The annual Met Gala hosted by New York' Metropolitan Museum of Art is renowned as THE fashion event of the year. It's the time when all the designers, models and A-listers descend upon New York and really dress to impress. Certainly, taking into account the punk theme of the Gala, this year was no exception. With the Met's Costume Institute debuting their spring 2013 'Chaos to Couture' exhibition - an examination of punk and its impact on high fashion - many of the stars punked up accordingly. Let's take a look at the decadent and glorious outfits of this year's Met Gala...
rooney mara in givenchy
Rooney Mara was the front runner by far in terms of dress. As one of this year's Met Gala chairs, she looked absolutely stunning in a floor-length Givenchy lace dress with a plunging neckline and open back. The zipper detail on her dress gave an otherwise sweet and feminine dress a rocker look. The simple color palette was complemented with a vampy lipstick that accentuated the minimalism of her outfit. And it absolutely didn't hurt that Rooney was accompanied by the suave and ingenious Riccardo Tisci, designer of Givenchy and her co-chair for the night.
cara delevingne in burberry
Cara Delevingne is another standout in this year's Gala - if not dangerously so. She shines in a dramatic plunging gown (an ongoing theme?) from Burberry, rocking dark eyes and a smoldering model look fit for the occasion. As a fellow lover of studs and spikes, I am in total appreciation of her spiketastic upper half supplemented by the spiky necklace and earrings. It's good that she keeps the bottom of the dress a simple black in order to avoid an overload of detail.
amber heard in emilio pucci and emilia clarke in ralph lauren
Despite black being the go-to color for punk, red seemed to be the choice for the ladies at the Gala. A plethora of celebrities rocked this bold and dramatic statement color, including the likes of Maggie Gyllenhaal, Kate Beckinsdale and the two actresses pictured above. I am in love with the intricate lace detail on Amber Heard's dress, which she pairs with a similarly red clutch and sleek curls. Emilia Clarke goes for a simpler look in her Ralph Lauren gown. The sweetheart neckline with the overlapping sashes of fabric accentuates her curves and has a slimming effect on the waistline.
nina dobrev in monique lhullier, taylor swift in j mendel and ashley greene in marchesa
This year, many of the A-listers opted for a more gothic and classic take on punk. Dresses were adorned with lace, embroidery and embellishments that exuded gothic glamor. Nina Dobrev rocked a Monique Lhullier lace and tulle ensemble, a feminine dress punked up with jumpsuit trousers and a leather harness worn over the top. Taylor Swift strayed away from her usual pastel affairs with a black J Mendel cutout dress, with mesh panels and fierce embellished shoulders. Ashley Greene looked like an Italian princess in Dolce & Gabbana ads in her Marchesa gown with gold embroidery detailing.
blake lively in gucci, kristen dunst in louis vuitton and emmy rossum in donna karan atelier
As it IS the biggest fashion event of the year, many of the stars pulled out the stops with dramatic lengths and trains on their dresses. Actress Blake Lively positively glowed in a Gucci strapless gown with black and silver feather details and black organza layers that cascaded to the ground. Kirsten Dunst embodied elegance in a hunter green Louis Vuitton dress with ombre feather trim descending down its length. Emmy Rossum looked radiant in a custom Donna Karan Atelier dress with silver sequins and lace, and a lengthy organza train that swept the red carpet.
miranda kerr in michael kors, gwyneth paltrow in valentino and dakota fanning in rodarte
Another trend prevalent in the Gala was cutout dresses. Model Miranda Kerr looked absolutely stunning in her high-collared Michael Kors dress with a sequined bandeau, showing off her model-esque midriff (I'm jealous). Gwyneth Paltrow was positively vivid in her long-sleeved electric pink Valentino gown with minimalist lines and sheer panel that balanced out the bright color. Dakota Fanning rocked out in a black v-neck dress by Rodarte featuring sheer side panels and a sheer back with a motif of wings.
miley cyrus and nicole richie
I suppose that as an event in celebration of punk, there was bound to be at least one person with an outlandish hairdo. Not just one, it seems. Miley Cyrus wore her short blonde locks in a crazily spiked look reminiscent of punk rock musicians (or porcupines). Anne Hathaway's hair went through a blonde overhaul for this event, all gelled and slicked back. But the award for the craziest hairdo ultimately goes to Nicole Richie, with her powdery white-verging-on-grey updo matching the color of her Topshop dress.
coco rocha in ungaro, anja rubik in anthony vaccarello, mary-kate olsen in chanel and kim kardashian in givenchy
Fashion failures are rife in grandiose events such as the Met Gala. Whilst most rise to the occasion, some fall flat in their forays into avant garde fashion. Such was the case with Coco Rocha, who had leopard print and gold butterfly ornaments on her Ungaro dress battling for supremacy. The combination of shiny objects and crazy print caused a sensory overload, and not in a good way. Whilst Coco stood out with her excess detail, Anja Rubik blended in. Although I quite liked the design of her leather Anthony Vaccarello dress, it had the misfortune of being the exact same shade of red as the red carpet. This chameleon-like effect was heightened by her shoes, also the red of the carpet, which caused her feet to magically merge with the floor. Mary-Kate Olsen was at no risk of blending in, with her fur-trimmed yellow silk coat form Chanel that was so incongruous both to the rest of her outfit and the occasion. It was almost like she grabbed this coat in a moment of desperation and threw it over herself as one would do a bathrobe (albeit a Chanel one). The fail of the night was, without a doubt, Kim Kardashian and her Givenchy floral-clad self. It's illogical why she would squeeze her pregnant body into a heavily printed piece that only serves to highlight her weight and to elicit comparisons of her with a stuffed floral sofa. It's bad enough that she wore this overly tight floral dress, she had to pair it with matching gloves - taking the phrase 'head to toe' a little too earnestly. Next time, try something that fits Kim. Perhaps this atrocious outfit will get her re-banned from the Met Gala, with justification.
This year's Met Gala was, like every year's, a mixed bag of exciting fashion and over-the-top decadence. I'm looking forward to what the Costume Institute has to offer next year, and how the stars will style themselves for the occasion.
xo emmy
