Top 10 MET Gala 2019 Fashion Moments: The MET Gala: Camp
Every first Monday in May, The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York rolls out the red carpet for hundreds of celebrities, guests, and paparazzi for the annual fundraiser MET Gala. Each year attendees are encouraged to match or exceed the theme. This year's theme was camp, based on Susan Sontag's "Notes on 'Camp'." The easiest way to explain camp in short was included in her essay: "love of the unnatural: of artifice and exaggeration." The celebrities did not disappoint as they arrived in style and in their interpretations of camp.
Andrew Toth/Getty Images
Decked out with her oversized pink glasses, a hairdryer clutch, and in a pink whip, Kacey Musgraves arrived in perfect Barbie style for MET Gala 2019. Designed by Jeremey Scott of Moschino, king of playfulness, the pink maxi leather coat with a slit had a matching Barbie doll sold at the Metropolitan of Art Museum for $75. It did sell out but Barbie approved of her look with a repost on their Instagram.
Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images
“I really wanted to make sure my outfit represented the black drag queens who started this camp thing about being over the top,” Lena Waithe told E! on the red carpet with the designer Kerby Jean-Raymond standing next to her. The two both wore a 1930's inspired zoot suit with statement text on their backs. Kerby, Designer of Pyer Moss, has been a statement maker for black culture and activism since designing. The suits appear pin stripe from afar but up close are lyrics from empowering songs like Nas's "I Know I can" and Jay Z, Drake, Tupac, and more. On top of that, they were embellished with custom buttons by Johnny Nelson that included the portrait of rappers and LGBTQ icons. Between the zoot suit silhoette and the micro details this MET Gala look held the most meaning of the night. Camp has always been in black culture and its often left out the conversation. Lena Waithe wanted to make sure it was not forgotten.
Images from Getty via Vogue
A showdown of the ponytails was happening in the beauty sector of the gala in case you missed it. Hailey Baldwin to Liza Hulzy sported ponytails that embodied some form of camp. Ashley Graham's hair went over-accessorized with hair clips from Gucci, Kitsch, and Jennifer Behr. It was a collage of hair pins and a big red bow done so well. Tessa Thompson's hair was a ponytail wrapped in leather extending to at least 9 feet long. Her fashion stylist Wayman Bannerman of Wayman + Micah told Variety "She just really wanted to focus on female light as a vision of strength and a position of authority, whatever that looked like, however that could feel." The hair turned whip was the spin on the look giving it a dominatrix vibe.
Janelle Monae added some pink into her black and white wardrobe for the Camp night at MET. Fashion stylist Alexandra Malkerholn said that Monae's love for surrealism art and artists like Dali and Piccaso inspired her look. The asymmetrical dress designed by Christian Siriano was accompanied by a set of lips on one side and a bra embellished with crystals on the other. A moving set of feather eyelashes sat atop of the eye moving, giving a "blinking" effect. The flirty "blinks" wowed the MET audience. Mini fashion blogger Aili Adalia coined it her favorite look by wearing a recreated look so we have to agree Monae's dress is definitely a top favorite.
Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images
$250,000 per red ruby nipple, 30,000 burnt and dyed coque feathers, 3,000 hours to make, 250 Swarovski crystals on the nails, and a 10 feet wide train are just some of the numbers that made up Cardi B's crimson red gown custom made by Thom Browne for the MET Gala. When she stepped on the pink carpet fans, paparazzi, and attendees lost it. Thom Browne told Vogue "I made this specifically for Cardi because she has the ultimate beauty in a woman’s body. That is what the dress is about for me—taking advantage of that beauty." Cardi B joked that if she lost a ruby she'd have to sell a Birkin bag. Good thing, as far as we know, she didn't lose one.
Angela Weiss/Getty Images
Upon Lupita Nyong'o's arrival to the MET Gala, most would've thought she gave us the best show of camp that has appeared on national tv, drag. But deeper into her look it all had a meaning. Lupita's hair stylist Vernon Francois reposted the process and inspiration behind her beauty on Instagram. The Black Panther star dawned a towering afro that sat more higher than outward reminiscent of Marie Antoinette's hair. Inspired by Lauren Kelly's 1999 "Pickin'" portrait, the glam team of Nyong'o spray painted several hair picks that had raised fists on their handles to place in her hair. The iconic fist hair pick was designed in 1972 and patented in 1976. The design was in response to the civil rights movement going on at the time and the heightened embracement of Afros. Vernon captioned an Instagram post with "The raised fist logo represents unity, solidarity. Also known as Black Power." he also added "Our goal is to continue to demonstrate the power of our hair #texture that it is the most moldable and luxurious #hair texture there is." Lupita's face was framed by a rainbow of ruffles on her shoulders and a star patterned gown made by Versace.
Getty Images via Vogue
Sneakers and dresses are fashion oxymorons that can go well together. Serena Williams wore a neon pair of Off-White Nikes with her Versace gown as this year's co-chair of MET Gala. She tipped Instagram off last year that she often wears sneakers under her gowns. You can bid on a pair of the Air Force 1 Low Off-White Volt sneakers here. Alessia Cara arrived at the MET in Giambattista Valli Couture with mix-matched platform Nike sneakers on (UPDATE: The platform Nikes are actually Comme des Garcons x Nike Cortex platform sneakers from their FW 2018 collection.) The couture and sneaker combo definitely was camp.
Mimi Choi's Instagram (@mimles)
If you thought men didn't have apart of the annual extravaganza, you were wrong. This year men included beauty looks that would champion the MET Gala theme. Ezra Miller entered the event with a mask covering his face only to unveil 7 eyes and a bold red lip. The beauty look fascinated many. Makeup artist Mimi Choi revealed some details behind the look to Paper Magazine. It took 5 hours to complete and she used body paint and acrylics to ensure the look would last for hours. Choi states that the multiple eyes represent the different sides, emotions, and egos we have as a person. That embodied camp for Ezra and Mimi.
To represent her career lifting from a Disney star to big screen roles, Zendaya entered the Met Gala as princess Cinderella. The dress was by Tommy Hilfiger and included a carriage clutch with crystal clear heels. Zendaya's longtime stylist Law Roach followed along side of her dressed as her fairy godmother with a cape and a wand in hand. People watched as Law, or Cinderella's Fairy God Stylist, waved his wand and the costume begin to light up and the bell shaped skirt opened. It took 3 months of engineering and design to create the magical dress. Hundreds of camera flashes and much applause welcomed Cinderella into the gala.
Neilson Barnard/Getty Images
"‘Camp cannot be natural.’ For me that was an idea I didn’t totally relate to," Aurora James told The Zoe Report about her MET Gala look. Sourcing from Kenya, Italy, and in the states, the designer of Brother Vellies worked with other artisans to create the look that was her narrative for camp. The dress included a bell skirt and bodice with a corset tied back made of raffia and bamboo. She stated that the look look took almost six months. Aurora James also designed footwear for Halsey's and Nicki Minaj's look that night.
1. KACEY MUSGRAVES BARBIE MOMENT WITH MOSCHINO
Andrew Toth/Getty Images
Decked out with her oversized pink glasses, a hairdryer clutch, and in a pink whip, Kacey Musgraves arrived in perfect Barbie style for MET Gala 2019. Designed by Jeremey Scott of Moschino, king of playfulness, the pink maxi leather coat with a slit had a matching Barbie doll sold at the Metropolitan of Art Museum for $75. It did sell out but Barbie approved of her look with a repost on their Instagram.
2. LENA WAITHE IN PYER MOSS ALONGSIDE DESIGNER KERBY JEAN-RAYMOND
Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images
“I really wanted to make sure my outfit represented the black drag queens who started this camp thing about being over the top,” Lena Waithe told E! on the red carpet with the designer Kerby Jean-Raymond standing next to her. The two both wore a 1930's inspired zoot suit with statement text on their backs. Kerby, Designer of Pyer Moss, has been a statement maker for black culture and activism since designing. The suits appear pin stripe from afar but up close are lyrics from empowering songs like Nas's "I Know I can" and Jay Z, Drake, Tupac, and more. On top of that, they were embellished with custom buttons by Johnny Nelson that included the portrait of rappers and LGBTQ icons. Between the zoot suit silhoette and the micro details this MET Gala look held the most meaning of the night. Camp has always been in black culture and its often left out the conversation. Lena Waithe wanted to make sure it was not forgotten.
3. THE CAMP PONYTAILS
Images from Getty via Vogue
A showdown of the ponytails was happening in the beauty sector of the gala in case you missed it. Hailey Baldwin to Liza Hulzy sported ponytails that embodied some form of camp. Ashley Graham's hair went over-accessorized with hair clips from Gucci, Kitsch, and Jennifer Behr. It was a collage of hair pins and a big red bow done so well. Tessa Thompson's hair was a ponytail wrapped in leather extending to at least 9 feet long. Her fashion stylist Wayman Bannerman of Wayman + Micah told Variety "She just really wanted to focus on female light as a vision of strength and a position of authority, whatever that looked like, however that could feel." The hair turned whip was the spin on the look giving it a dominatrix vibe.
4. JANELLE MONAE AND HER BLINKING EYE DRESS
Janelle Monae added some pink into her black and white wardrobe for the Camp night at MET. Fashion stylist Alexandra Malkerholn said that Monae's love for surrealism art and artists like Dali and Piccaso inspired her look. The asymmetrical dress designed by Christian Siriano was accompanied by a set of lips on one side and a bra embellished with crystals on the other. A moving set of feather eyelashes sat atop of the eye moving, giving a "blinking" effect. The flirty "blinks" wowed the MET audience. Mini fashion blogger Aili Adalia coined it her favorite look by wearing a recreated look so we have to agree Monae's dress is definitely a top favorite.
5. CARDI B IN CUSTOM THOM BROWNE AT MET GALA 2019
Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images
$250,000 per red ruby nipple, 30,000 burnt and dyed coque feathers, 3,000 hours to make, 250 Swarovski crystals on the nails, and a 10 feet wide train are just some of the numbers that made up Cardi B's crimson red gown custom made by Thom Browne for the MET Gala. When she stepped on the pink carpet fans, paparazzi, and attendees lost it. Thom Browne told Vogue "I made this specifically for Cardi because she has the ultimate beauty in a woman’s body. That is what the dress is about for me—taking advantage of that beauty." Cardi B joked that if she lost a ruby she'd have to sell a Birkin bag. Good thing, as far as we know, she didn't lose one.
6. LUPITA NYONG'O'S TAKE ON CAMP, DRAG, AND AFROS
Angela Weiss/Getty Images
Upon Lupita Nyong'o's arrival to the MET Gala, most would've thought she gave us the best show of camp that has appeared on national tv, drag. But deeper into her look it all had a meaning. Lupita's hair stylist Vernon Francois reposted the process and inspiration behind her beauty on Instagram. The Black Panther star dawned a towering afro that sat more higher than outward reminiscent of Marie Antoinette's hair. Inspired by Lauren Kelly's 1999 "Pickin'" portrait, the glam team of Nyong'o spray painted several hair picks that had raised fists on their handles to place in her hair. The iconic fist hair pick was designed in 1972 and patented in 1976. The design was in response to the civil rights movement going on at the time and the heightened embracement of Afros. Vernon captioned an Instagram post with "The raised fist logo represents unity, solidarity. Also known as Black Power." he also added "Our goal is to continue to demonstrate the power of our hair #texture that it is the most moldable and luxurious #hair texture there is." Lupita's face was framed by a rainbow of ruffles on her shoulders and a star patterned gown made by Versace.
7. SNEAKERS AND DRESSES
Getty Images via Vogue
Sneakers and dresses are fashion oxymorons that can go well together. Serena Williams wore a neon pair of Off-White Nikes with her Versace gown as this year's co-chair of MET Gala. She tipped Instagram off last year that she often wears sneakers under her gowns. You can bid on a pair of the Air Force 1 Low Off-White Volt sneakers here. Alessia Cara arrived at the MET in Giambattista Valli Couture with mix-matched platform Nike sneakers on (UPDATE: The platform Nikes are actually Comme des Garcons x Nike Cortex platform sneakers from their FW 2018 collection.) The couture and sneaker combo definitely was camp.
8. EZRA MILLER'S MIND BOGGLING MET MAKE-UP
Mimi Choi's Instagram (@mimles)
If you thought men didn't have apart of the annual extravaganza, you were wrong. This year men included beauty looks that would champion the MET Gala theme. Ezra Miller entered the event with a mask covering his face only to unveil 7 eyes and a bold red lip. The beauty look fascinated many. Makeup artist Mimi Choi revealed some details behind the look to Paper Magazine. It took 5 hours to complete and she used body paint and acrylics to ensure the look would last for hours. Choi states that the multiple eyes represent the different sides, emotions, and egos we have as a person. That embodied camp for Ezra and Mimi.
9. ZENDAYA'S CINDERELLA MOMENT WITH LAW ROACH AND TOMMY HILFIGER
To represent her career lifting from a Disney star to big screen roles, Zendaya entered the Met Gala as princess Cinderella. The dress was by Tommy Hilfiger and included a carriage clutch with crystal clear heels. Zendaya's longtime stylist Law Roach followed along side of her dressed as her fairy godmother with a cape and a wand in hand. People watched as Law, or Cinderella's Fairy God Stylist, waved his wand and the costume begin to light up and the bell shaped skirt opened. It took 3 months of engineering and design to create the magical dress. Hundreds of camera flashes and much applause welcomed Cinderella into the gala.
10. AURORA JAMES TAKE ON CAMP
Neilson Barnard/Getty Images
"‘Camp cannot be natural.’ For me that was an idea I didn’t totally relate to," Aurora James told The Zoe Report about her MET Gala look. Sourcing from Kenya, Italy, and in the states, the designer of Brother Vellies worked with other artisans to create the look that was her narrative for camp. The dress included a bell skirt and bodice with a corset tied back made of raffia and bamboo. She stated that the look look took almost six months. Aurora James also designed footwear for Halsey's and Nicki Minaj's look that night.
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