Publicity or Charity? 2022’s Gilded Glamour Met Gala
- rowenaphillips
- May 7, 2022
- 3 min read
Updated: May 9, 2022
The Met Gala, the biggest occasion on the fashion calendar has returned with the incredible theme of “Gilded Glamour”, following from “In America: Lexicon of Fashion” in 2021. Take a deeper dive into some feminine looks worn this year.
A quick 8 months has flown by since the last Met Gala, and for 2022 we’ve been blessed with incredible outfits that will make a mark in Met Gala history.
Founded in 1948, the Met Gala is a fundraising event for Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute in New York, in addition to celebrate the opening of the yearly exhibit. This year’s event raised a record breaking $17.4 million, beating 2021’s total of $16.75 million.
The star-studded guest list were given the dress code of “Gilded Glamour” - a time of extravagant designs, fabrics, and embellishments, but which celebrities truly read the invitation?
The gilded era spanned from 1870-1890, where formal wear featured deep, rich colours, structured corsets and extended bell skirts. The bodices displayed panelling that took vision from male suits, while the skirts were emphasised using metal structures to create an elongated back and slim, flattering front. Feather hats were a favourite in the era, while ruffles, lace, and ribbons were prominent on both necklines and skirt trims.
So how was the gilded era expressed in 2022? Arguably the best dressed, Billie Eilish sported a Gucci number, and as stated by Eilish, it was made using “existing Gucci materials... [so] nothing was wasted”. The “No Time to Die” singer explains how the shoes were “custom vegan leather shoes” and the outfit was accessorised with “vintage jewellery”. The Italian tailoring created a pastel panel corset and silk skirt with added depth from countless pleats. The outfit was topped off with lace sleeves and tulle flower centred on the corset. The 20-year-old singer’s look perfectly expresses the gilded age intertwining with modern designs and tailoring, 10/10 effort from Billie.
As the gilded age was a time for social, economic and structural change, Blake Lively’s dress flawlessly combines delicate art with world famous construction. As both Brooklyn Bridge and Statue of Liberty were constructed during this era, the American actresses dress paid an “homage to New York City and so many of the iconic buildings”. Stepping onto the red carpet, the dress commenced as a copper colour, to represent the original colour of the Statue of Liberty, before revealing an aqua blue to embody the natural wearing of the New York monument.
While all celebrities presented a fair effort, Kim Kardashian’s effort for the Met was priceless. The Skims founder wore Marylin Monroe’s dress she wore to sing happy birthday to John F Kennedy in 1962. The level of dedication that was required was phenomenal, with Kim required to “loose 16 pounds down today to be able to fit this” only 3 weeks before the gala, alongside bleaching her naturally dark hair to platinum blonde. “Determined” Kim quickly changed into a replica to preserve the historic garment. The night following the Met Gala, Kim Kardashian experienced wearing another of Monroe’s dresses, a green sequin open back dress, once worn for Golden Globes in 1962. Despite not fitting the theme of “Gilded Glamour”, the dress honours American history and celebrates 60 years almost to the day since it was first revealed.
This year’s Met Gala displayed an incredible range of garments from a variety of designers, with some celebrities creating vast media impression. Some read the dress code more carefully than others, and for some, the invitation must have been lost in transit.
Watch the highlights of the Met Gala here!
Fancy watching the interviews?
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