Jennifer Lopez

One of the best outfits at the Met Gala was Jennifer Lopez’s, a dress designed by Ralph Lauren. This was inspired by the American ‘Wild West’ and features browns, fur, and fringe, all staples of this period’s fashion. “The look is completed with a combination of vintage accessories, including a Navajo stamped silver cuff and ring, and silver jewelry from the Ralph Lauren archives.” Not only is Ralph Lauren one of the most iconic American designers, but this dress takes inspiration from both a staple period in America and features references to Native culture, something that most designers neglected despite how monumental Native Americans are to the fashion of the past and present. Overall, this look perfectly encapsulates the theme ‘In America: A Lexicon of Fashion’.

Megan Thee Stallion

Megan Thee Stallion attended her first Met Gala in a dress designed by Stuart Vevers at Coach. As someone known for her glamorous and somewhat risque looks, the dress felt lackluster. The inspiration behind the garment was supposedly ‘Old Hollywood’ but wound up resembling more of a cheap, early 2000’s prom dress instead. The website InStyle says, “We’re told that Vevers drew inspiration from 1940s slip dresses and designed a standout style that exuded classic American silhouette reimagined for a new generation”, however, the original inspiration of the 40’s is completely lost in frills. This explanation feels like the designer is just reaching at threads, trying to excuse his disregard for the theme. Even just adding a boa and opera gloves would make the homage to the golden age of Hollywood much more apparent. It would have been a great idea to actually follow the theme and do something like modernize vintage Coach dresses or use old purses as fabric. Since Coach is an American company, using its own history as inspiration could have been a wonderful opportunity but instead, the world is left with this disappointing and forgettable look.

Olivia Rodrigo

Anthony Vaccarello from Saint Laurent designed the skin-tight one piece Olivia Rodrigo wore to the 2021 Met Gala. Rodrigo’s everyday style seems to consist of modernized 2000’s grunge and y2k however, this is far from her normal look. In a Vogue interview she said “I just think it's so rock ‘n’ roll and yet so sophisticated” but the rock ‘n’ roll inspiration is nowhere to be found. Since its creation in the 50’s, rock ‘n’ roll fashion has always included some type of leather, whether its pants, a jacket, or boots. This, however, looks like a Catwoman costume, suiting a college Halloween party more than the Met Gala red carpet. Vaccarello had several ways to both make the look memorable and fit the theme, like the simple incorporation of leather, chains, and spikes or the creation of a custom Elvis Presley-esque suit. The possibilities were endless but the final piece fell flat and left fashion lovers wishing Saint Laurent took more inspiration from history or Alexander McQueen’s, perfectly rock ‘n’ roll, resort 2019 show.

Taylor Hill

Taylor Hill wore custom Versace, the design referencing “the iconic Statue of Liberty”. As one of the most important monuments of America, this dress was a safe play but it still managed to be one of the few that truly fit the theme. The color, the draping, the crystals on the bodice, the cape-like train, and the slight fringe all create an elegant, almost antique gown. Though beautiful, it's quite simple and a custom pointed headpiece would have tied it all together and encompassed the larger-than-life couture the Met Gala is known for.

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