Over the past couple months, there hasn’t been a lot to look forward to. Basically every event is canceled, so whether you’re into sports, live theatre and concerts, or just like, drinking somewhere that’s not your house, things have been bleak. And amidst all the disappointment, today is especially depressing. Normally, the Met Gala, held on the first Monday in May, is the most exciting time in the world of fashion (and making fun of fashion), but sadly, this year’s event is indefinitely postponed. But that doesn’t mean we can’t entertain ourselves by looking back at some of the most tragic Met Gala looks from years past.
Remember, the Met Gala is not just about who wore the cutest dress. Every year, there’s a theme, and it is the time to be creative, fashion-forward, and over-the-top. When considering what makes a Met Gala look bad, some of these celebs’ outfits were just fugly, but others fundamentally misunderstood the assignment. Here are the worst Met Gala outfits of all time.
Kris Jenner, 2019
The 2019 theme was Camp, which basically begged people to make bizarre choices. But Kris Jenner managed to look weird even given this theme, which is kind of impressive. I know we all joke that she works harder than the devil, but nobody was working hard on this outfit. But maybe that was the problem. Was she so tired of everyone calling her the devil that she decided to dress as Glinda the Good Witch? This is truly upsetting. She looked like a cross between the Tooth Fairy and the Fairy Godmother, which I guess would make her the Fairy Godmomager. Also who did her spray tan, Tan Mom?
Ashley Graham, 2019
Remember, the theme was CAMP. Do something crazy. This was not the time to come in a Gucci logo dress, lookin’ like your grandma’s strawberry sucking candy. Ashley looked gorgeous, and her body is obviously to die for, but that’s not the point. Where is the DRAMA? I’ve been wearing a top with no pants for the last 55 days, it’s called quarantine chic. This was a swing and a miss.
Mary-Kate & Ashley Olsen, 2018
The 2018 theme was Heavenly Bodies, and the Olsen twins didn’t fully miss the memo. But they’ve been dressing in mysterious cloaks and capes for like, what, a decade now? So I was kind of hoping to see a little more from them. Instead, they’re both serving middle school pottery teacher realness. I’m willing to bet on my most-liked Instagram photo that at least one of them was wearing Birkenstocks underneath all of that. Also, why is one twin aging exponentially faster than the other??
Shailene Woodley, 2018
I actually could warm up to this look if someone could please confirm that Shailene Woodley purposefully showed up to the 2018 Met Gala in a Sexy Lord Farquaad costume. Like, go off sis, I love Shrek too! Sadly, I don’t think that’s what she was going for, which makes this outfit totally inexcusable. The more I look at it, the more uncomfortable I get, and from the look in her eyes, I think she knew it was bad, too.
Jennifer Lopez, 2017
Jennifer Lopez is always one of the most stunning people at the Met Gala, but dressing to the theme is not her strong suit. In 2017, the Met Gala celebrated the work of Rei Kawakubo, one of the most influential avant-garde designers. And you know what’s pretty much the opposite of avant-garde? This beautiful flowing blue caftan. J.Lo is basically dressed like Patricia from Southern Charm, and while Patricia is chic AF, she couldn’t be further from the theme.
Madonna, 2017
Madonna always puts in effort at the Met Gala, and for that I am grateful. But I’m sorry, I f*cking hate this dress she wore in 2017. The camo material? Hate. The literal plastic buckle on her belt? Nope. All of the jewelry? Absolutely not. The cape/shawl made out of a different, even worse camo material? The matching CANTEEN that she carried on the carpet?? I’m done. Maybe this worked for the theme, but it didn’t work for my eyes.
Kanye West, 2016
Say what you will about Kim’s outfit, but she looks glam as f*ck, and she’s dressed to theme. Kanye West, however, showed up to perhaps the fanciest even in the world wearing RIPPED JEANS AND A T-SHIRT. His jacket is totally sick, and I think the outfit is cool, but this was at the MET GALA. Fashion’s biggest night! It’s a disgrace.
Emma Stone, 2016
The 2016 theme was about the relationship of fashion and technology, which for most people, just meant wearing metallic dresses. Emma Stone, however, came dressed as an extra from any movie set in Ancient Rome, except I guess the corset is metal? Idk, it’s not anything special, and this look sits at the tragic intersection of basic and ugly. That’s about the worst place to be when Rihanna is a few feet away, shutting down the red carpet.
Donatella Versace, 2015
I have many questions about this outfit. This year’s theme was “China: Through The Looking Glass”, and I have no idea what that has to do with this dress. There’s just so much going on. Why are there 18 kinds of netting material? What are those glittery symbols all over? Why does her hair look like that? I really want to jump through the computer screen and trim her bangs. Donatella is iconic, but this look is a total mess.
Kris Jenner, 2015
Pull the lever, Kronk! pic.twitter.com/7JGeAHzGQR
— LADbible (@ladbible) May 5, 2015
We started this list with Kris Jenner, so why not bring things full-circle? Her 2015 Met Gala look was basically just a red silk robe with shoulder pads, complete with a chunky gold belt and some of the largest earrings I’ve ever seen. She looked a little ridiculous, honestly, but it’s probably not as bad as last year’s Tooth Fairy couture. But most importantly, this look was the source of all the “pull the lever, Kronk” memes, because Kris’ botox situation looked absolutely insane. I’m sure a lot of stars get a little, um, touch-up before the Met Gala, but Kris may have gone a little overboard.
Obviously, fashion and taste are subjective, but I feel pretty comfortable sh*tting on these outfits. And if you liked them, sorry, but it’s really not that big of a deal. Sadly, we won’t get a new crop of outfits to roast tonight, but hopefully Miss Rona hurries the f*ck up out of here, so we can still have a Met Gala at some point this year. After all that’s been taken away from us, we deserve to see some Rihanna glam.
Images: Sean Zanni / Contributor (2), George Pimentel (2), Axelle/Bauer-Griffin / Contributor / Getty Images; Sky Cinema / Shutterstock.com, Ovidiu Hrubaru / Shutterstock.com (2); ladbible / Twitter
If you haven’t checked your calendar recently, just know that the end of 2019 is rapidly approaching. We still have like, 50 days left in this year, but people have started looking ahead to 2020, which makes me both excited and stressed. Oscar contender movies are coming out left and right, the Grammy nominations are getting released in a week, and today, the theme for the 2020 Met Gala was announced. It’s not as confusing as Camp was last year, but it still sounds artsy AF.
This year’s theme for the 2020 Met Gala and costume exhibition will be “About Time: Fashion And Duration,” which immediately makes me wonder…who is going to show up to this thing literally wearing a clock? My money is on Lady Gaga, but it could really be anyone. According to the Met Costume Institute, the exhibition will showcase 150 years of fashion history along a “disruptive” timeline, so I guess they’re just putting the clothes out of order? Idk, I’m definitely still gonna go. Curator Andrew Bolton said that the exhibition is “a reimagining of fashion history that’s fragmented, discontinuous, and heterogeneous.” Cool cool cool cool cool. Tell me what Rihanna’s gonna wear and then we can talk.
While the theme this year definitely isn’t as difficult to explain as Camp (Mom, stop asking me if random things are camp), I’m still not sure exactly how this theme will be interpreted. Will someone be dressed as Cogsworth from Beauty & The Beast? Will Anna Wintour do Hermione Granger cosplay and carry a time-turner? I can already picture Kim Kardashian dressed as Princess Jasmine coming inside of a gigantic hourglass, and I’m gonna be disappointed if she does anything less extra. Actually, knowing Kim, she’s just going to show up in a corset and call it “time”, but I’m really hoping for Jasmine.
The 2020 Met Gala will take place on May 4th, and this year’s co-chairs are Nicolas Ghesquière (the creative director of Louis Vuitton), Lin-Manuel Miranda, Emma Stone, Meryl Streep, and Anna Wintour. While I’m guessing this means Emma Stone will wear a boring Louis Vuitton dress like she always does, I’m intrigued by Meryl Streep’s selection. She’s not the kind of person that goes to the Met Gala every year, so I really hope she goes over-the-top for her big night. Maybe she’ll dress up as Miranda Priestly and move at a glacial pace? That would thrill me.
While we still have to wait approximately seven months to see the ~timeless~ looks at the 2020 Met Gala, we can take this time to look back at some of the most iconic Met Gala themes and looks ever. As I mentioned before, many people were confused by last year’s theme “Camp: Notes on Fashion,” but co-chair Lady Gaga obviously knew exactly what to do. Her gigantic pink dress, followed by a series of outfit reveals, were instantly iconic (and camp).
In 2018, the theme was “Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination,” and some of the looks were seriously stunning, While some people are determined to be boring and just look pretty, Cardi B fully went for it, despite being super pregnant at the time. It’s been almost two years, and I’m still not over that headpiece.
If anyone has made the Met Gala their bitch in the past decade, it’s Rihanna. While she sat out last year, she’s shut down the red carpet several other years with looks that only she could pull off. While her avant-garde Comme des Garçons look and her Pope couture were spectacular, my absolute favorite thing she’s worn is this stunning yellow gown by Chinese designer Guo Pei. The whole theme in 2015 was “China: Through The Looking Glass,” and Rih was one of the only stars who wore a look from an actual Chinese designer. You go, bad gal.
So yeah, there’s going to be a high bar when it comes to next year’s looks, and I really hope all these celebs don’t let me down. In the meantime, we have the whole award season’s worth of red carpets to judge appreciate fashion, and I’m so ready.
Images: Shutterstock (4)
I think I’ve established, pretty vehemently actually, that I’m skeptical of everything that celebrities do. Yes, I still bring screenshots of their hair to my stylist, yes I still buy their sunglasses collaborations using their 20% discount codes, and yes, I monitor their social media accounts more closely than I do my friends and family members. But that doesn’t mean I’m so easily fooled! Only sometimes! And the one thing I will truly never believe is that any of their relationships are real. These people get paid to pretend! It’s easy for them! And I’m not just basing this on the fact that I personally can’t fathom why a rising actress would marry a Scientologist that jumps on couches, this is actually just a fact. Celebrities and publicists have even admitted to it. There are many reasons celebrity couples fake their relationships, whether it be for publicity, to keep a secret about themselves, or to horrify me with their fake kisses, the possibilities are endless! So let me tell you about my favorite couples that I BELIEVE (is that language cool, legal?) are faking it.
1. Shawn Mendes & Camila Cabello
So I think we all know by now that this one’s fake, right? We wrote about it extensively this past summer, as did anyone with eyeballs and the slightest hint of a pulse. Seriously, even the comatose were waxing poetic on the subject. So what’s the deal? Well, Camila and her boyfriend, dating coach Matthew Hussey (yes, apparently that’s a thing), broke up in June. Then, Camila and Shawn released “Señorita,” made a sexy music video, and bam! people thought they were together. They started teasing fans, until finally we got some aquatic makeout shots that I now see in my nightmares.
To me, it’s obvious this relationship is for publicity. I’m just saying, do not trust them!
^^Yes, this definitely helped your case.
2. Timothée Chalamet & Lily-Rose Depp
On to our second-worst fake kissers of the bunch. Timothée is a rising star who did something scandalous with a peach in a movie, I think? Unclear, since all I really watch is To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before on repeat, but I think I definitely heard something about a fruit. Lily-Rose Depp is the daughter of a middle-aged man who dresses like a pirate and appears to have anger issues, among many other things. Oh, and he’s Johnny Depp, if that wasn’t clear. Timothée and Lily-Rose have been rumored to be dating a while, but now they’re in a movie, The King, together.
The movie premiered in Venice in September, and the two seemed normal. AND THEN. We get photos like this! (scroll, pls).
Is this just how the kids are kissing these days? Maybe I’m the weird one? I mean, when I was 18 we were still waiting for Harry Potter and The Half-Blood Prince THE BOOK to come out, so it’s been a while. (Yes, I do have an extensive anti-aging routine, thank you for your concern). Also, these pictures are clearly staged. Paparazzi do not get this close to celebrities on private property unless it’s sanctioned by the celebrity. And why would anyone WANT pictures like this out? For the publicity! I bet you all want to see The King, now, don’t you? See, it’s already working. Wake up, sheeple!!
3. Kristen Stewart & Robert Pattinson
Look, Kristen seems to be someone who is passionate in relationships! We all saw those cheating photos with Rupert Sanders. Obviously into each other. And she is all over her girlfriends these days! But when she was with Rob, did you ever see someone look more miserable in their life? And she’s an actress! It is her job to conceal her emotions and mask them with different ones! And yet the only emotion she could summon up with Rob was “bitter teenager forced to eat dinner with her mother’s new boyfriend.” And he was no better. The only vibes he was giving off were “I just ate something that disagreed with me and there’s no bathroom in sight.” True love? I don’t think so. Again, this seemed like a plot to get attention for the Twilight films, and their fanbase ate that sh*t right up, ponied up a ton of money for the movies, and some even maintain TO THIS DAY that Robsten is a secret couple.
^^breakup footage
4. Taylor Swift & Tom Hiddleston
Again, and this is all my opinion if anyone on Taylor Swift’s team is reading this… Staged, staged, staged. No self-respecting man not in it for the fame and power would wear a tank that says “I Heart TS” out in public if he wasn’t getting something really good out of it. Like, more-press-than-he-could-ever-dream-of kind of good. Yeah, Tom was famous before he dated Taylor, but like, famous with nerds, not famous-famous. This helped him get famous-famous, but in return he had to pay with his dignity. I think he may regret it. (Taylor Swift™ No copyright infringement intended. Property of TAS LLC Management 2019©)
^^never forget
And there you have it, my favorite ALLEGED fake couples! Did I miss anyone you guys are convinced are faking it? I’m all ears for your theories. Go!
Images: Shutterstock.com; giphy (2), shawnmendes, enews / Instagram
Hello, all. Today, I’m going to show you a different sort of Photoshop fail. I know you guys like the super messed up ones, but what I think is scarier are the ones that look almost real. The ones that don’t have any obvious tells. Any retouch work I do, for example, is seamless because I know what to look for and I have a degree in Digital Arts. But I also don’t edit people to make them look super thin and Barbie-ish and scary and strange. I fix basic issues like lighting, skin problems, weird bunching fabric, distorted perspective, etc.
The reason the ones that aren’t as obvious are so scary is because they do a great job of convincing you that this is what these people really look like. They don’t, not any of them. Even the very perfect ones still feel insecure and edit their photos. And with this, I bring you James Charles.
I only knew who James Charles was from his Covergirl ad where he had little freckles and was adorable and his makeup was amazing. Then 50 Shades of Betch blessed us all with his Youtube drama, so now I feel young and cool and like I know what’s going on, but without having to watch any of those stupid videos, because really, who has time for that? I am very busy bingeing The Office for the 200th time. So yeah, I don’t know, after all the updates, whose side I’m supposed to be on. Is James Charles cancelled again? Is Tati cancelled? Does anyone really know who Tati is? What does cancelled even mean, because it seems like millions of people watch their videos either way? So like they’re still making money, yes? IDK? Also, for people that “did not want to talk about it”, they sure did a LOT of videos about it… that I did not bother to watch. Anyway. Back to the Photoshop fail.
James Charles posted this look from the Met Gala.
And he looks fabulous. But also sort of superhuman. He has that same alien-esque quality of the Hadid sisters’ new faces. I assume this is the result of a ton of makeup/contouring and plastic surgery. However, the more I looked at this photo, the more I was confused by his… giant block head. Is he a reject from some Hey Arnold! reboot I was unaware of? That is a very, very blocky head.
But once I saw that…
Then I saw all of this. Like, yes Block Head is super unnatural looking. I’m sure he had the Hollywood Standard issue nose job, AND is probably wearing a lot of makeup, but isn’t that nose so minuscule and strange? It’s basically a dot at this point, like a cartoon! And then… the lady behind him seems to have a weird, lumpy neck, which is fine and definitely happens as we age, but it’s a LITTLE WEIRD that it happens to be completely parallel with James’s neck? And speaking of parallel, his waist is so even and straight and also perfectly parallel to his arm? We rarely hold our bodies in such perfect lines. In fact, if you do that in animation, it’s considered poor posing (my emphasis in my degree was animation, btw). Super, super weird coincidence. And interestingly enough, the carpet seems to bulge out right near his body.
Again, these are really subtle issues. But did beautiful creature James Charles with his little button nose and perfect makeup really feel he was still inadequate and in need of a block head? (I didn’t even realize that’s what the youths found sexy nowadays?)
Now maybe you’re like, “Hey, you’re really reaching here.” Maybe I am. BUT. Lucky for us, this is a professional photo taken by pros at an event. So I was able to find THE ORIGINAL.
Wouldn’t you know it? James Cancelled Charles has a regular shaped head. I have to say I’m relieved. And the carpet is straight. His torso and arm are not parallel. His neck is a bit thicker. And Weird Neck Lady actually has a straight neck. If I were her, I would be pissed about this edit. It’s inconsiderate to age someone’s neck just to make yours look thinner, James!
And if you’re having trouble telling the difference, I made a little GIF for you!
SO. I’m really confused. The original photo was great, so why? He literally went in and made his neck and torso slightly thinner. He also made his hips way bigger, made his eyes and lips bigger, shrunk his nose to replicate Michael Jackson’s, and most importantly, gave himself a GIANT cranium? Was he trying to fix his hair and it went wrong? (Psst. James. Next time hit me up, I will fix it correctly.)
He looks way better and less alien-y in the OG photo. He’s already thin, the editing made no real difference. I can’t believe a giant head is what anyone would aspire to, especially when it’s a strange shape. Does he do this to all his photos?
Well. Those are some very square heads. And the doorway is bent in the last one and he has a disappearing nose. Also, can we talk about how pretty/amazing his makeup is? James, you’re sooo young and fabulous, you don’t need to edit your body or give yourself a block head. Or remove your nose. Put down the Facetune, you don’t need it. It just perpetuates this horrible culture that no one is thin enough, pretty enough, perfect enough, or square-headed enough.
PSA: Also maybe don’t edit photos that are available to the public.
Images: Instagram (@jamescharles); Giphy (2)
In today’s edition of random thots of Instagram causing petty drama, we’re talking about Kami Osman. If that name doesn’t sound familiar, it’s because she literally doesn’t matter. She has 700,000 Instagram followers, and her bio says she’s a singer and songwriter (she doesn’t have a Spotify page), but the only important thing about her is that she looks like Kim Kardashian. In fact, she looks so much like Kim K that she literally appeared on an episode of KUWTK as a Kim lookalike. But this week, instead of getting more surgeries to look like Kim, Kami decided to start some drama with Kim on Instagram. This is the sh*t I live for.
Earlier this week, Kami reposted a picture of this dress, which she wore in March 2018 for her birthday, on her Instagram story:
Along with the picture, she wrote “Got a lot of DM’s in regards to the MET look that was painfully similar to my last years bday dress. Never get confused with who ‘inspires’ who. They wont give you credit but they will copy. I designed this dress for my birthday last year. Nobody had a dress like this was an original design.” Sorry for the spelling and grammar issues, but I really wanted Kami to speak for herself.
She is, of course, referring to Kim Kardashian’s Met Gala afterparty look from this year, which was designer for her by Thierry Mugler:
Hmm. Do the two dresses look similar? Sure! They both have an unusually low neckline that casually exposes the belly button, they’re both sparkly, and they’re both v short. Other than the fact that Kami’s looks like FashionNova and Kim’s is couture, I definitely see the resemblance. The problem with Kami’s argument is that Kim’s dress is literally a replica of something Cher wore decades ago.
Luckily, Diet Prada (one of the best accounts on Instagram), helped us out by posting the exact Cher look that was used as inspiration. Sorry Kami, but you seriously should’ve stayed in your lane here.
But this story gets even better, because both Kim and Kami responded to the drama via their Instagram stories. First, Kim came for Kami by posting a series of photos of Cher and past Mugler looks that were used as inspiration for her Met Gala dress, solidly proving that Kami’s birthday dress had absolutely nothing to do with the design process. Then, in classic Kim style, she finished things off with one of the best clap backs I’ve ever seen:
NOT. ON. MY. MOOD. BOARD. From now on, this is going to be my response whenever I don’t have time for someone’s bullsh*t. My friend wants to bring her weird new boyfriend to happy hour? Sorry, that’s #NotOnMyMoodBoard. You’re not drinking for six weeks because your “doctor” told you to “take a break”? Nope, #NotOnMyMoodBoard. It works in basically any situation, and I’m so glad petty queen Kim commented on this situation.
Of course, Kami had to attempt some damage control on her Instagram story, and she took the route of pretending that she cooked up this whole scandal just to get publicity for herself.
Okay, so this actually wouldn’t have been a terrible plan, except for the fact that Kami now looks like a thirsty clown who was just desperate for 10 seconds in the spotlight. It’s definitely gotten her a lot of publicity, but she hasn’t seen an unusually large spike in followers in the couple of days since she first posted her Instagram story about Kim ripping off her dress.
While Kim has been rightfully called out for copying designs in the past, this was definitely an instance of a thirst monster just trying to use her for a little bit of press. Honestly, I’ve basically already forgotten who Kami Osman is, but good for her for putting herself out there. Too bad she’s #NotOnMyMoodBoard.
Images: Shutterstock; @kamiosman (2), @kimkardashian (2), @diet_prada / Instagram
Last night was the annual Met Gala, and many of the world’s biggest stars took to the red carpet to show us their interpretations of Camp. Some nailed it, while others were more on the boring side, but there was a lot going on. While we were busy focusing on A-listers like Cardi B and Jennifer Lopez, there were also some random faces on the pink carpet. The Met Gala is a notoriously exclusive event, so how did these unfamiliar faces manage to get tickets? Call Kris Jenner, because this is a job for the FBI.
Liza Koshy
One of the first people on the pink carpet last night was Liza Koshy, looking like she was smuggling a TV under her Balmain dress. Liza is a famous YouTuber who got her start on Vine (RIP), and her videos have more than two billion combined views. Damn. She’s also a co-host of MTV’s TRL, which I didn’t realize was still on. She was at the Met Gala this year as a Vogue correspondent, interviewing other celebs on the red carpet. Somewhere, Giuliana Rancic is having a tantrum that she didn’t get this gig.
James Charles
While we’re on the subject of famous YouTubers, let’s talk about James Charles. Full disclosure, I can’t stand James Charles. He’s an obnoxious YouTube makeup guru, who has a history of saying super problematic/racist things, and he’s also annoying as f*ck. James was invited by YouTube (unclear why they get invitations) and dressed by Alexander Wang, because sure, why not?
Chris Lee
Like I said, I can’t know everyone in the world, and we all have pop culture blindspots. Turns out that Chris Lee is a super famous singer from China, and it’s exciting to see celebs from around the world getting equal opportunity exposure at the Met Gala. More of this, please! The one unfortunate thing is that the gown Gucci gave her looks way too similar to the one Saoirse Ronan was wearing, also by Gucci. Why would they do this?
Charlotte Casiraghi
Whoever this is, she definitely didn’t understand the theme. When I Googled Charlotte Casiraghi, the first thing the internet told me is that she’s an “Italian industrialist.” I’m not sure what that means, but I’m pretty sure it doesn’t get you invited to the Met Gala. On second glance, and more importantly, it turns out Charlotte is eleventh in line to the throne of Monaco. Her grandmother was Grace Kelly. Casual. Now I understand why she’s on the guest list, but I’m still really struggling with her dress that looks like it was made from shredded records.
The Entire Cast Of ‘Riverdale’
Look, Riverdale has never been my cup of tea. It’s not for me, but I understand that it’s very popular. But I’m a little surprised that almost everyone in the main cast merited an invitation to an event like the Met Gala. Like, Lili and Cole? Sure. But Camila Mendes’ yellow and blue nightmare looked like a Teen Choice Awards mistake, and Madelaine Petsch’s Tinkerbell couture was, um, also a choice. Good for them I guess, because I certainly wasn’t invited.
Caroline Trentini
In the grand scheme of things, it’s really not that random that Caroline Trentini was invited. She’s a model, and random models make up about a quarter of the Met Gala guest list. But I was a little surprised at her outfit. It’s by Thom Browne, who also dressed Cardi B this year, but I really can’t with the Party City skeleton look. I’m sure this dress was very expensive, but like Countess Luann says, money can’t buy you class.
Who Was Noticeably Absent?
Usually, Met Gala Monday unofficially doubles as Rihanna Day. Rih knocks it out of the park every single year, but this year she didn’t show up. She addressed her absence on her Instagram by playing with that f*cking makeup, and also declared Anna Wintour best dressed. I’m glad she didn’t ignore that the Met Gala was happening altogether, but I’m still pretty pissed that she didn’t show up to teach everyone how to stick to a theme.
Rihanna wasn’t the only high-profile absence from this year’s Gala. Past red carpet all-stars that were also missing included Sarah Jessica Parker, Blake Lively (who gets a pass only because she is pregnant), Taylor Swift, Beyoncé, and Madonna. I’m sure they all had great excuses, but I’m gonna need them all back in 2020 with some incredible fashion. Thanks in advance!
Images: @foreverlizakoshy, @jamescharles, @urnotchrislee, @Charlotte.casiraghi, @cherylfeed, @carolinetrentini, @badgalriri / Instagram
Ah, the Met Gala. Every year, on the first Monday in May, the top names in fashion and entertainment gather to celebrate how rich and hot they are, and it’s always a treat. I mean, it’s technically a fundraiser, but we’re all here for the dresses. Year after year, the world’s best designers give us some serious couture looks based on whatever the theme is, and this year was no different. The thing is, this year’s theme (Camp: Notes on Fashion) was kind of an enigma. What exactly is camp? It’s hard to describe, but it’s basically an art that celebrates all things wild, over the top, ironic, and tacky. No, it doesn’t have anything to do with tie-dye or bonfires. Essentially, the only rule for this year’s red carpet was to not be boring. Sounds simple, but some of the stars had more trouble than you’d think (*cough* Kim Kardashian), and that’s mainly who made the worst end of the list. None of these people looked bad, per se, but the worst dressed mainly just bored us. Sadly, Rihanna was not in attendance, but even she did a better job than some of these snoozes. Here’s how everyone else did, for better or for worse.
Best: Lena Waithe
If you’re just learning about camp for the first time, the back of Lena Waithe’s blazer is a good place to start. Like so many things in pop culture today, the roots of what we now think of as “camp” can be traced back to black queer and drag culture, starting in the 1960s. Cultural movements grow and shift naturally through time, but it’s important to remember and pay tribute to those who came before us. For this important statement, Lena instantly had one of the best looks of the night.
Worst: Kim Kardashian
Kim is kind of the worst at the Met Gala in general because she always looks hot, but that’s not the point. She never pushes the boundaries. This year, she just walked straight out of her Vogue cover shoot and wore that exact look to the Met Gala. Seriously, just look at this sh*t:
For someone who does the most 364 days out of the year, I’ll never get why Kim chooses this day of all days to do less.
Best: Katy Perry
Whether you like Katy Perry or not, when it comes to camp, she understands the assignment. I mean, she’s spent 95% of her career dressed as various types of food, so this girl hasn’t met an over-the-top costume she doesn’t like. Most years at the Met Gala Katy looks like an idiot, but this year looking like an idiot was basically the theme, so she nailed it. She looks like Lumière from Beauty and the Beast had a major glow-up (pardon the pun), and I’m 100% here for it. I’m desperate to know how she went to the bathroom in this dress, or moved at all without impaling anyone, though. Beauty is pain!
Worst: Ashley Graham
For the last time, THE THEME IS CAMP. Do something crazy. The time to come in a Gucci logo dress, lookin’ like your grandma’s strawberry sucking candy, was not today. She looks gorgeous, and her body is obviously to die for, but that’s not the point. Where is the DRAMA? This was a swing and a miss.
Best: Lady Gaga
Usually Tom Sandoval is the one who takes a party theme the most seriously, but it was all about Gaga at the Met Gala. Honestly, I love all of these outfits, and I especially love the progression from “family dinner with your parents” to “night out with your girlfriends the second your parents drop you off at your friend’s.” My favorite look is probably the first one, because it reminds me of a couture comforter. But I think I’m going to start bringing a portable phone from 1987 everywhere.
Worst: Halsey
Look, Halsey is gorgeous and so talented, and I don’t hate what she’s wearing—in fact, I could easily see Taylor Swift copying it for the next awards show—but wearing a large skirt does not immediately mean you have successfully done camp. Halsey looks like Jafar put her under his spell, then dressed her. Hourglass sold separately, I assume.
Best: Billy Porter
Much like when he wore a tuxedo gown to the Oscars this year, Billy Porter proved again that he knows how to make a f*cking statement on a red carpet. I’m sure everyone else is kicking themselves that they didn’t think t0 be carried in by a crew of gorgeous men (me at all times), and the moment only got better when he revealed the huge gold wings on his outfit. Please make sure Billy is on the invite list for every red carpet until the end of time, because he’s the only thing keeping me awake for these things.
Worst: Kris Jenner
Kris, Kris, Kris.Kris Jenner managed to look weird even given this theme, which is kind of impressive. I know we all joke that she works harder than the devil, but nobody was working hard on this outfit. But maybe that was the problem. Was she so tired of everyone calling her the devil so she decided to dress as Glinda the Good Witch? This is truly upsetting. She looks like a cross between the Tooth Fairy and the Fairy Godmother, which I guess would make her the Fairy Godmomager. Also who did her spray tan, Tan Mom?
Best: Janelle Monáe
Janelle Monáe is a f*cking work of art who can do wrong, and this look is only further proof of that. She completely nailed the theme, and it doesn’t feel like she’s trying nearly as hard as a lot of these stars. It probably helps that this is basically an outfit she would wear to a normal event, but whatever. We stan.
Worst: Gisele Bündchen
Did Gisele Bündchen look stunning at the Met Gala? Of course Gisele Bündchen looked stunning at the Met Gala! That’s like asking if water is wet. But it doesn’t change the fact that I am B-O-R-E-D looking at this dress.From the pleating to the belt, this screams more “mother of the bride” than “Anna Wintour’s guest at the most exclusive event in existence.” Gisele was having a grand old time twirling on the red carpet, but she could’ve twirled while wearing something a lot more exciting! The only good thing about this dress is that it was made using sustainable methods by Dior, but like, couldn’t they have made Gisele a fun dress sustainably too?
Best: Cardi B
Cardi B looked like a period incarnate, but she actually lived up to the theme. She saw the top, went over it, and then back around to the bottom and over the top again. (Sorry I’ll see myself out.) But I really liked the monochromatic look, complete with the headpiece and jewels. I don’t watch Game of Thrones, so correct me if this joke is not accurate, but: she looked like the Red Wedding come to life.
Worst: Hailey Bieber
Where do I start? The Wet Seal reject of a dress? The visible whale tail? The overly aggressive spray tan? Or the fact that even given all this, the whole look still managed to bore me? I will give Hailey one bit of credit, and that is that I am completely in awe of that ponytail. Good for the ponytail. Now just ditch everything else about the look, and then we can talk.
Best: Kacey Musgraves
Is this technically campy? Sure, maybe, I honestly don’t even know anymore and I desperately need to go to sleep, but Kacey looks so goddamn good in this Barbie outfit. She already won the Grammys this year, and if there were awards given out at the Met Gala, she probably would’ve won one of those too. God, she’s so f*cking pretty.
Images: Sean Zanni / Getty Images (2); @lenawaithe, @thecut (3), @enews (6), @betches, @theebillyporter, @alarmfashion / Instagram
This year’s Met Gala is just days away. While your favorite celebrities are busy trying to interpret this year’s Camp theme (if you’re imagining tents in the wilderness, please see yourself out), we’ve been thinking about the planning going on behind the scenes. Hosting your average fundraiser is no easy task, and the Met Gala is anything but average (Anna would never hear of it). But how the f*ck do you even go about pulling off an event as massive as the Met Gala? We at Betches have no clue, so we asked the experts at PartySlate to break down what goes into planning an epic fundraising event like the Met Gala.
Selecting the Co-Chairs & Committee Members
Source: PartySlate | Photography: The Metropolitan Museum of Art/BFA.com/Shutterstock | Design, Décor & Floral: Raul Avila Inc. | Venue: Metropolitan Museum of Art | Lighting & Videographer: Frost Productions
Every year, the Met Gala is held on the first Monday in May, and the next year’s planning begins the first Tuesday in May. Yikes, talk about no days off. Much like the beginnings of any large-scale event, one of the first steps is for the host to curate her event team. Hand-selected by Vogue’s infamous editor-in-chief, Anna Wintour, this year’s co-chairs are Harry Styles, Serena Williams, Lady Gaga, and Gucci’s Alessandro Michele. Plus, 183 Hollywood stars will serve on this year’s committee, including Blake Lively (her new bump pristinely dressed, no doubt), Lupita Nyong’o, Katy Perry, and Bradley Cooper (who can’t seem to stay away from Lady Gaga—not that we’re mad about it).
Picking the Theme
Source: PartySlate | Photography: The Metropolitan Museum of Art/BFA.com/Shutterstock | Design, Décor & Floral: Raul Avila Inc. | Venue: Metropolitan Museum of Art | Lighting & Videographer: Frost Productions
We’ve loved all of the past Met Gala themes. “China: Through the Looking Glass” had us bowing down to Beyoncé and her fierce sheer gown, while “Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination” brought us Kim Kardashian in liquid gold Versace. Again, this year’s theme is Camp, and Alessandro Michele told the New York Times, “Camp really means the unique ability of combining high art and pop culture; it is not kitsch.” We live for a red carpet just like every other betch, but we’re most excited to see how the team at Vogue carries the theme throughout the evening, from the red carpet welcome to the dinner party decor.
Curating the Guest List
Year after year, the Met Gala is invitation only—and no, you’re not invited. Whether you pay for your ticket (at $30,000 a head, somebody tell Billy McFarland) or are invited by a designer or Queen Anna herself, you can’t get in the doors unless you’re on the list.
“Creating guest lists for high-profile events and fundraisers can become stressful,” says PartySlate Co-Founder and CEO, Julie Roth Novack. “You want to be strategic and get the right mix of people in the room.”
To no one’s surprise, Anna Wintour selects and approves every last detail of the evening, including the guest list. And we’re pretty sure she’s unconcerned with who may or may not be offended by her choices. Many guests are Met Gala vets, while a handful of newbies are added each year.
Preparing for Red Carpet Arrivals
Source: PartySlate | Photography: The Metropolitan Museum of Art/BFA.com/Shutterstock | Design, Décor & Floral: Raul Avila Inc. | Venue: Metropolitan Museum of Art | Lighting & Videographer: Frost Productions
Skinny arms and thigh-high slits are always on display as guests arrive at the Met Gala. But Novack points out that the red carpet is so much more than a photo op. “The gowns and attire at the Met Gala are also decor, just like the florals or lighting or draping,” she says. “The red carpet is one of the most important parts of the event, because it’s the first time spectators are introduced to interpretations of the theme.” The planning team also has to prioritize media and press placement to capture the entrances; details are incredibly secretive leading up to the event, but from the moment the first celebrities step out of their limos, Vogue wants that international buzz.
Creating the Seating Chart
Keeping the peace between Selena and Justin is just the start of the Met Gala seating chart drama. According to Eaddy Kiernan, who organized last year’s Met Gala, the names for the guest list come together in December—and then the seating chart calculations begin. (Your wedding has nothing on this seating chart, sorry.) The final seating chart is never finalized until about a month out from the event, and even then there are always small tweaks to be made. The team at Vogue considers everything from who will have good conversations during dinner to which tables should be placed closest to the front and back of the room. Still, there can be drama, like when Lena Dunham got offended when Odell Beckham Junior sat next to her all night and still didn’t want to bang her. Guests have even gone so far as to storm out of the dinner if they’re displeased with their seats. Hey, Anna: if you ever need seat fillers, we don’t have plans on Monday.
Selecting the Menu
Source: PartySlate | Photography: The Metropolitan Museum of Art/BFA.com/Shutterstock | Design, Décor & Floral: Raul Avila Inc. | Venue: Metropolitan Museum of Art | Lighting & Videographer: Frost Productions
Similar to the design and decor, a fundraiser’s food, wine, and cocktails should always be aligned with the theme of the night. While it’s still unclear exactly what Camp means, we bet it will be seamlessly integrated into the dinner menu, wine selection, and cocktail options. Wintour has been known to ban certain ingredients; don’t expect anything that could stain gowns or teeth. Cuisine is often one of the most memorable elements of an event, so it’s important to make thoughtful decisions, and always choose dishes that are creative, yet universally enjoyed. And in the case of the Met Gala, under 300 calories per serving.
Prioritizing Fundraising Efforts
Let’s not forget: the Met Gala is a fundraiser. The goal (after social media engagement, of course) is to motivate celebrities, guests, and spectators to reach deep into their silk-lined pockets and raise money for the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute. While some people make donations, many guests don’t actually pay for tickets, so the event is also an important marketing tool to bring in outside funds for the cause. “Charities that create these fabulous experiences always see a return in recurring fundraising,” says Novack, emphasizing the importance of donors who commit to a cause year after year. “A fundraiser like the Met Gala might cost a lot to host, but without a fabulous party, you won’t see the same return.” Last year, the event raised $13.5 million.
Don’t Forget the After-Parties
So, Anna Wintour and her team don’t have a ton to do with this last point, but after-parties are an iconic part of the Met Gala. The fun doesn’t stop on the stairs of the Met, and guests often change outfits before heading to their next destinations. “Only Vogue publishes the full event details—or at least the ones they want us to see—but bathroom shots and after party photos will surface on social media throughout the night,” says Novack. After-parties continue to be a big trend in the event industry, even at the Met Gala.
And that’s pretty much everything you could ever need to know about the Met Gala. Oh wait, we’re sure you’re wondering how you can score an invite, right? Contrary to popular belief, you can go even if you’re not famous, and we broke down how here.
