Stars Shine by Embracing Extravagance

Danielle Perea, Co-Editor-in-Chief

Amid the constant bore of daily life, politics, and depressing world events, one thing people can take joy in is the Met Gala. This event is a time to celebrate fashion, and for many of its wealthy attendants, a time to embrace extravagance. Coverage of these fashionistas flooded the internet on May 6th.

  The Met Gala is held annually to raise money for the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute. This year, the gala raised a record-breaking $15 million, two million more than last year. The event is chaired by US Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour, and was co-chaired this year by Harry Styles, Lady Gaga, Serena Williams. and Gucci’s Alessandro Michele and sponsored by Gucci.

  This year’s theme Camp: Notes on Fashion was confusing to many. “Camp” is best described as the art of being “extra.” As with other years, there has been arguments over whether attendants really nailed the theme. Are thousands of sequins really “extra” if everybody else is wearing the same? Or is opting for a simpler outfit, like Frank Ocean and Kanye West, truly extraordinary?

  All debates aside, many had a blast looking at celebrities strutting their stuff on the pink carpet.

  Sophia Condemi (11), who is in advanced fashion, said, “I liked this year’s met gala. I liked the theme and I liked everybody’s outfits. I thought they were all really nice and interesting.” Condemi enjoyed Cara Delevingne’s outfit, which was designed by Dior and featured colorful stripes with sheer fabric.

  Some other notable outfits included that of Emily Blunt, which was comprised of 510,000 gold sequins and was designed by Michael Kors. Lady Gaga drew attention by undergoing four outfit changes before entering the gala, going from a pink dress to a black dress to another pink dress and finally her underwear. Billy Porter made a grand entrance, carried by six shirtless men and wearing a gold bodysuit and headpiece.

  Meanwhile, Katy Perry and Jared Leto embraced the wackier side of camp, with Perry dressed as a crystal chandelier complete with electric candles and Leto attending with a plus-one—a replica of his own head.

  Striking outfits were not all there was to look at at the Met Gala. The exhibition featured over 200 fashion pieces and sculptures, paintings, and drawings from the 17th century to the present and placed emphasis on where the idea of amp may have originated—Versailles.

  Of course, with a theme as convoluted as Camp, it is hard to say who exactly adhered to the guidelines and who did not. Fashion, as with any art, will always be subjective.

  Drishti Tyagi (10), who is also in advanced fashion, thought this year’s gala was disappointing. She said, “A lot of people (like Kim Kardashian) wore the same sort of outfit they’d worn a lot of years before. So to me, it was a lot less creative than previously.”

  For those who enjoyed seeing Hollywood’s elite prance around in stunning looks, the Met Gala is something to keep an eye on. And for those who enjoy seeing their favorite celebrities in ridiculous getups, the Met Gala still has you covered. The next gala will be held on May 4th, 2020.