Often called the biggest night in fashion, the Met Gala brings the who’s who of the fashion world to New York to raise money for The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s (MOMA) Costume Institute. With tickets rumoured to cost around $75,000 and payment not guaranteeing an invite, it is one of the most exclusive events for designers and celebs alike. After all, where else can designers unleash the full, outrageous levels of their creativity and have a rapt audience ready to praise (or tear down) celebrities and their looks but the blue carpet?
Themed ‘Superfine: Tailoring Black Style,’ inspired by Monica L Miller’s book ‘Slaves to Fashion: Black Dandyism and the Styling of Black Diasporic Identity’, the event complements the new MOMA exhibit focused on the same. Black dandyism, a style adopted by Black Americans following the abolition of slavery, combined black culture with elements of European fashion. “The ethos behind the theme is wanting to be seen as charming, respectable, and dignified and give yourself reasons to feel joy. The theme is very relevant as it speaks of the bespoke tailoring of the black community in the 18th and 19th centuries. The fashion of the time has come out of rebellion,” explains Sounak Sen Barat, founder of House of Three.
Best Dressed (International celebs)
The blue carpet saw a lot of structured silhouettes, striking collars, stripes, capes, and more. “Saldana and Kaling’s looks bring out black dandyism at its best. Even though Saldana’s is a very masculine cut, there’s a corset element which is very feminine, and beautifully blended. I felt the same with Mindy Kaling — very structured and sharp,” says designer Raj Shroff.
Sarika Pawar, founder of the designer label House of Soi, picks Zendaya’s look as her favourite, saying, “The designers took it a notch forward, especially with the limited theme compared to previous years where you could wear a lot of bounce and fluff. I loved Zendaya’s hat and the tailored, all-white look.” But city-based writer, Aashna R was let down by Zendaya’s looks, “I have such high expectations for her, especially with Law Roach by her side, but this year it felt like she missed the mark.”
Sounak notes that Black celebrities took it to the next level. Pointing out Janelle Monae’s Thom Browne suit, he says, “It’s a crazy avant-garde take on a classic bespoke suit that is very androgynous with a constructed jacket and exaggerated shoulders to give a sense of power,” He adds, “All the Black people at the Met Gala wore the theme with a certain pride because these are stories of their forefathers. That sense of belonging was missing from the Indian diaspora who could have drawn from India’s colonial struggles and made the theme their own.”
Indian entourage
This year’s Indians celebs included Diljit Dosanjh, Priyanka Chopra, Kiara Advani, Isha Ambani, Mona Patel. Shah Rukh Khan made his debut in a black Sabyasachi outfit with a ‘K’ necklace, inspiring conflicting opinions. Sarika says, “It’s nice to see him in something so different. He’s never been so casual about jewellery — the pendant, rings, jacket — I just love the whole thing.” However, Raj disagrees, “Khan was the biggest letdown, and I was a bit shocked when I saw that ‘K’ hanging there, it was such a disaster.” Fashion designer Tina Vincent, who also loved Shah Rukh’s look, was all praises for the shift in spotlight on men. “The event focused on menswear and suiting for the first time in over two decades, exploring how Black fashion has shaped identity and culture. This resulted in a variety of looks,” she says.
While both SRK and Diljit, in his full white sherwani featuring Gurmukhi, were criticised for not being on theme, Raj notes the cultural significance of the latter’s outfit, saying, “Among the men, Diljit was amazing; he showed what ‘Jaipur dandyism’ is and that’s what you need to bring out on a platform when you’re representing your country.”
Manish Malhotra’s creation for Natasha Poonawala and Isha’s Anamika Khanna-designed outfit stood out for using Indian handloom textiles. Meanwhile, the jewellery also stood out for some fashion enthusiasts like Aashna, who says, “One of my favorite moments was Isha Ambani wearing the Toussaint necklace, the same one famously stolen in Ocean’s 8 during the Met Gala heist — and wearing it back to the Met in real life. It’s a full-circle Met moment.”