The first Monday of May has come upon us, and that only means one thing… it’s 2024 Met Gala Season!
Dubbed as the “Super Bowl of Fashion”, the annual Metropolitan Museum Gala is an opportunity for celebrities and fashion brands to bring the best of the best in fashion. It is also a fundraiser for the Costume Institute of Met to continue curating fashion exhibitions.
This year’s dress code is “The Garden of Time”, inspired by a short story by English novelist J.G. Ballard of the same name, published in 1962. The story features a garden of crystal flowers that has the power to reverse time, and the story concludes with the owner’s of the garden turning to stone as they plucked the last of these crystal flowers. The story talks about the passage of time, which hopefully reflects on the outfit worn by the attendees.
The dress code coincides with the 2024 Exhibition titled “Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening of Fashion” that looks into the Costume Institute’s archive of clothing and costume, giving emphasis to the preservation of these historical pieces.
Just like any year, some of the fashions are hit or miss. But here are 10 celebrities that killed it on 2024 Met Gala red carpet.
Zendaya
Starting off strong with one of the Gala’s Co-Chair, Zendaya.
The actress has been going viral since the start of the year for her red carpet looks for two of her movies, Dune: Part two and Challengers, where she served look-after–look.
Everybody had been anticipating what the fashion darling would wear to the night, and she served not just one, but two stunning red carpet looks.
The first look Zendaya wore is a custom Maison Margiela gown that referenced a dress designed by its creative director John Galliano’s for Dior in 1999. She looked straight out of a 1920’s art nouveau painting, with the grapevine motif giving a caricature nod to the dress code. Paired with makeup by the legendary Pat McGrath, Zendaya looked hauntingly beautiful.
She then surprised the crowd by hitting the carpet for the second time in an archival Givenchy gown from 1996, designed again by Galliano. The corseted top, puffy sleeves, and ballgown skirt had more of a historical nod than her previous look. To top it off, she wore a floral headdress by renowned milliner Philip Treacy, designed for Alexander McQueen in 2006. The archival pool is no doubt the genius idea of Zendaya’s “Style Architect”, Law Roach.
The duo did set the bar high for all the attendees that night.
Chloë Sevigny
From one style star to another, Chloë Sevigny graced the carpet in a custom look by British-based designer Dilara Fındıkoğlu.
The 90’s icon had a less literal take on the dress code, which made her stand out. Her look is heavily-inspired by Victorian dress but is deconstructed, referencing how a dress can deteriorate with the passage of time.
It’s always a delight to see Sevigny and more so rocking a young independent label.
Taylor Russel
Another rising fashion maven, Taylor Russel makes her 2024 Met Gala debut in custom Loewe by Jonathan Anderson.
Her dress is composed of a corset (made out of actual wood!) that is molded to her body, paired with a white draped skirt. Russel has been a Loewe muse for seasons now, and the wooden bodice speaks to the luxury house’s craftsmanship.
The look is quite polarizing, which is very Loewe, but that’s why we love it.
Mona Patel
One of the evening’s surprises is Mona Patel in a custom Iris Van Herpen gown, styled by Law Roach as well.
The Indian fashion entrepreneur stunned with a butterfly shaped bodice that was accentuated with mechanical moving butterflies on her sleeves. The scalloped train also nods to the idea of a bustle, bringing more historical inspiration that coincides with the theme.
It’s always great to see Iris Van Herpen and what a 2024 Met Gala debut.
Tyla
Another one making her Met Gala Debut this 2024 is Tyla.
The singer collaborated with the brand Balmain to create an interesting take on the theme with their “sands of time” motif, which is also made out of actual sand.
The gown hugs her figure perfectly and is inline with the more tropical style Tyla has been rocking since the release of her hit song Water.
Body sculpted pieces and use of natural materials, there seems to be a trend happening at this year’s gala.
Wisdom Kaye
The men also brought fashion to the Met Gala this year 2024. Fashion Tiktoker Wisdom Kaye is easily one of the best dressed men of the night.
He wore a look by Robert Wun, inspired by the designer’s last couture collection. The Hong Kong-born London-based fashion designer has always been inspired by nature in his work. So, seeing this look for this year’s theme is so exciting. The look also has the designer’s codes such as the pleating, sharp tailoring, and this ‘burnt’ motif.
Barry Keoghan
Actor Barry Keoghan is also one of the standout men of the night. His Burberry look consists of a matching olive velvet suit, waistcoat, and trousers, with a white ruffle collared shirt. With the top hat the look is a direct nod to Victorian menswear. It has elements that are a tad costumey, but where else can you go for it than the Met Gala.
Alia Bhatt
British actress Alia Bhatt was also a stunner in a fully embroidered floral saree by Indian couturier Sabyasachi. It had a 23-foot long train that cascaded the Met Gala steps. The saree features the well-known Indian craftsmanship of embroidery and reportedly took 1,905 hours to make.
It is rare to see traditional Eastern clothing highlighted on the Western stage, and we love how Bhatt brought a part of her heritage to the carpet.
Jennie Kim
Returning to the Met Gala this 2024 is K-Pop superstar Jennie Kim. She wore a custom Alaïa blue mini-dress. The asymmetrical cut of the dress kinda resembles ocean waves (which might be a nod to the passage of time?). It might not be the most on the nose reference to the theme, but she looks gorgeous nonetheless.
Kendall Jenner
One of Met Gala’s staple of fashion stars is model Kendall Jenner. This year she wore a ‘never been worn’ Givenchy couture piece from Fall 1999, which was initially shown on a mannequin.
The look is romantic and gothic, which suits the vision of then creative director Alexander McQueen. It also has a slight cheekiness -no pun intended- with its cutouts.
The look is a step forward for Jenner, while staying true to her style.
Cover image credit: Vanity Fair
