Musings on...The First Monday in May
So Maluma and Trevor Noah with the same hair-is that a thing?
I love the annual Met Gala. Regardless of the theme, I enjoy this intellectually challenging fashion show. It provides the most historical and dissected look at the power and fun of fashion. The Grammys are for often tragic outrageousness, the Emmys and Oscars are about star power and glamour, but the Met is about the art and history of fashion. I always feel like I’m learning while I’m looking. It leans well into my nerdy nature.
I am not a fashion journalist. I leave that to my favorites, Robin Givhan and Amy Odell. To that advantage, I do not have to immediately post about an event. I have the luxury of letting my impressions sit for a few days. I like to see if my first reactions change over time. I can look, relook and dissect the photos. Sometimes learning a little about the inspiration as a Tuesday morning quarterback gives me more insight, allowing me to gain more appreciation for a look that I initially dismissed. In addition, after a few days, it's nice to see which looks are still haunting me. Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty was the theme, but there were other mini themes evident to me:
Oh, this old thing?
Lagerfeld was the head designer for Patou, Chloe, Balmain, Fendi and of course, Chanel. That is a lot of archives to mine for inspiration, but even better were the guests that just co-opted the actual archives.
Nicole Kidman, who usually does no wrong in my eyes, pulled out her coveted Chanel from the Chanel perfume ad when she had us deep in her Moulin Rouge spell. The dress is still beautiful, but the styling was my only gripe. Nicole, someone always so pitch perfect, hit a sour note with me for those average black shoes and seemingly uncombed hair. (I feel like lightly dressed tresses were a trend) I get the idea of pairing black with blush, but it fell short, especially when she wore what looked like a black hair tie on her wrist, probably to pull her (or Keith’s) straggly tresses aside later on the dance floor. It was a small miss, but if your one off day is minimally accessorizing a decades old couture Chanel (that still fits you) as you run out of the house tripping over your Oscar, Emmys, Golden Globes and BAFTAs, you’re still winning.
Giselle made her Met return, sans Tom, in an archival Chanel from 2007. It was actually a bridal look, which was always the hit during Karl’s Chanel tenure. She looked amazing, and the cape with feathers and camellia details was the star of the show. I did not love the cape as much as others although in my mind the feathers were symbolizing her lightness and her newly acquired freedom. It’s pure conjecture, but the Met Gala is all about the fantasy. I happen to think Giselle is stunning when her figure, hair and face are allowed to shine. The dress would have been enough for me, but I get it girl, have your revenge dress moment in white instead of the expected LBD.
Naomi Campbell just comes to the Met as herself. No theatrics, no unordinary embellishments, she just wears a beautiful dress on her beautiful body, combs her signature beautiful hair and dares us to look away. She’s stunning, why gild the lily? She built an enduring career as the canvas of designers and magazine editors for years, so why not just keep showing us what she’s working with. This look from 2010 was simply pretty in pink at the highest level. When the ingredients are this good, the dish will be outstanding, and Mother Naomi always serves.
Penelope Cruz wore Chanel couture from 1988, which I thought was a perfect marriage of design and wearer. The silhouette is one we’ve seen her wear over and over again. Penelope loves a full ballgown. The hood reminded me of a mantilla, a nod to her Spanish heritage, highlighting that gorgeous face and chignon, also a signature look for her. It was Chanel, but make it Cruz.
Much was made about Dua Lipa’s look from 1992. I thought the actual tweed ballgown was beautiful, the styling greatly disappointed. The oversized Tiffany diamond was obviously beautiful, but not fitting with the dress. But kudos for whomever made that 100 carat diamond look cheap, that’s some extraordinary talent right there and Dua Lipa’s just regular girl hair didn’t elevate the look or modernize it. It was just an odd dichotomy. I thought she looked like Snow White playinga half-hearted game of dress up for her seven roommates on a Thursday night. I have seen the dress and Dua look better, separate from each other.
Sensational Synthesizers
I love it when a designer takes the theme, meshes it with his or her aesthetic, finds the perfect specimen as a model and spits out a red carpet moment that is simultaneously new, yet recognizably authentic to all the disparate parts. I had the most fun as a viewer and a fashion lover when I could name who designed the look in just one look.
Teyana Taylor was just as strong on the carpet as on the dance floor. Well known in the hip hop and reality TV circle, she is getting critical acclaim for her dramatic role in A Thousand and One. The usual route is to play the ingenue and have a big ball gown moment. That formula always works, but I loved that she went with a designer with a very strong point of view like Thom Browne. (Thom won the night IMO, he sent out an extraordinary gallery of looks). Together, I thought Thom and Teyana were magic. Enter sharp suit tailoring in a very Chanel tweed but they kept it hip hop by allowing Teyana to give us a peak of that body-ody-ody that she’s known for. Ingenue? No, ingenius!
Keke Palmer and Sergio Hudson gave me the seventies glam that I needed. Sergio always skews a little seventies louche disco (his name IS Sergio) mixed with 80’s Dynasty-era sex appeal. New mom Keke is giving the baby is with a sitter vibe and embracing her curves. That body poured into that simple silhouette in Chanel pastels with the Dominique Devereaux blow out was amazing. The perfect girl in the perfect dress. I know she accessorized with a long cape-many attendees did. I really want Anna to put a limit on the number of people that try to replicate that Rihanna moment. I get it, the stairway is a perfect playground for such drama. I don’t think many of the capes and trains really served the looks, plus it was just too many. If EVERYONE does it, is it special anymore? But Keke, sis, love you, love everything about this moment.
When I saw Anne Hathaway, I knew at once who she was repping. Donatella is a genius, pairing Chanel tweed with one of Gianni’s most memorable designs. Ask Elizabeth Hurley: that safety pin dress built her career. Anne is having a style renaissance, shedding the sweet Princess diary/naive Andy Sacks box she’s been stereotyped into. Princess of Genovia is no more, she is a muse of Versace’s Medusa now.
Speaking of Versace, I know Jennifer Lopez is known for her Versace moments, but she and Ralph Lauren have a very good thing going. I think these Bronx babies both have a love for the aspiration of the American dream as transcribed through clothing. Her look was quintessentially set in Ralph’s Gatsby aesthetic and film noir, but amped up with JLo’s obvious sex appeal. Her full femme fatale is very modern, showcasing underboob. The color story was very Karl, the dramatic black top perfectly balanced with the slim, slinky, pale pastel pink skirt. The hat and the veil was Ralph, the tilted angle was Jenny from the Block. I noticed her usual thigh high slit and platform sandal were missing. That soupçon of restraint was pure Karl, and just the extra touch of refinement the look needed. She looked like a lady, albeit a lady with delicious secrets. Please, please, please invite me for tea!
Honest Homages
Anyone with great style possess a signature look, and Lagerfeld’s was distinct to the point of caricature. It was fun seeing people show up on the red carpet channeling his hallmarks.
Growing up, my next-door neighbor loved to bake, and I loved Barbie. For my 10th birthday she baked a Barbie cake for me. It was 3 dimensional, the top was a plastic head and bodice and the base, the actual edible cake, a fully ornamented ballgown. That memory and Cardi B collided. I knew Cardi was a Karl Lagerfeld Chanel Barbie. The oversized camellias, the quilting of the skirt, the starched collar and black tie. Then she topped her perfectly symmetric head with gray/white hair, reminiscent of Lagerfeld. I thought it was beautiful, fun and campy perfection, and it made me want dessert.
I, like everyone else, did not initially recognize Jessica Chastain. But being the great actor that she is, she disappeared in her interpretation of Kaiser Karl. The formula was simple: the dress looked like a quintessential Chanel bridal gown, but black. The icy blonde hair was the next clue of what she was going for and the sunglasses completed the transformation. She looked icy hot and completely Karl.
I'm going on record that I think Ke Huy Quan looked the best of anyone that Kim Jones of Dior dressed that night and I will fight anyone that disagrees. This is Karl going to a business meeting with his investors: gray pinstriped suit mixed with his signature moto-inspired layering. Everything about it was perfect-the gray, the stripes, the shine on the shoes. I am a sucker for well-tailored pants on a man, and these are Saville Row quality. I love Ke Huy Quan and cried like I knew him during his Oscar speech, and it tickle me how he always looks like he is enjoying his life right now. Happiness is obviously the best accessory.
I'm not sure if Michelle Yeoh can make a mistake, and Monday was just another proof of how infallible she is on the carpet. I know that she was dressed by Karl Lagerfeld’s eponymous line, but they did her and their namesake proud. Nod to Karl’s white shirt-check. Karl’s black jeans interpreted into an elegant skirt-check. Karl’s motorcycle boots with silver chain to give just enough rough tension against all that pretty-check. Putting in the hard work to make a look this effortlessly cool and beautiful-check.
Let’s Hear it for the Boys
Red carpets are really a women’s game, but the men showed all the way up to this red (weirdly reminiscent of a Dixie Cup) carpet. To be honest, I don't often find the men interesting, but after the fourth or fifth man caught my eye, I had to pay attention.
I appreciate how Sean Combs suffered for his Met beauty. He was hot, as in sweating, in all of those Sean John haute layers. I’m not sure of everything that was going on: there was a cummerbund, jet beading around the jacket. I think the shirt was transparent and had a bow or ruffles at the neck, it was hard to tell. He had many layers of necklaces, he covered his hands with gloves and then there was a camellia-festooned cape, just for good measure. Literally, only a collective 8 inches of skin around his face were visible and receiving fresh air. I applaud his dedication, the man had to be steaming from the inside...but you know what? He won. I think this regency look is the internal image Combs has of himself and I’m glad he shared it with us. He has just the right amount of bravado to carry off this modern day Henry the 8th I am style. Charles was scheduled to be crowned May 6, but King Combs beat him to the throne.
Bad Bunny was a vision in white by Jacquemas. He was utter perfection. If the legendary Chanel bride ever needed a groom, Bad Bunny was it. How long and how much gel did it take to make his hair lay that flat? Tell me and I will invest in that brand first thing tomorrow morning. I loved to play with Barbie and was not at all interested in owning a Ken doll, but I want this replicated for my Barbie Dream House-stat. And then he turned around...a backless suit. I’m actually offended by the beauty of it all.
Sim Liu in Versace gave me everything I never knew I wanted. An athletically cut tuxedo with pleated embellishments. Who asked for that? He gave me Karl’s starched collar and cravat. Should one wear a necklace, a tie clip or broach or watch? The answer is yes and while we’re out here doing the most, let’s add fingers to Karl’s gloves, just for fun. New York in May: it might get cold. Sim posted on his Instagram “when Donatella asks you to go to the met, you go to the f**king met”. You went all the way, Bro.
Eddie Redmayne is a quiet dandy: you just don’t see him coming, but dang, boy! He wears a great suit and this look by Alexander McQueen was amazing. I loved the full leg pant and noticed it a few times on other men. It’s a nice way for men to change up a simple suit. We know Karl loved a blingy bit, but this mewelry (man jewelry)? Tell me you believe in Mae West’s Too much of a good thing can be wonderful without telling me…
Formula Ones
If it ain’t broke don’t fix it. A few things that always work for any man: a uniform, a black turtleneck and a well-cut tuxedo. Classic tuxedos are never wrong, no matter the theme. Classic is as classic does.
Outlier
Is it possible that Viola Davis can wear any color? I can’t find any connection of her dress to the theme, but her + Valentino Pink PP = me, breathless. The color is sensational and I love it when she wears a sculpted afro. Perhaps her theme was: I’m an EGOT period, end of sentence. Works for me. One side note: I love the feathers, but at first glance, the top of her dress does look like the trees from The Lorax. Could be me, I have very odd memory box of references good only for kicks and giggles. Despite my silliness, I still love it. I would love this dress in a box, I would love this dress with a fox, I would love it in a house, I would love this dress with a mouse, I would love it here and there, I would love Viola everywhere.
I could honestly go on forever with this. We didn’t even get to Glenn Close and congratulate her for being one of the few that the ubiquitous cape/train situation actually worked. I don’t have time for Stephanie Hsu, Emily Blunt, and so many others that I loved. How much did I appreciate Olivia Wilde (and her noir doppelganger Margaret Zhang) wearing Chloe when everyone else was swimming in Karl the Chanel years? How much did I love the collective looks of Michael Kors and Marc Jacobs? Did anyone notice Trevor Noah (also in Thom Browne) and Maluma had the same hair? What’s up with Burberry just sending people out in the recent runway looks? Blue is not a theme, BTW. I have thoughts on the performance art of Janelle Monae, Jared and Lil Nas X, but I don’t know if I should put them in writing. When will we move past the sheer trend, was anyone actually dressed at the afterparty? There was much to unpack, but this page is just like my suitcase every trip-too much stuff, not enough room. So until next May…
Feel free to share your favorite looks or not so favorites, I obviously need someone to discuss this with