The 2022 Met Gala was the first traditional Met Gala since 2019. The Gala was canceled in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and in 2021, it was a smaller event held in September with a lack of some of the major, popular attendees. Needless to say, there was pressure on the Met to revive the gala and remind the public of what an essential fashion event it is.
As in years past, the 2022 Met Gala asked attendees not only to follow a theme, but also to adhere to a dress code. When the theme was “Camp: Notes on Fashion” in 2019, the dress code was “studied triviality.” For 2021’s “In America: A Lexicon of Fashion” theme, it was “American independence.” For this year’s theme of “In America: An Anthology of Fashion,” guests were asked to dress in the style of “gilded glamour, white tie.”
On the whole, the 2022 Met Gala was nothing short of mind-blowing, with a variety of interesting, on-theme looks. However, there was also an abundance of subpar looks.
Some of the best-dressed of the night included Blake Lively, Thomas Doherty, Gemma Chan and Christine Baranski. Blake Lively stole the carpet in a copper Versace dress that paid homage to New York City. Lively’s dress transformed from copper to blue, which symbolized how the Statue of Liberty has changed color over time due to aging. Additionally, her dress featured constellations seen on the ceiling of Grand Central Station and her crown had seven spikes, just like that of Lady Liberty.
Doherty proved to be a pleasant surprise on the carpet wearing a custom gray Dior suit that looked almost identical to something out of the Gilded Age. Unlike many of the men at the Met, Doherty did not opt for a basic black suit and perfectly captured the theme.
Louis Vuitton does not typically have the best Met looks — they tend to frequently be off-theme and seem out of place, or simply put, be just boring. This year, however, Gemma Chan’s Vuitton dress was eye-catching, mostly on-theme and unique. With a structured dress and beautiful, bedazzled short cape over her shoulder, Chan showed, once again, that she knows how to do a Met Gala right. Baranski experienced her first Met and her 70th birthday on the same day and wore a stunning suit-inspired, sequined cape with a bowtie.
As for some of the most disappointing outfits: the Kardashian-Jenners. Kylie Jenner’s Off-White wedding dress with a baseball cap veil felt out of place. Kim Kardashian wearing the Marilyn Monroe dress may have fit the “America” side of the theme, but it most definitely was not “gilded glamour.” Kourtney Kardashian, similar to her siblings’ failure to adhere to the theme, disregarded it altogether and even admitted to it. Khloe Kardashian sported a gold Moschino gown, a basic look. Kendall Jenner was the only one in the family who at least tried to fit the theme in a two-piece Prada set with a voluminous skirt; however, it was far from the best look of the night.
