The 2024 Met Gala, an annual gathering for some of the biggest names in film, fashion, sports, business, and music in the world, was held on May 6 at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The event fundraised more than $26 million dollars for the Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute, a wing run by Anna Wintour and dedicated to a curated collection on fashion and costume design. The theme for this year’s gala was “The Garden of Time,” a fairytale theme which inspired a plethora of whimsical and fashionable looks.
Though high school is no fashion show, many Arcadia High School (AHS) students turn to The Met Gala for inspiration in their fashion journeys.
“The Met Gala is a very inspiring event for the fashion industry. I love seeing all of the outfits and final looks come together to fit the theme of The Met, and this year was no exception,” said senior Megumi Green.
Alongside Wintour, superstars Zendaya, Bad Bunny, Jennifer Lopez, and Chris Hemsworth served as co-chairs for the event. Zendaya was one of the most notable figures of the night, revealing not one but two looks during the course of the evening. The “Challengers” star’s first look was designed by Maison Margiela as a tribute to nature, and Zendaya was decked in a dark blue and green gown complete with sprawling vines and a hummingbird on her neck. For her second look, Zendaya partnered with Law Roach in order to piece together a stunning black gown and flower headpiece, sourced from the Beverly Hills vintage clothing store Lily et Cie.
“The flowers on Zendaya’s dress looked spectacular,” said senior Khangerel Purev-Erdene.
Though all of the Met Gala looks this year exhibited their usual degree of glamor and sophistication, some celebrities rose above the rest. Nicki Minaj, rap superstar, debuted a textured yellow mini dress designed by Marni. Complete with multicolored foil flowers, the dress invoked the image of an idyllic oil painting. Lizzo, musical icon of the 21st century, replicated an anthurium flower with a brown corset-like Fendi overcoat. The look was completed with a conical headpiece reaching over her face and a stunning botanical makeup moment of pink and yellow polka dots.
“I’m loving the Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory vibes from Lizzo’s look,” said senior Will Garcia.
While the women of the gala debuted a wide range of vivacious, fashionable ensembles, the men of the gala were noticeably more lackluster in their approach to the theme. A majority of male celebrities this year opted to put a subtle spin on the classic suit through utilizing nontraditional color schemes, unique brooches, unconventional materials, and more. Celebrities like Donald Glover, Ed Sheeran, Jack Harlow, Adrien Brody, Taika Waititi, and Nicolas Galitzine debuted some of the most notable suit looks of the night.
While there were many prominent looks at The Met this year, fans couldn’t help but notice a few of the star-studded favorites noticeably absent. Fashion icons like Rihanna, Blake Lively, Kate Moss, Beyonce, Solange, and Taylor Swift were all missing from the green carpet lineup this year. Whether this is due to apathy, sickness, or scheduling conflicts, fans still hold out hope for their return next year.
“I was really sad seeing Taylor Swift missing from the Met Gala lineup, and I hope she comes back next year!” said Green.
The 2024 Met Gala exceeded expectations with a wide range of stunning fashion looks, ranging from full-body corsets to sophisticated suits, and we can’t wait to see what they bring to the table next year.
Photo Courtesy of WIKIMEDIACOMMONS.COM
