‘Meh gala’: Why stylists feel that Met Gala — fashion’s biggest night — was ‘utterly forgettable’

 

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This incident raises a fascinating question: what does it say about the fashion at the Met Gala this year when an AI-generated image becomes a highlight?

Rihanna’s voluminous yellow gown with a train that stretched down the Met Gala carpet’s stairs in 2015. Lady Gaga’s theatrical 4 outfit Met entrance in 2019. Jared Leto carrying a replica of his own head for the 2018 Met. Natasha Poonawalla’s golden cage Sabyasachi sari in 2022. Famously known as fashion’s biggest night, the Met Gala is renowned for its outrageous red-carpet looks and extravagant themes. This year should have been no different, considering the theme Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion was one of its most simple-to-execute themes yet, with the dress code being the Garden of Time.

So why were so many of us left feeling like we were taking a prolonged nap? Was this the year the magic finally wore off?

For the most part? A very disappointing carpet. A lot of beautiful looks here and there but I think a lot of people saw “garden” and ran with it instead of actually researching the theme. Which is just…

— linda‎‎ (@itgirlenergy) May 7, 2024

Isha Bhansali, who is also a celebrity stylist, concurred, saying, “because it was an easy theme, there was too much space to interpret. I think that’s why it was underwhelming.”

Gone were the days of outrageous, headline-grabbing ensembles. This year, a wave of predictable and safe choices dominated the red carpet. Sequined gowns, tailored suits (ahem, we’re looking at the men), and sheer fabrics were a dime a dozen, offering little innovation or surprise.

Rishi was just as underwhelmed by the Met Gala looks this year. “This time the Met Gala was meh gala. I was not feeling it at all. Everyone was trying to stand out and become a meme but not on the basis of the creativity behind the look, just the shock value. Because of this many people missed out on dressing per the theme,” he explained.

me seeing men arrive in boring black suits yet again #MetGala pic.twitter.com/d6Bq2DpU5L

— kristen🌞 (@kristen_siebs) May 6, 2024

Another reason why the Met Gala seemed to elicit just exhausted sighs could’ve been the fact that many A-listers known for bringing the drama to the carpet were absent. Lady Gaga, Rihanna, Jared Leto, Blake Lively are some of the names that come to mind immediately.

Talking about the looks of the Indian stars at the Met, Bhansali proclaimed she was ‘underwhelmed’, and added “I love Sabyasachi (Alia Bhatt’s designer). I love Rahul Mishra (Isha Ambani’s designer), I enjoyed what Mindy Kaling wore. They were all beautiful looks, no doubt. But the looks just weren’t strong enough.” Rishi concurred with Bhansali’s opinion.

Here’s how Express employees felt about Alia’s Met Gala look:

 

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Despite the underwhelming showing, a few celebrities managed to capture the essence of the theme with captivating interpretations.

For Rishi, Natasha Poonawalla became that beacon of home. “She was bang on theme and all her outfits had just the right amount of drama. So was Tyla. The singer proved you don’t necessarily need embellishments to stand out.”

Bhansali, on the other hand, loved Zendaya’s look. “She delivered. As she always does.”

The #MetGala is THE night you can wear EVERYTHING and they just all decide to wear boring af clothes

pic.twitter.com/XfbE8smA1K

— 🪐🌷 (@8_le_exe) May 6, 2024

The underwhelming nature of the 2024 Met Gala can’t be viewed in isolation. The current global political climate, fraught with tension and uncertainty, might have dampened the usual celebratory mood. Especially as protestors in support of Palestine rallied outside of the Met Gala, even shutting down Park Avenue at one point.

The 2024 Met Gala leaves us wondering if the magic has faded. For Bhansali, it was “utterly forgettable.” “I will not remember any of this after some time,” she said.

One can only hope that next year’s event will recapture the spirit of fashion as boundless imagination, where celebrities truly embrace the theme and push the boundaries. But perhaps, a true reawakening for the Met Gala requires not just a more daring theme, but a world ready to be dazzled again.