Est. 2017
Cheers all! I’m up bright and early at 5 AM ET for the Royal Wedding Festivities and we currently have the celebrity guests arriving! I am a little surprised by some of the attendees – a few folks I didn’t expect!
Victoria Beckham in Victoria Beckham
Embed from Getty ImagesPosh here is wearing her own design, looking lovely, and has gone two for two on royal weddings now!
And just like that (after a week and a half of very hard work…) another Met Gala has come and gone. Let’s close this thing out, move on to Cannes (and the Royal Wedding!!!), and actually go see the “Heavenly Bodies” exhibit!
Lena Waithe in Carolina Herrera
Embed from Getty ImagesThis is a fucking triumph. First of all, the iteration of the LGBT flag used by Waithe and Herrera here is straight out of Philly! To quote The Philadelphia Inquirer: “The rainbow cape that queer black actress Lena Waithe wore Monday to the Met Gala in New York included black and brown stripes, mirroring the pride flag in Philadelphia, which last year became the first city to add black and brown stripes atop its pride flag to represent LGBT people of color”. Second of all, this is such a beautiful and subversive statement. The cape itself is stunning, but it’s also a commentary on the Church’s legacy of discrimination against queer communities. It not only adheres to the theme, but it takes it a step further – making a powerful statement about the Church’s past and future. I would never have thought of Lena and Carolina as potent partners in fashion, but the work they did here together is brilliant and moving.
The models were a mixed bag at the Met Gala this year – some real highs from unexpected candidates (looking at you Hadid’s) and some expected lows from repeat offenders (Jenner’s…you know who you are).
Bella Hadid in Chrome Hearts Official x Gareth Pugh
Embed from Getty ImagesLike I said when I covered Gigi’s gorgeous stained glass inspired Versace gown, I was very impressed with both of the Hadid sisters this year. If Gigi was delicate, heavenly stained glass, then Bella is definitely a somewhat sinful nun. She looks about ready to break out of the convent to join a coven.
Prabal Gurung has been hit and miss for me lately. He has created red carpet magic in the past, particularly with his frequent muse/collaborator Diane Kruger. These two looks are still two of my all time favorites on Diane. He’s also done incredible work with Issa Rae and Sarah Paulson. But, he also did this. And this.
This year, he used the Met Gala to debut his bespoke atelier line. All of the designs worn by the eight women he dressed are now available for custom orders. Taken together, it becomes clear that he was much more focused on creating a collection with wide appeal and using the Met Gala as a great big advertisement, rather than designing to the theme.
Continue reading “Red Carpet: Prabal Gurung Debuts Bespoke Line at Met Gala”
For years now, H&M and various other fast fashion designers (mainly Top Shop) have been making a play for red carpet prominence. The results have been…mixed. H&M has largely done better, with their popular “Conscious Collection” which exclusively uses sustainable materials, and their increasingly high-end collaborations with designers like Erdem, Moschino, and Balmain. However, often their work looks like it came from “high street” – it’s shoddily constructed, basic, and un-inventive. This year, H&M presented five looks at the Met Gala, and overall did better than they have in a long time.
Alex Wek
Embed from Getty ImagesThe back of this is gorgeous. The details are stunning and the construction is really good. I don’t love the front as much – that slit is DANGEROUSLY high. But overall, this gets an A from me.
Continue reading “Red Carpet: H&M Does Surprisingly Well at the Met Gala”
When I think of classic American designers, I think of Ralph Lauren and Tommy Hilfiger. But when I think of opulence and the Catholic church, I definitely DON’T think of either. Interestingly, a lot of celebrities went with these two designers, with varying results.
Priyanka Chopra in Ralph Lauren
Embed from Getty ImagesPriyanka totally killed it at last years Met Gala in a Ralph Lauren trench coat gown. This year their partnership produced equally wonderful results – this maroon velvet gown looks spectacular on her and the intricately jeweled headdress is a real work of art.
Continue reading “Red Carpet; Classic American Designers Take On The Met Gala”
Headgear ruled the night on Monday, and thankfully not the kind I used to wear at night to correct an appallingly bad overbite. From Pope hats to veils to halos, interesting head pieces were the accessory of choice for stars to demonstrate their dedication to the theme.
Rihanna in custom Maison Margiela by John Galliano
Embed from Getty ImagesBow down, bitches, because Rihanna just won the Met Gala. Again. This is exquisite, hilarious, extravagant, clever, and downright holy. She is literally dressed as a sexy pope, but this isn’t a tacky Halloween costume. As much as I am iffy on Galliano (even though the ADL apparently has forgiven him…) you can’t deny his handiwork here. Now that we have Cool Pope, can we have Rihanna Pope next?
Continue reading “Red Carpet: Crowns, Hoods, Veils, and Halos at the Met Gala”
Italy. The home of the Catholic Church, the mecca of Catholic art, and the birthplace of some of the fashion houses most equipped to take on this years theme. Let’s take a look at how they fulfilled or flaked on that promise.
Also, a side note: this is our 100th post here at Fashion Wonk! I just wanted to take a moment to thank everyone for reading, commenting, and encouraging me to keep this thing going! It’s been a joy talking fashion with you all, so thank you very, very much.
Lana del Rey and Jared Leto in Gucci
Embed from Getty ImagesWell then. This is not subtle. As I understand it, this is an ode to “Our Lady of Sorrows”, a.k.a the Virgin Mary and the suffering she experienced. And obviously Jared Leto is dressed as Jesus. Which is pretty much a regular Monday for him.
Continue reading “Red Carpet: The Italians Take on the Met Gala”
You know, as hard as I am on Louis Vuitton, I’m rooting for them. I don’t want to hate everything they send down the runway and red carpet. Often when I don’t like a designers work, I can at least say that I “get it” or appreciate it, but I find much of LV’s most recent work completely un-appreciable. Luckily, it seems all of their work for the Met Gala this year was custom. Unluckily, none of it felt fresh, interesting, or particularly relevant to the theme.
Michelle Williams
Embed from Getty ImagesThis is actually gorgeous and well suited to her. But she could have worn this to the Oscars, or Cannes, or any other red carpet. There’s nothing linking it to the evenings theme.
Continue reading “Red Carpet: Louis Vuitton Punts at the Met Gala”
Ah, the Met Gala, one of my favorite days of the year! This years theme, “Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination”, guaranteed a lot of reds and golds, plenty of medieval and renaissance aesthetics, a decent amount of punting on the theme, and perhaps a little bit of controversy. With Donatella as one of this years gala chairs, Versace delivered on all counts. It’s no surprise that Donatella was behind more gowns this year than any other designer – if anyone knows their Catholic iconography, it’s the House of Versace.
Before we begin, a fair warning. Being Jewish, I am bound to miss things and get details wrong about the iconography, symbolism, and general history of the Catholic church. I’m going to do my best, but correct me when I’m wrong and chip in about references I may have missed!
Donatella Versace
Embed from Getty ImagesLet’s start with the woman of the hour. While she didn’t save her best for herself, she looks great. Blue and gold is one of my favorite color combinations and she reps her brand very well. She looks exactly as we’ve all come to expect her to look, and that’s not a bad thing.
Fashion Wonk 