes of other behemoths such as Fendi and Chloe, Karl was as famed for his indelible influence on the fashion world as he was for his unmistakable appearance which also made him a fashion icon in his own right.
With his ‘Edwardian meets goth’ aesthetic, Karl was instantly recognisable – and his iconic visage was emblazoned across everything from handbags to T-shirts in his time. He was rarely seen without his dark glasses, slick ponytail, starched white collar and fingerless gloves.
With Karl and his work as their muse, designers somewhat predictably plumped for the achingly-cool monochrome palette of black and white upon which to base their looks last night which looked chic, but lacked the ‘fabulous factor ‘ with which the event is normally synonymous.
J Lo’s look came out on top as Miranda’s favourite from the night as she arrived at the Met Gala in a Ralph Lauren gown with gloves
For some the tribute was subtle.
Ke Huy Quan was comparatively conservative in a custom pinstriped Dior suit complete with oversized collar, ornately jewelled tie pin, fan and fingerless gloves.
Meanwhile, at first glance of Tommy Hilfiger you could have been mistaken for thinking Karl had decided to make an appearance himself from beyond the grave, with Hilfiger’s ensemble of dark glasses, high ponytail and slimline Tommy Hilfiger x Denis Frison suit perfectly replicating Lagerfeld’s aesthetic.
Conan Grey took the look one step further, looking striking in an embellished Balmain ensemble (another huge label name on Lagerfeld’s cv), his sparkling black floor-length tailcoat and pearl-encrusted jacket was a definite show-stealer, set off perfectly by his naturally pale complexion and brooding dark messy hair.
Some celebrities arrived in more classic red carpet looks, including Jodie Comer whose blue Burberry gown was described as a ‘breath of fresh air’
As Miranda discussed the tributes to Lagerfeld ‘from the sublime to the ridiculous’, she made note of Janelle Monae’s performance outfit
Some Met Gala guests kept their tribute to Lagerfeld simple by wearing a tuxedo in line with his own personal style (pictured: Kristen Stewart)
Some of the women also got the ‘copy Karl memo’, Kristen Stewart looked typically androgynous in an oversized Chanel suit accessorised to perfection with matching loafers, double c belt and fat black tie, perfectly embodying Chanel’s ‘total look’ for which Karl and the design house are famous.
Kendall Jenner brought some flirty sex-appeal to the evening, with a ‘cheeky’ Marc Jacobs black sequined bodysuit finished with a Karl-esque silver high collar, dramatic cape ‘winged’ sleeves, statement black platform boots and not a lot else.
Cardi B’s characteristic larger than life take on the iconic tuxedo look was a corseted monochrome Chenpeng Studio gown emblazoned with black roses and complemented with a long silver wig and black headband, which gave us all the goth-rock Cinderella vibes, but perhaps my favorite of the ‘lets dress up like Karl looks’ was Teyana Taylor, who wore a sparkling silver Thom Browne gown masquerading as one of the designer’s iconic suits, accented with silver gloves, collar and tie and alluring flirty fascinator – for me this was the perfect combination of meeting the theme without compromising on glamour or style.
Ke Huy Quan’s (left) tribute to Lagerfeld was described as ‘conservative’ by Miranda with a subtle pinstriped Dior suit while Conan Grey (right) took the look ‘one step further’
Kendall Jenner’s daring ensemble of platform boots, a Marc Jacobs bodysuit and ‘not much else’ brought ‘flirty sex-appeal’ to the evening
Homage: The rapper, 30, hit the red carpet in a black ball gown with a tie – in an homage to the late Karl Lagerfeld, as it was influenced by his quilted bags and signature suit and black tie look
Miranda said Teyana Taylor’s dress, which was designed like a suit, was her favourite ‘let’s dress up like Karl’ look
Goddess like: Fashion veteran Naomi, 52, who marked her 16th gala, wore a one-shouldered gown from Chanel’s 2010 spring/summer collection
We were also treated to a few more classically glamorous red carpet looks – although notably not as many as usual – Jodie Comer was a vision in a beaded blue Burberry gown providing a welcome splash of colour, Naomi Campbell and Grace Elizabeth meanwhile were pretty in pink.
Anne Hathaway vamped it up in strapless Versace, taking us back to the 90s, the heyday of Karl’s reign at Chanel, complete with cream tweed, pearl accents and edgy safety pins and Michaela Coel was radiant in intricately beaded Schiaparelli.
But my absolute favourite was J LO, who looked absolutely breathtaking in a Ralph Lauren gown accented with evening gloves, feathers, fascinator and a sizeable train – the look had it all.
Then of course we go from the sublime to the ridiculous, which is all part of the Met Gala fun; Janelle Monae treated us to a performance, stripping off her oversized Thom Browne black and white coat to reveal a crinoline skirt and lingerie accessorised with oversized trainers.
Among the more unusual and outlandish looks of the night was Erykah Badu, who concealed her face for the evening
Alton Mason arrived at the Met Gala in a bridal-inspired look to pay tribute to Karl Lagerfeld
Wow! Lil Nas X put on a quirky display as he attended the Met Gala 2023 on Monday night at the Metropolitan Museum in New York City
Erykah Badu, who can always be relied upon for originality, concealed her face for the evening in a Chanel-inspired look by Marni designer Francesco Risso topped with an oversized white wig which provided ample opportunity to trip over her outfit on the steps but thankfully this calamity was avoided.
Alton Mason, the first black male model to ever walk in a Chanel Runway show, pledged his allegiance to the late designer by looking ready to walk up the aisle in a Karl Lagerfeld white lace jumpsuit with a matching veil whilst rapper Lil Nas X opted for a less is more approach for the occasion, wearing nothing but a crystal-encrusted silver thong, platform boots and several tubes-worth of silver body paint.
The outfits as always were weird and wonderful, although compared to previous years, perhaps not as outlandish as usual thanks to designers sticking so closely to the theme out of likely respect for Lagerfeld.
But the icing on the sartorial cake for memorable looks has to go to Jared Leto – who is rumoured to be playing the role of the designer in an up and coming biopic of his life – who turned up to the event rather convincingly dressed up as Karl’s insta-famous pampered pet cat – Choupette – purrfect!
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