What is the fashion industry's answer to the Super Bowl?
Hello, Met Gala.
This yearly occasion comes wrapped in an evening of red carpets, smoldering smiles and flashing Nikons, all to celebrate the opening of the 2013 fashion exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, "Punk: Chaos to Couture". No Met Gala is complete without a starstruck-worthy guestlist (think of one-name wonders) and of course, their weapon of choice on the carpet.
To be honest, I am not so familiar with the punk realm. I never found myself interested in punk music nor its wardrobe either (as if you couldn't tell from my blog already). It wasn't until one of my friends formally introduced me to the Sex Pistols that I discovered of my strange attraction to Sid Vicious (a Google image search already prompts swoons from me). Aaand. . . that's it for my short-lived history with punk-rock.
On the other hand. . . couture? That is a concept I much more familiar with.
This year's Met Gala theme incorporates the opposing entites of punk and couture, which is definitely a challenging dress code to adhere to. The results are mixed; some starletts managed to stunningly execute the blend perfectly, while others just completely shattered the "what-were-you-thinking" scale. And of course, there were the in-betweeners who failed to tantalize the fashion-thirsty audience but also managed to avoid being deemed a red carpet disaster (it pains me to say this, but I'm looking at you, Emma Watson).
Today, I will be sharing with you the looks that I think perfectly captured the punk-couture theme and the ones that quite didn't make the cut. . . time to walk to the plank!
Color Me Impressed
1. Cara Delevingne
Weapon: Burberry | Rating: 10/10
I have come to the conclusion that Cara Delevingne never utters the words: "
Wait, that was a bad photo. Let's take it again"; even her quickly-snapped selfies must rival museum art. Cara dazzles the cameras in her Burberry masterpiece and successfully wins the best look of the Met Gala from me. The medley of spikes combined with the low-cut, slimming silhouette creates a perfect balance between punk chaos and couture.
2. Rooney Mara
Weapon: Givenchy | Rating: 9/10
Rooney had me at Givenchy already! Stunning in a white low-cut number, Rooney paired her dress with a dash of purple lipstick and zero accessories. The styling worked well, as I think layering on necklace or earrings may have only distracted from the dress's aesthetic craftwork. The femininity of the dress is showcased through the white brocade detailing but is paired with the zippered detailing to conjure an eye-catching look.
3. Allison Williams
Weapon: Altuzarra | Rating: 8/10
To me, Alison's gown resembled half fancy lingerie à la Kiki de Montparnasse and half Morticia Addams. And the overall consensus?
It works. This custom-designed Altuzarra dress illuminates Allison and delivers a fitting combination between the rebellious and the elegance.
Search and Destroy
1. Elle Fanning
Weapon: Rodarte | Rating: 3/10
As much as I adore Elle Fanning, it pains me to see her violating the Met's exclusive dress code. The tie-dye print is neither team punk nor couture tragically. The eye makeup was a nice touch, but I feel like this look would fare much better response for an indie movie premiere than this specific event.
2. Madonna
Weapon: Givenchy by Riccardo Tisci | Rating: 4/10
Oh, Madonna. She only scores a point higher then Elle Fanning for her clever incorporation of tartan, chains and studs, otherwise known as punk style requisites. Other than that, Madonna's outfit still resembles a cheapy-constructed disaster from the pre-teen section of the department store. Riccardo Tisci usually spawns such beautiful creations for his Givenchy collection, so I do not understand why this certain look failed. I cannot even tell if Madonna is wearing any pants in this certain photo, which is highly disturbing... (edit: Madonna indeed made her appearance at the Met Gala sans pants)
3. Mary-Kate Olsen
Weapon: Chanel + Balmain | Rating: 4/10
Sigh. If only Mary-Kate had the knowledge to ditch the vintage Balmain jacket and exclusively don the stunning Chanel drop-waist dress, alone. I had no idea her outerwear was even a Balmain jacket, as it looks like a robe one would wear as they sluggishly came to the kitchen for a late morning breakfast, not for a sophisticated evening out at the Met. The mysterious beauty of MK's dress shall never be known, thanks to the power of one yellow robe.
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In overall, I found most of the looks at the Met Gala's "Punk: Chaos to Couture" to be either too conversative (overload on couture) or too eccentric (overdose on punk). A few gowns, as demonstrated by Cara, Rooney and Allison, managed to safely avoid scrutinization by retaining a perfect balance between the two, but I was disappointed by the overall turnout.
Who do you think was best and worst-dressed?
