Met Gala Recap: Night of A Million Feathers

This past week brought us life, only if for a night.  As predicted by the all knowing Anna Wintour, the Met gala featured many a maiden in feathered frocks and capes, including Wintour herself.  Of course, Anna’s were Chanel, in a beautiful tribute to Karl Lagerfeld, who designed Wintour’s gala gown before he passed.  It would seem the editor in chief is a bit of a creature of habit, keeping her gala ensembles consistent in feathers, floral and Chanel.  

Consistent in excellence, Gucci dressed a few of my personal favorites.  My most favorite being Florence Welch, who was dressed in a dreamy light mint and lavender, bird flocked cape over matching corseted dress.  Naturally, the outfit was dripping with pearls, crystals, sequins and awe.  Another Gucci highlight was Jared Leto.  Where Alessandro Michele failed with Harry Styles (sporting black waders and a sheer blouse), he succeeded with Jared.  Leto wore a long red robe, draped with strands of rhinestones and a respectable replica of his own head.  I’m not sure there’s anything campier than carrying around your own face.  Speaking of which, Leto was not the only two-faced man in the crowd.  Ezra Miller, dressed in a pin striped suit by Burberry, carried around a mask of his own countenance, while his own face was covered in kaleidoscope eyes.  Surprisingly, this seemed like a pretty toned down version of Ezra, given his usual red carpet attire and editorial work.  For those who have camp in their genetic material, the stakes were even higher. Which brings us to...

Katy Perry was one of the most anticipated characters of the evening.  Obviously, as one of Jeremy Scott’s darlings, she wore Moschino all night.  Entering the pink carpet from the confines of a chandelier, Perry set the stage for more than one meme worthy photo op.  She later changed into a burger.  While being at the Met in a burger costume is not necessarily camp, actively maneuvering oneself into a giant burger and plopping around is decidedly campy.  

There were too many outfits that wowed and fit the dress code, but to list a few that hit the mark, in no particular order: 

Bette Midler in Steven Jones millinery and Michael Kors  

Lupita Nyongo in rainbow Versace  

Lena Waithe in political Pyer Moss

Cardi B in a blood colored and ruby accented Thom Browne

Lady Gaga in four custom Brandon Maxwell pieces  

On the flip side, there were some guests who underwhelmed.  Not to name any names, but it was fairly obvious to spot the guests who read the cliffs notes version of Susan Sontag’s actual notes.  To rely on feathers alone seemed basic and unimaginative.  To fully address the prompt, one needed to abandon the need for comfort and common sense.  It’s easy to rely on the pretty, but difficult to incorporate the absurd in a way that is over the top and not cheesy.

The impact of the gala will most certainly be seen in the coming months.  As a lifetime lover of camp, it will be interesting to watch the normies make their best attempt.  I’ll be waiting in the wings, in a newer, and most likely, bejeweled cape.