Stars lined the red carpet on May 7 outside the New York Metropolitan Museum of Art for the 2018 Met Gala. The annual invitation-only party, which is also a fundraiser for the museum’s Costume Institute, kicks off the fashion exhibition which opens to the public on May 10.
This year, “Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination,” posed a challenge to designers and celebrities who typically dress to the theme of the exhibition. Designers, who pair up with celebrities to create meticulously styled ensembles, were tasked with creating looks for potentially sensitive and possibly offensive subject matter.
Some guests paid vague tribute to the exhibition that examines the influence of Catholicism on clothing. Others donned ensembles almost costume-like in their literalness. Rihanna, the host of the event, sported a papal style by Maison Margiela complete with a pearl and jewel-embellished mitre cap. Ariana Grande wore a Sistine Chapel painted gown, Zendaya geared up in Joan of Arc-inspired armor and Katy Perry wore giant angel wings paired with a gold Versace gown. Backlash from fashions like these had critics calling the theme disrespectful and appropriating.
Many SCAD students thought some of the looks went too far. Eva Kassel, a luxury and fashion management graduate student, thought the theme had great potential for offensive content and styles like Rihanna’s were inappropriate. “They sexualized it,” Kassel said in reference to Rihanna’s papal ensemble.
Zendaya’s Joan of Arc look was also a major miss among students. “I didn’t like Joan of Arc,” luxury and fashion management graduate student Alejandra Cabrera said, to which three more students chimed in expressing dislike for the style — especially the wig. Although not as offensive or controversial as Rihanna’s pope outfit, Zendaya’s Joan of Arc failed because it was unflattering, according to luxury and fashion management graduate students Radhika Chopra and Nimaanee Narang.
Despite the controversy, the Vatican actually approved the exhibition and even participated in its curation by lending the museum around 50 garments and accessories. Given the seemingly unusual collaboration, Cardinal Timothy Dolan stressed that the Church and the exhibition, “are all about three things: truth, goodness and beauty. That’s why we’re into things such as art, culture, music, literature and, yes, even fashion.”
In an environment where creatives and celebrities come together, it was expected that some of this year’s stylings would be over the top — especially since the event is often considered to be fashion’s biggest night of the year. Most guests navigated the tricky and delicate theme with astonishing grace. Stars like Gigi Hadid, Blake Lively and Priyanka Chopra personified “Heavenly Bodies” as they graced the steps of the Met.
Hadid’s gown resembled an intricately painted stained-glass window. The one-shouldered Versace dress with shimmering beadwork, high leg slit and long, navy train gave the star an angelic air.
Lively dressed in a crimson Versace gown with dazzling embroidery and a bejeweled bodice. With a custom-made halo of nude champagne diamonds by Lorraine Schwartz, Lively looked like she just descended from the heavens. “Blake Lively was my favorite,” Narang said, a sentiment that seemed universal among students.
Chopra also donned crimson in a velvet gown by Ralph Lauren complete with a bejeweled hood. The actress looked regal in the simple dress paired with the ornate hood that both honored the theme and gave nod to her Indian heritage.
Head pieces were a big trend this year, most taking on a halo-like effect in line with the theme. Amber Heard, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Anne Hathaway and singer SZA all donned halo-inspired headpieces.
Despite the controversial theme of this year’s Met Gala, its red carpet arguably hosted the most heavenly dressed celebrities to date.
