The Met Gala and its red carpet serve as an annual X-ray of the fashion industry’s power structures as well as those of the nearby celebrity, Hollywood, and music industries.
It makes clear to us who is up and who is down, in and out. The linkages between culture and entertainment, the establishment and new money, tech billionaires with the enormous funds to support events like these, and designers whose wives want to wear dresses are all depicted in this heat map. The Met Gala lifts the curtain on the alliances, conflicts, and falling out that have taken place in these new soft power corridors.
This is an evening of exquisite gowns and substantial wealth. The Super Bowl of entertainment-based fashion raised about
Galliano, who currently Met Gala designs for Maison Margiela, wore an iridescent peacock blue corsetted mermaid-skirt dress for her arrival. This was followed by a huge, inky antique couture Givenchy gown from 1996, when Galliano was still employed at the house.
Kim Kardashian also selected a silver gown by Galliano, a metallic lace sheath with such dramatic corseting that her eerily small waist attracted headlines right away in Met Gala. Kardashian is the only one who truly comprehends the influence of fashion on modern culture.
The silhouette mostly used her body’s incredible strength to make headlines, but Galliano was a deliberate decision. The endorsement of a designer by Zendaya and the Kardashians together gives credence to rumors that Galliano may soon be returning to a major fashion job, possibly a return to Givenchy, where the designer position is vacant. Galliano has quietly emerged from his wilderness period this year, with a hit show at Paris haute couture and a documentary by Kevin Macdonald.
Galliano’s widespread popularity also suggests the tenacity of Anna Wintour’s authority behind the scenes. Wintour is a strong supporter of the British designer and may have impacted the Zendaya and Kardashian camps’ decisions.
Wintour stays queen while other participants in the power drama come and go. The triumphant arrivals of Wintour’s favorite designer on the red carpet might potentially ease the disappointment of Taylor Swift and Rihanna’s high-profile no-shows that evening.
Met Gala Shows
A new style of press briefing has emerged from the red carpet. Adwoa Aboah, a model and activist, revealed her pregnancy with a style that showed off her tummy between a ruffled bolero and a puffball skirt.
Tom Ford refrained from wearing Tom Ford menswear on the red carpet, seemingly as a subtle jab at the new designer of his company, which he sold last year. Rather, it was a Saint Laurent jacket in crimson velvet. Amazon served as the event’s primary sponsor, and it was noteworthy that Jeff Bezos and his fiancée Lauren Sánchez eschewed the sheer dresses and cowboy hats of their previous public appearances in favor of traditional Upper East Side elegance: Bezos wore a black tie, while Sánchez wore a stately Oscar de la Renta gown.
A new style of press briefing has emerged from the red carpet. Adwoa Aboah, a model and activist, revealed her pregnancy with a style that showed off her tummy between a ruffled bolero and a puffball skirt.
Tom Ford refrained from wearing Tom Ford menswear on the red carpet, seemingly as a subtle jab at the new designer of his company, which he sold last year. Rather, it was a Saint Laurent jacket in crimson velvet. Amazon served as the event’s primary sponsor, and it was noteworthy that Jeff Bezos and his fiancée Lauren Sánchez eschewed the sheer dresses and cowboy hats of their previous public appearances in favor of traditional Upper East Side elegance: Bezos wore a black tie, while Sánchez wore a stately Oscar de la Renta gown.
Jenner’s selection of two vintage items was indicative of the Met Gala’s elevated reputation for vintage clothing. A few years ago, getting a fresh appearance created for you by a designer was the key to star power. The ultimate red carpet flex, however, is now having the connections and know-how to get your hands on important pieces from the most valuable archives in fashion.
