The annual Oscars for fashionista’s aka the Met Gala took place last night. The annual Super Bowl of fashion is actually a fund-raising event for the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute. This year’s theme the avant-garde designs of Comme de Garcons’ Rei Kawakubo.
Celebs from the worlds of fashion, music, sports, film and television wore everything from the totally avant garde (ala Rihanna who wore Comme de Garcon) to the barely there (ala Kendall Jenner) to the utterly sophisticated and no relation to the theme (ala Jennifer Lopez).
Nicki Minaj, in a black bustier romper with a huge black-and-red cape from H&M, is a pro when it comes to arrivals. “I stood up in the van the whole way,” said Minaj of her trip to the Met.
Katy Perry wore a silver head piece and black accents around the eyes with an embroidered wool coat layered over a red tulle and silk chiffon dress, her sleeves elongated in a nod to Kawakubo, all by Maison Margiela Artisanal.
Music mogul Diddy, meanwhile, laid down on the carpet to watch girlfriend Cassie pose in a black gown with a huge, spikey train she wore with large, glittery ear cuffs. He wore an embellished cape in a spider web design that carried over to his Rick Owens tuxedo.”It took a half-hour to get ready. We dress like this on the weekends,” he joked.
Madonna went for green camo from Moschino, Tracee Ellis Ross in royal blue Comme des Garcons and Kim Kardashian West — without husband Kanye West — in understated, long-sleeve white from Vivienne Westwood.
Missing from the carpet: Stalwarts Sarah Jessica Parker, Beyonce and Lady Gaga.
Serena Williams in green Versace put in her first carpet appearance since announcing her pregnancy. Kylie Jenner was whisked up the stairs in a revealing sheer gold Atelier Versace gown, her platinum locks styled closed to her head. Sister Kendall Jenner stunned in a revealing black look covered in 85,000 hand-painted crystals from La Perla Creative Director Julia Haart. It included a wide diagonal slit from shoulder to below the waist and took more than 160 hours of work by 26 craftsmen in five cities, the designer said in a statement.
Lasichanh, her blond hair high on her head, smiled from within her signature Kawakubo suit. Claire Danes also channeled the Japanese designer, whose work is featured in the Metropolitan Museum Costume Institute’s spring exhibition, “Rei Kawakubo/Comme des Garcons: Art of the In-Between.” The sleeves of Dane’s flurry of ruffles in a white blouse extended well beyond her hands, paired with a simple pair of black pants.
Vogue’s Anna Wintour kicked off the star-studded gala a bit earlier as one of the evening’s co-host. The gala feeds the annual budget of the Costume Institute. Wintour opted for encrusted gold and ostrich feathers from Chanel and said of Kawakubo and her brand: “She’s a genius. Not only does she think outside of the box, she doesn’t acknowledge the box.”
Priyanka Chopra’s floor-sweeping trench coat evening gown in camel from Ralph Lauren took up a lot of real estate on the carpet, which is actually blue this year. Gigi Hadid went with the color fawn in a geometric design that was short on one side and longer on the other. Her sister, Bella, dressed in a sexy sheer catsuit by Alexander Wang.
Thom Browne dressed Solange Knowles in a black coat dress, a quilted down-filled puffer with a train and a pair of his ice skate-inspired booties on her feet.
Lilly Collins, her hair in a black, banged crop with dark red lips, paid homage to Kawakubo in a black strapless bodice paired with a high-waisted full skirt in pink, from Giambattista Valli. Zendaya, was just Zendaya, her hair down and red parrots adorning a full, off-the-shoulder ball gown in gold by Dolce & Gabbana Alta Moda.
Celine Dion, in a silver bodysuit by Versace paired with high hair sculpture, was the last to walk, praising Kawakubo and saying: “To wear something, to be recognized, the whole thing is overwhelming. It’s great to be here.”
