The designs behind the most iconic Met Gala looks

Set to take place on Monday the 6^th 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