NEW YORK –
Blake Lively smiled for the cameras in a big Versace gown, with her husband Ryan Reynolds in brown velvet, as the Met Gala returned to the first Monday in May after years of pandemic turmoil with a celebration of American design and a theme of gold glamour. .
The actress, one of the night’s co-hosts, wore a bronze and rose gold look that morphed into a shimmering baby blue cape when she made a big bow. Lively’s look was inspired by the Statue of Liberty, the Empire State Building and the blue roof of Grand Central Station.
“Instead of looking to fashion to influence dress, I looked to New York City architecture,” Lively said.
Some of the early walkers interpreted the theme of the time with black or white looks. Others went with royal purples and glittery golds and silvers.
“Black and white are THE colors of the night,” said Holly Katz, stylist and host of the Fashion Crimes podcast.
Camila Cabello wore a sheer white dress with a midriff top by Prabal Gurung, while Jordan Roth, the theatrical producer, provided a reveal of his own, removing a black egg-shaped shell for a suit with matching bulbous pants. . Janelle Monae delivered a royal wave in a dazzling black and white headpiece and slinky gown with headpiece.
“Amazing. I’m proud to be an American. I’m proud to wear Ralph Lauren. This is gold glamor from the future,” Monae told The Associated Press.
New York Mayor Eric Adams put politics front and center in a tuxedo emblazoned with “End Gun Violence” on the back. Former presidential candidate Hillary Rodham Clinton wore a burgundy gown designed by Joseph Altuzarra with the names of historical women sewn into the hem and neckline. They include Abigail Adams, Shirley Chisolm and Madeleine Albright.
Clinton’s last Met Gala was a while ago.
“I told Anna I would come every 20 years,” he said.
The cast of Baz Luhrmann’s “Elvis” joined forces in sparkly Prada suits, capes and dresses. The film’s star, Austin Butler, wore a short suit and a silk scarf with a jeweled brooch. Luhrmann said his film is ultimately about America.
Maude Apatow, in an off-the-shoulder black look accessorized by Cartier, including a wide diamond choker.
Vogue livestream co-host Vanessa Hudgens walked up the steps of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in a vaguely Victorian sheer black lace dress with a long train. She was joined by La La Anthony, her fellow Vogue presenter, who wore a deep red cut-shoulder look by LaQuan Smith.
“I’m practically naked,” Hudgens joked.
Anthony said, “Those stairs are intimidating.”
And if the return of the Met Gala feels like one of those that, for now, it is.
It’s been just under eight months since the last gala, an annual fundraiser that raises eight-figure sums for the Met’s Costume Institute. Before the pandemic, some 600 prominent people from fashion, sports, music, film, television, technology and more were invited. This year and last, the numbers were closer to 400. The 2020 gala was cancelled.
Last year more than $16.4 million were raised. The star event is the main budget feeder of the institute.
This year’s gala coincides with the opening of the second part of a two-part exhibition at the Costume Institute focused on American fashion and style. The dress code for the evening is gold glam and white tie, in the style of the Gilded Age, that tumultuous period between the Civil War and the early 20th century known for its robber barons, drama and grandeur.
This year’s walk up the Grand Staircase, lined with red roses, returns the gala to its legendary venue on the first Monday in May, with the official live stream appearing on Vogue’s website.
Vogue’s Anna Wintour, who has run the gala since 1995, wore feathered Chanel and a jeweled tiara that has been in her family since 1910. She continues as one of the night’s honorary co-chairs, along with designer Tom Ford and Adam Mosseri of Instagram. The other official co-chairs for 2022 are Regina King and Lin-Manuel Miranda.
While many on Wintour’s carefully curated guest list follow the dress code, others go their own way. Interpretation is everything. Think of Rihanna in a papal hat, Billy Porter as a sun god carried on a litter by shirtless men, and Lady Gaga shedding capes as the fashion world stops to watch.
Click on the images below to see more looks from the evening’s event.
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Associated Press writers Nardos Haile and John Carucci in New York contributed to this report.
Reference-www.ctvnews.ca