Fashion’s biggest night is here.
After being indefinitely postponed due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, the Metropolitan Museum of Art andVogue’s annualMet Galais back Monday night with atheme centered around celebrating American fashion.
Being touted as a more “intimate affair,” this year’s organizers are enforcing strictCOVID-19protocols, mandating that all attendees provide proof of full vaccination and wear masks indoors.
The Costume Institute will present a two-part exhibition, debuting withIn America: A Lexicon of Fashion, the theme for this year’s gala. The exhibit will open on September 18, 2021 and run through September 5, 2022 to “celebrate The Costume Institute’s 75th anniversary and explore a modern vocabulary of American fashion.”
So what does all this mean for the dress code? Expect to see a celebration of iconic American designers (Ralph Lauren! Vera Wang! Michael Kors!) on this year’s red carpet, as well as custom looks from the new wave of fashion industry tastemakers including Christopher John Rogers, Sergio Hudson and Markarian’s Alexandra O’Neill.
And yes, there is bound to be a ton of starsmatching their face masks to their outfits.
Below, our musings on what Met Gala style moments we’re hoping to see.
Gwyneth Paltrow in Ralph Lauren
Timothy A. Clary/Getty
In the clip, Paltrow reflects on the bubblegum pink taffeta Ralph Lauren ball gown she wore to the 1999 Oscars — arguably the most memorable look of her career. She took home the Academy Award that year, and the dress now has its ownWikipedia page. As Paltrow reminisced about the fairytale fashion moment, I envisioned her bringing the look back this year for her own personal Gwen-aissance on the Met steps. It’s the kind of viral style move the world needs right now. Plus, it could not be more on theme: American designer — check! And I’m hoping to see stars go for the sustainable flex of re-wearing pieces from their own closet.
“They made me this beautiful dress. And I love it. And I kept it. And I have it,” Paltrow tellsVogueof the one-of-a-kind Ralph Lauren design.
“It was in the days before stylists and I’d been looking through the Ralph Lauren look book and in the show they had this pink bubblegum taffeta skirt and I was like ‘Oh, that’s very me,'” Paltrow also shares of the look. “So I called and I said, ‘Could I borrow this forthe Oscars?,’ and they said, ‘Well, we’d liked to make you something,’ which was thrilling.”
And while there is a chance GP doesn’t attend at all (never forget her infamous Met Gala diss), I’m still holding out hope that my 2am insomniac new mom fever dream becomes a reality. And Gwyneth, if you’re reading this, you also might consider re-wearing theslinky Calvin Klein tank gownfrom 1995’s Haute Couture Gala to an afterparty!
Iman in Halston
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Kim Kardashian West in Balenciaga
Kardashian did it again this past weekend when she arrived in New York City ahead of the Met Gala in a literal head-to-toe bondage-inspired leather ensemble. If her previous looks are any indication, I’m expecting Kim to break the theme and arrive in a badass Balenciaga moment at the Met.
Timothée Chalamet in Haider Ackermann
Hanna Flanagan, Style and Beauty Assistant: I’m expecting the actor, 25, to use his 2021 Met Gala co-chair role as an opportunity to spotlight his closest fashion collaborator: Haider Ackermann. Chalamet has been wearing the Colombian-born French designer for years (most recently, to the Venice Film Festival red carpet premiere ofDune).
Dominique Charriau/WireImage
“It’s entirely embroidered [with lots] of very little black sequins,” Ackermann toldGQof Chalamet’s shimmery ensemble. “It’s made in an atelier in Italy where they treat the fabric with such adélicatesse. They followed the work and they did it splendidly and successfully. It’s completely one-off. It’s been good. We’re both very proud and very content.”
The Oscar nominee famously donned the label during last year’s Venice Film Festival as well, walking the red carpet in a cotton and silk Haider Ackermann suit paired with black cowboy boots. Chalamet rolled his pleated pant legs and belted his blazer in an expert display of styling skills.
Elisabetta A. Villa/WireImage
“In a minute I knew that we would collaborate, due to this very joyful maturity that he has and this enthusiasm, and being very optimistic and uplifting, as his generation can be,” the designer previously toldVogueof his famous friend.
Zoë Kravitz in Saint Laurent
Neilson Barnard/Getty
She’s memorably worn Saint Laurent to two Met Galas, theVanity FairOscars afterparty and major red carpets all over the world, and she always makes even their most over-the-top looks (whethera feminine strapless gown with a giant pink bowora low-key column skirt worn with a sheer mesh bra) look as effortless as a T-shirt and jeans.
source: people.com
