What Happened at the 2021 Met Gala?

This year’s coveted Met Gala happened on Monday, September 13th. The novel COVID-19 pandemic canceled the 2020 event, but due to vaccination rates and safety precautions, it became a much less risky event this year.

The theme of this year’s event is “America: A Lexicon of Fashion”, which suggests American independence, celebrating American designers, and the advancement of sustainability, inclusion, and boldness in the styles of millions of USA residents.

According to Vogue, many superstars such as athlete Naomi Osaka, singer Billie Eilish, actor Timothée Chalamet, and poet/activist Amanda Gorman attended the event. Loads of other major celebrities and influencers got the opportunity to attend with many hits and a few misses.

Singers

Billie Eilish looked enchanting in an Oscar de la Renta cream dress. The Happier Than Ever singer had an old Hollywood, Marilyn Monroe-esque blush look with countless layers of tulle to create a very long, fluffy train.

Rihanna wore a stand-out black Balenciaga dress. Her look also served as a social statement, since according to Revolt, “‘Well, I wanted a look that seemed very powerful, yet feminine, yet like a Black hoodie, which is usually the thing that we are incriminated by as Black people,’ she told journalist Gia Peppers, who represented Essence.” She wore a very oversized coat dress with a black beanie.

While you may know him from his hit song Old Town Road, Lil Nas X clearly also has a sense of style, given his three looks at the Met. He was dressed in Versace, with his first look being a thick gold coat, which unveiled a gold armor piece (think C-3P0) under which he revealed a gold studded bodysuit.

Actors/Actresses

Megan Fox wore a Peter Dundas Dracula-inspired look. The Transformers star had chunky earrings paired with perfectly cut bangs.

Co-chair Timothée Chalamet exhibited a quirky Haider Ackermann piece with a white satin tuxedo top paired with white sweatpants, high socks, and off-white Converse shoes.

Game of Thrones star Maisie Williams wore a daring all-black look styled by her boyfriend Reuben Selby that featured a black headpiece.

Models

Supermodel Karlie Kloss looked stunning in a Carolina Herrera look with large rose-looking shoulder decorations.

Hailey Bieber was seen with her husband Justin Bieber in a black Saint Laurent gown. While the dress was simple and not too aligned with the theme of the event, Hailey still looked great in her jeweled look.

Reality TV star and model Kim Kardashian was one of the most talked about looks of the night in her head-to-toe Black Balenciaga bodysuit, which even covered her face. The collective featured a train and shirt (both black and Balenciaga) overtop. While this look faced a lot of controversy and comic potential, it is pretty iconic that she was instantly known at the Met Gala without even having to show her face. That’s impressive!

Influencers

This is where things got heavily controversial. TikTok influencer, singer, and technically actress Addison Rae wore, according to Distractify, “a stunning red Gucci by Tom Ford gown styled by Law Roach,” and “showed off her newly dyed blonde hair.” Many were furious that stars such as Taylor Swift did not attend, but a social media star was invited.

Emma Chamberlain, known widely for her popular ‘relatable lifestyle’ content on YouTube, has seen a successful year, from being an ambassador for Louis Vuitton, to being an interviewer for Vogue at the Met Gala. She wore a gorgeous gold Louis Vuitton dress with cutouts, paired with a smokey eye with bright teal eyeliner.

Madison Beer, a social media identity, arrived at the Met Gala in a bedazzled emerald One/Of by Patricia Voto dress inspired by icon Marilyn Monroe. This wasn’t as criticized as Rae’s look, due to Beer’s being both on theme and not ‘stolen’ as many claim Addison Rae ‘stole’ Kourtney Kardashian’s dress.

Honorable Mentions

Driver’s License singer Olivia Rodrigo wore a feathery black Saint Laurent catsuit with a fun hairstyle at the Met gala.

Model Iman wore a Dolce & Gabbana x Harris Reed that many say ‘won’ the Met Gala. She presented a gorgeous gold dress with a massive headpiece that, according to Vogue, took 400 hours to make.

The Met Gala turnout was strong this year, with a lot of on-theme and beautiful looks. Many different stars appeared, including some unexpected ones, and it was an exciting night overall.

Sources

R.M

Writer at The City Voice

I enjoy writing about current events in many areas ranging from fashion to business. I have two dogs and I enjoy playing soccer in my free time.