The designs behind the most iconic Met Gala looks
Set to take place on Monday the 6th
May, the highly-anticipated 2019 Met Gala is fast-approaching. Following on
from 2018’s ‘Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination’, this
year’s theme for celebrities to take inspiration from is ‘Camp: Notes on
Fashion’. We’re predicting over exaggerated styles and over-the-top
accessories.
As we can imagine, diamond-encrusted Papal
tiaras and draping dresses are carefully designed and timely to create. Before
we sit back and enjoy the costumes of this year’s event, read on as we review
some of the most iconic Met Gala outfits and explore the designers and creation
of the dresses.
Rihanna and Guo Pei in 2015
Before Rihanna stepped onto the Met Gala
red carpet wearing that iconic yellow cape, Chinese Guo Pei had been creating
couture for more than 30 years. In fact, this exact masterpiece had been
designed for a 2012 show in China and it had been at in Guo’s studio until it
was snapped up by Rihanna for the big event.
Weighing 25kg with a 16ft train, this look
wasn’t an easy one to pull off. In fact, when it was first presented in China,
the model made it only halfway down the catwalk before the show had to be
paused so she could remove the garment and head backstage!
Fitting for the “China: Through The Looking
Glass” theme, the fur-trimmed cape featured over 50,000 hours’ worth of hand
embroidery and took two whole years to make. Describing her inspiration behind
the design, Pei said, “When I had this design in mind, I [was thinking of] a
woman that can carry weight on her arms. It’s a dress she has to lift, like she
can lift the whole world. I always have a woman like that in mind.”
Guo became the first Chinese national to
appear at Paris couture week in 2017, showing off her large-scale yet intricate
designs. The colour yellow plays a big part in Pei’s designs, she recalls a
time when the colour was banned in her culture and how far fashion has come
since that time.
Blake Lively and Atelier Versace in 2018
Blake Lively’s dress was so long that she
had to take a party bus to the 2018 ball. Inspired by royalty and renaissance
to match the “Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination” theme, Lively
and her gown captivated audiences. Her long train was carefully embroidered,
and her jewelled corset reportedly took 600 hours to create! The look was
complete with sheer panels on either side of her legs and a custom halo that
featured 100 carats of champagne diamonds.
Why aren’t we surprised that this exquisite
piece was custom made for Blake herself? Designed by Atelier Versace, this
piece was guaranteed to impress. Talk about finishing touches, Lively wore $2
million of Lorraine Schwartz jewellery to complement her look — this included
the custom headpiece, bangles, earrings and her Lorraine Schwartz engagement
ring.
Schwartz’s pieces are often worn by
celebrities on the red carpet and her jewels have been spotted on Beyonce, Kim
Kardashian and Angelina Jolie. Her bespoke jewellery pieces never fail to
impress and it’s no surprise that she’s a go-to when celebrities are looking
for new bling!
Kim Kardashian and Prada in 2016
“Manus X Machina: Fashion in an Age of
Technology” was the theme for the 2016 Met Gala, and Kim Kardashian didn’t
disappoint. She co-ordinated with her beau as they both stepped onto the red
carpet dressed in Balmain — Kim in a futuristic silver dress and Kanye sporting
a silver jacket and icy blue contact lenses.
The garment was created by Olivier
Rousteing who became the youngest Creative Director of Balmain in 2011 at aged
24. Since his takeover, he has been credited with bringing an Asian influence
to the brand, something that has been widely welcomed by its buyers.
This look wasn’t the only outfit that was
considered. Speaking about the evening before the Gala, Kim said, “When I
landed in New York at midnight, I immediately went to see Olivier for a 1 am
fitting, and we literally cut skirts in half, created tops from dresses, and
stayed up until 4 am to get the perfect option that we felt fit the theme.” Other
potential looks included a gown with jewelled shoulders and sleeves and another
was embellished with pearls and a giant gem in the centre of the bodice. In
total, Kim received four custom-made goingout dresses from Rousteing before the event!
Rihanna and Comme des Garcons in 2017
The theme of this year’s event was “Rei
Kawakubo/Comme des Garçons” — a tribute to Kawakubo and her innovative designs
that have challenged fashion aesthetics.
In true Rihanna style, the Barbadian singer
stepped out onto the red carpet in an attention-grabbing piece. She wore a
textured garment that was cut from jacquard florals which made her dress
three-dimensional. The piece was designed with an asymmetric hemline, many
cut-outs and was first featured in the Comme des Garcons Fall 2016 collection.
It reportedly took Rihanna one hour to get
into the Dsquared2 red heels she wore that were tied up to her thighs. Her hair
was styled into a top bun and her makeup complemented the pink shades of the
dress with rosy eyeshadow and blush.
The 2017 gala was quite the tribute to Rei
Kawakubo, who rarely agrees to shows or interviews. She established Commes des
Garcons in Tokyo in 1973 and has developed the brand into what it is today — an
inventive and stand-out establishment that has had a great influence on fashion
as a whole.
This year’s theme is set to be “Camp: Notes
On Fashion”, who knows what iconic looks we’ll see.
Hope you enjoyed reading this post.
Love
Chichi
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