In honor of this year’s Met Gala dress code, I felt the absence of “Fashion is Art” a little early in the evening. Stunning gowns and some distinctly masculine looks were on full display – but where exactly was the art?
Shortly after the carpet kicks into high gear, the mix of fashion and art emerges — an order meant to celebrate the museum’s new exhibition, Fashion artwhich opens its doors to the public on Sunday, May 10 — is beginning to reveal itself in countless ways. Venus Williams explained to a red carpet reporter that her Swarovski dress and neckpiece were inspired by her own portrait, which hangs in London’s National Gallery (now that’s clout), while Elizabeth Debicki actually looked like one of the Grecian statues in the Met Museum’s gallery, wearing a Greco-Roman gown by Vera Wang.
With only a few exceptions, the art and history of craftsmanship in fashion has received the spotlight, which is exactly the goal of the museum’s Costume Institute. Some looks took their cues directly from paintings and sculptures — in Heidi Klum’s case she made a full commitment, arriving completely covered in the look of Raphael Monti’s 1847 Veiled Vestal sculpture, which she came up with after visiting the Metropolitan Museum and deciding exactly which piece of art she wanted to emulate, a detail that shouldn’t surprise anyone who knows the supermodel’s commitment to Halloween every year.
While other looks were more subtle than artistically inspired, this was ultimately a rug dedicated to appreciating the beauty of fashion in all its forms. Some may have looked like they came out of a painting, while others seemed to represent the passion of manual labor in a workshop. Both are appropriate for an event that honors the rich history of the clothing we wear. With that in mind, Hollywood Reporter 12 looks were selected that covered the style spectrum.
Sam Smith in Christian Cowan
You can always count on Sam Smith to be anything but shy with his red carpet style, making him a perennial favorite at the Met Gala. And they didn’t disappoint with their look on Monday night, a custom design by Christian Cowan that included a cocoon coat decorated with more than 230,000 crystals and beads and required 800 hours of handwork by 45 artisans. Add the feathers atop Sam’s head, and the inspiration quickly becomes clear: Erte, the artist and designer who dominated the Art Deco movement of the 1920s. Smith’s look already sparked thoughts of Ertey’s famous illustrations, especially the headdress, a collaboration between Cowan and the famous milliner Stephen Jones. Smith and Kwan, who have been a couple since at least the 2024 Met Gala, attended together, with the designer wearing an embroidered suit that nicely complemented Smith’s look. The Grammy winner finished off his look with Cartier jewelry.
Emma Chamberlain in Mugler
Arriving early to the Met Gala steps, Emma Chamberlain set a beautiful tone in a hand-painted Mugler gown, designed by creative director Miguel Castro Freitas, that resembles paint dripping onto a draped fabric, enhanced by the effect of gathering and splattered colours. Overall, the result was masterful and, dare we say it, painterly. Chamberlain completed her look with Chopard jewelry and Stuart Weitzman shoes.
Nicole Kidman in Chanel
In the week leading up to the Met Gala, social media was filled with rumors that Kim Kardashian had rented Princess Diana’s famous “revenge dress,” which Christina Stambolian designed and wore in 1994. Spoiler: Kardashian wore a different look, but Nicole Kidman’s appearance as the lady in red made her Chanel look enjoy the same “revenge dress” moniker. While attending with her daughter, Sunday Rose Kidman Urban, who wore Dior, Kidman looked truly stunning in a crimson gown embroidered entirely with sequins, a handiwork that took more than 800 hours, and finished with a feather peplum. The Oscar winner accessorized her dress with Chanel fine jewelry, Chanel shoes, and a vintage Omega watch.
Rosé in Saint Laurent by Anthony Vaccarello
In his spring 1988 couture collection, Yves Saint Laurent paid tribute to the 20th-century painter and sculptor Georges Braque, whose dove motifs were celebrated. Anthony Vaccarello, creative director of Saint Laurent, paid homage to this idea with a dove adorned with beads and pearls that sat on the hip of Rosé’s silk strapless dress. Tiffany & Co. platinum and diamond jewelry completed her look.
EJAE in Swarovski
EJAE’s custom hand-made, fitted Swarovski gown was so stunning, more than 700,000 Swarovski crystals were needed to complete the design. “I wanted to make a crystal sculpture – something that combined classical beauty with it [EJAE’s] “In its cultural identity, it uses crystal to sculpt the body, almost like light on marble,” Giovanna Engelbert, Swarovski’s global creative director, explained in a statement. Meanwhile, her hairstyle was meant to pay homage to her Korean heritage. The singer-songwriter completed her look with Gianvito Rossi shoes.
Julianne Moore in Bottega Veneta
If you’re looking for artistic fashion inspiration from the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, it would be hard to choose something better than the John Singer Sargent Museum. Madam Xthe iconic painting has been at the Fifth Avenue Museum since 1916. Three women Monday night honored the artwork: Honorary President Lauren Sanchez Bezos in a custom Schiaparelli design, Claire Foy in Erdem and Julianne Moore, seen here in Bottega Veneta. The strap sliding off the shoulder was key, a scandalous moment when the painting debuted in 1884, prompting Sargent to repaint the detail so that it essentially sat on his subject’s shoulder. The fall of Moore’s belt was not an accident. It was a statement. She completed her look with diamonds from Messika.
Hudson Williams in Balenciaga
If you spend a lot of time looking up “Spanish matador paintings at the Metropolitan Museum of Art,” Hudson-Williams’ view was not literal in this particular sense, although there is a historical reference. Creative director Pierpaolo Piccioli took inspiration for his design from a jacket housed in Spain’s Cristóbal Balenciaga Museum, a piece created by the legendary designer in 1947. Piccioli built the look from that jacket, he advised Hot competition Star to dress up a shirt and add a head-like train for dramatic effect. Williams completed his look with Bvlgari jewelry, including a high jewelry necklace in platinum and diamonds.
Sabrina Carpenter in Dior
One of the most creative connections between fashion and art was Sabrina Carpenter’s look for Dior, designed by creative director Jonathan Anderson. Eschewing the paintings and sculptures that inspired so many other looks, Anderson chose a different art form: film, where Carpenter’s halter-neck gown was made largely from black-and-white film strips. And not just any movie: 1954 Sabrinastarring Audrey Hepburn, which the star referred to on the red carpet as “one of my favorite movies of all time.” (In a nice twist, Monday was also Hepburn’s birthday.) Carpenter’s look was completed with Chopard jewelry and Christian Louboutin shoes.
Isha Ambani in Gaurav Gupta
India’s incredible history in clothing and jewelry was on full display with philanthropist and arts patron Isha Ambani, whose look created by New Delhi-based fashion designer Gaurav Gupta consisted of a luxurious gold sari, a gown designed to create a halo effect, and more than 1,800 carats of diamonds and gemstones. The embroidered jewelery on the bra came from Ambani’s personal collection, many of which belonged to her mother, as he passed away Gupta craftsmen spend more than 1,200 hours decorating and hand-painting the look. Ambani completed her look with Lorraine Schwartz jewellery, paper, brass and brass jasmine in her hair, and an evening bag made in the shape of a mango sculpture.
Patrick Schwarzenegger in public school
Patrick Schwarzenegger noted on the carpet that Public Schools designers Dao Yi Chow and Maxwell Osbourne were inspired by Salvador Dali to create his Met Gala look, a layered design consisting of a cropped lambskin bolero jacket, a floor-length tailored wool coat, silk trousers with a built-in corset, a high-collared oxford shirt and a lambskin tie. The actor accessorized the suit with jewelry and shoes by David Yurman from Christian Louboutin.
Chase Sue wonders at McQueen
The artistic references may not immediately come to mind with Chase Sui Wonders’ lilac dress, but she noted on the carpet that her recent trip to Pompeii, where she saw ancient Roman wall reliefs, put inspiration firmly in her mind. Made from silk georgette and satin, the dress features an oversized bow at the neck, moves beautifully on the carpet and matches the evening color wonderfully. studio The actress completed her look with Tiffany & Co. jewelry, Amina Muaddi shoes, and a McQueen evening bag.
Connor Story in Saint Laurent by Anthony Vaccarello
Yes, Hot competitionConnor Story looked chic and sexy in his custom look from Saint Laurent by Anthony Vaccarello — but was that the only statement the star made? The androgynous theme has been explored as a theme in art stretching back to 500 BC, while Greek mythology and the Renaissance also embraced androgynous characters, sometimes presenting them as gods or angels. Storey may not have been trying to be so crafty, however, given the Greek influences seen around the world Fashion art Exhibition, this clear statement of style and gender provided deeper messages of fine tailoring. The actor finished off his look with jewelry by Tiffany & Co., including rubellite and diamond brooches set in 18-karat yellow gold and platinum.
See all the Met Gala looks here, and stay up to date with the latest news Hollywood ReporterMet Gala coverage here.
