It’s that time of the year again where social media is blowing up over this year’s Met Gala. From the guest lists to the outfits, everyone is discussing their thoughts over this year’s theme. 

The Met Gala falls on the first Monday of May every year and is a fundraising event that is held for the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute. When fans of this prestigious event learned of the theme, many had expectations for luxury, glamor and glitz. This year’s theme was supposed to be inspired by the Gilded Age (1870-1900); however many of the attendees fell short of being anywhere near the theme. 

When the news from the event hit the media, an overwhelming majority had negative reactions towards the guest list and outfits. A recurring situation that has been happening at the Met over the past few years is that very few guests have been on theme. Last year’s theme was “In America: A Lexicon of Fashion” and most, if not all, of the celebrities in attendance missed the memo, and this year was no different. Many arrived in modern day vintage or old hollywood.

One outfit that sparked a major controversy was Kim Kardashian arriving in Marilyn Monroe’s dress that she wore to former president John F. Kennedy’s birthday party. Many found this to be highly offensive and inappropriate, mainly because Kardashian is ruining a piece of history as well as not being on theme. 

While many had hopes for corsets, jewel-toned gowns and a variety of silk, velvet and satin fabrics, the array of aesthetics strayed far from these expectations. Twitter and TikTok were the two social media platforms that had the most to say about the Met Gala. A majority of fans noticed that only four or five attendees were truly on theme.

For the few that did stay true to following the Gilded Age, they executed their outfits phenomenally. There was one outfit that I immediately fell in love with: actress Blake Lively’s dress, made by Versace, because it paid tribute to New York City architecture and was inspired by the Statue of Liberty. Lively’s gown was reversible and went from a beautiful copper/rose gold into a gorgeous light blue. She was undoubtedly the center of attention the entire night of the event. 

Second to Lively’s outstanding Statue of Liberty ballgown, was a Telemundo reporter that wowed the crowd, and many fans on Twitter claimed that she had a “Cinderella” moment. Once Génesis Suero stepped out onto the red carpet, she stole the spotlight in her Lucía Rodríguez gown. Suero looked as if she stepped straight out of a fairytale in her gold and white ball gown that was adorned with ornate beaded embroidery on the bodice, sleeves and skirt. 

Another celebrity that stole the show was singer-songwriter Billie Eilish. Her dress was designed by Gucci designer Alessandro Michele and was made entirely of upcycled materials. She made her first appearance at the Met in 2021 and was a showstopper that year as well. Eilish’s outfit wore an ivory and duchesse satin corseted gown, complete with a green lace underlay and gathered ivory skirt. 

One dress that shocked the majority of the audience was worn by actress Laura Harrier. She arrived on the red carpet in a black and silver gown that had a built-in corset and metallic detailing that ran from front to back. Harrier looked stunning, especially with a dress that wasn’t made by a high end designer. Her gown was from H&M, and some had controversial opinions on the brand that she chose. While many had outfits made by high-end designers, Harrier opted for a major corporation that participates in fast fashion instead. H&M announced back in November of 2021 that they would be releasing a sustainable clothing line, yet many wonder if this line of clothing truly is sustainable.

Although the majority of attendees completely missed the mark of the Gilded Age, the few that did, put their entire heart and soul into their outfits. We can only hope that next year’s Met Gala will prove to be better than the past few years.

Contact Anna Baustert at [email protected]