BENGALURU: Fur capes, sequin bodysuits and cowboy hats...these are just some of the outfits and accessories that marked this year’s Met Gala, where designers let their imagination loose in terms of design and outfits, while celebrities flaunted them with oomph. This year’s fashion’s biggest night out in New York City, was centred around the theme ‘In America: A Lexicon of Fashion’.
Kim Kardashian’s all-black look — a form-hugging Balenciaga bodysuit she wore to support her estranged husband Kanye West’s new album, Donda — has been the talk of the town ever since she made her appearance. Bengaluru’s popular designer Paresh Lamba has a tongue-in-cheek response. “For the limited amount of clothing she wears otherwise, she seems to have made up with this outfit. She wore a look where even her face wasn’t seen, but she was certainly seen by everyone on social media. Quite a bold statement to make,” Lamba says.
If some thought that Jennifer Lopez stunned the world in a Ralph Lauren dress with a high-leg slit, a cowgirl hat and faux fur wrap, Prasad Bidapa wasn’t impressed. “It was rather too simple. It looked like a college student put together that outfit,” says the fashion stylist and choreographer.
On the other hand, some like lifestyle consultant and fashion advocate Sarayu Hegde point out that a handful of celebs took the fun element forward to further a cause they resonate with. “The dramatic sustainable gown by Oscar de La Renta, was worn by Billie Eilish, on the agreement that the label goes 100 per cent fur-free. The vintage Gucci dress, worn by Addison Rae, also proved that you can always re-wear and bring back timeless classics. Conscious fashion advocate Stelle McCartney too featured quite a few looks on the red carpet,” she says, adding that a 100 per cent vegan menu helped represent the shift happening in fashion toward sustainability.
The gala also saw men experimenting with colours, styles and statements. For his debut, Dany Levi worked with Loewe’s Jonathan Anderson to create a “powerful ensemble that celebrates the resilience, love and the joy of the LGBT+ community”.
“The multi-coloured pastel outfit with dramatic shoulders, an image of two men kissing the world map...it played very well with the theme. It’s also a topic that’s relevant,” adds Lamba. Designer Bassam Osman applauds rapper Lil Nas X’s outfits, a dramatic ensemble costume designed by Donatella Versace. “He did what Lady Gaga usually does with three outfit changes. He went from wearing the golden Versace suit to an armour and a slinky sequined bodysuit which was a very bold move,” he says.
However, when it comes to the only Indian — Hyderabad-based philanthropist Sudha Reddy — to have attended the Met Gala this year, Osman finds the military-inspired haute couture look by Falguni Shane Peacock, to be quite a miss. “She was trying too hard. The stars, the colours and the stripes on it, honestly, looked like a carpet in the White House,” he says.