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A Marvelous Met Gala

Posted 10/18/2021 by Lauren Maggio

Co-chairs Billie Eilish, Amanda Gorman, Timothee Chalamet and Naomi Osaka attend the Met Gala. photo by Kevin Mazur

The 2021 Met Gala commenced after being delayed due to the pandemic, and the red carpet looks were just as interesting as ever.

America’s biggest night in fashion has returned. The Met Gala, which usually takes place  on the first Monday in May, was rescheduled for September 13th because of the COVID-19 pandemic. This year, the theme was “In America: A Lexicon of Fashion.” The idea behind the theme was to highlight American designers and classic American fashion, which was accomplished by some celebrities more than others.

One of the most iconic and memorable looks from the 2021 Met Gala was Billie Eilish. She stunned viewers in a gorgeous pale pink Oscar de la Renta gown. Eilish accomplished the theme by channeling her inner Marylin Monroe through her elegant gown and blonde hair. While I was not a huge fan of the pale pink color on Eilish, it does fit the aesthetic of her new album. Another look I loved was Amanda Gorman, who wore Vera Wang. The bright royal blue color looked amazing on her and executed the theme well. I was also obsessed with the paired clutch that resembled a book, which was very fitting for the young poet. One final woman’s look I was obsessed with was Gigi Hadid in Prada. She arrived wearing a beautiful white gown and black leather gloves. Her look really channeled the simplicity of 90’s fashion in America which perfectly matched the theme. 

A lot of times I get caught up in the glitz and glamour of women’s fashion that I do not notice the men’s. However, this year the men did not disappoint. One of my favorite men’s looks from this year is Kid Cudi’s. I loved the American pop punk look, and I especially loved the use of bright colors which is something you do not see on men often. I thought his ensemble was very on theme, and I am honestly surprised more people are not talking about it. I was a big fan of Timothee Chalamet wearing Haider Ackermann as well. Many were shocked to see the famous actor showup in sweatpants, dirty converse, and a nice jacket, however, I was a big fan. I believed it to be very reflective of the theme and somehow he still looked very put together. 

While I loved a good amount of the looks, there were also some that I questioned. To start, Lilli Reinhart in Christian Siriano and Irina Shayk in Moschino were practically wearing the same dress. Who knew you could make two dresses so similar, and to top it off, neither of them even matched the theme! Another one of my least favorite looks was Addison Rae in 2003 Tom Ford. To me, her look was a classic case of right idea, bad execution. She was clearly going for an older movie star type of glamour, however her dress was a bore. This could have been fixed with a hairstyle reminiscent of the early 2000’s, but instead she wore a straight bob. One last look that I just did not understand was Jennifer Lopez wearing Ralph Lauren. It definitely matched the theme in some weird way, however to me, it felt like a cowboy met a hawk and they decided to make a dress. Now this does not mean that she did not look gorgeous, because she always does, but her ensemble just confused me.

I think everyone can agree that the fashion at the Met Gala never fails to entertain, and this year was no different. Overall, I would say this year’s Met Gala was a success, even if there were a few looks that I was not too sure about. I cannot wait to see what next year has in store!