Met Gala looks that promoted sustainable fashion
Vintage fashion has never been more popular than it is at the moment, especially on the red carpet. Rather than creating brand new garments, stars are digging into the archives and bringing new life to iconic pieces from fashion history to create a one-of-a-kind moment.
Ph. Robert Bye (Unsplash)
Gilded Glamour, a theme that inspired many celebrities to go for sustainable fashion.
This year's Met Gala was a little different than usual. There are some comments going around social media that many celebrities did not follow the dress code and the theme. I guess the celebrities interpretation of the theme was different than what most of us, but that is what fashion is for - expressing ourselves. One thing that stood out was all the vintage and sustainable outfits we saw on the red carpet
Emily Ratajowski
Model Emily Ratajowski opted with vintage instead of having something new made. Dressed in colour, cutouts, and throwback silhouettes, she presented her interpretation of Gilded Glamour on the red carpet. Taking us back to the 1992 Atelier Versace spring/summer collection. The colourfully beaded Versace outfit was originally worn by former supermodel Yasmeen Ghauri on the runway. The colourful skin-bare dress comes with a halter-top adorned with beading around the neck, a voluminous embellished silk skirt with a dramatic train, and a voluminous embellished sash. Emily commented, while on the red carpet: "I feel very lucky to be wearing this look."
Shawn Mendes
The singer and songwriter Shawn Mendes walked on the red carpet in a consciously crafted Tommy Hilfiger red and navy coat with gold buttons and structured, high-neck collar made of deadstock materials. On the inner lining of the coat you could see his initials embroidered. One thing he also highlighted during his interview was the matching nail polish that also had the logo of the brand. After removing his jacket, Mendes revealed a navy suit underneath, along with a dark turtleneck he was wearing as a base layer. The inspiration behind his look was “Navy Captain” but his fans have other suggestions. Some commented that he looked like a real-life Disney prince, but many have also said that he channelled Mr. Darcy. It is also reported that the look is a preview of an upcoming collaboration between the designer and star, so if you’re a fan keep an eye for some exciting news.
Emma Stone
As she was deciding what to wear to the 2022 Met Gala, Emma Stone took a look inside her wardrobe for inspiration. The actress ended up re-wearing her wedding reception dress, giving a chic twist to Gilded Glamour. As we all know a wedding dress is to be worn once on your special day, but the actress decided to give hers a second life. Embroidered with white feathers and lace detail, the dress was a bespoke Louis Vuitton design. The brand also shared that the creative director, Nicolas Ghesquière, and each ambassador or friend of the house that walked the red carpet wore “an archival or previously worn look with a twist for the occasion.”
Steven Kolb
The chief executive officer and president of the CFDA, Steven Kolb, arrived at the Met Gala with a tuxedo reworked with braille letters and embroidered onto a 10-year-old tuxedo from Shipley and Halmos. The 7,000 Swarovski crystals on the tuxedo were hand applied by Runa Ray, fashion designer and environmentalist. The crystals actually spell a chapter from one of Kolb's favourite books, Khalil Gibran's "The Prophet '' in braille. Kolbe shares that they decided to upcycle the jacket before knowing what the theme was, but he “felt particularly attuned to the universe’s gift of making sure he was on trend walking the red carpet.” If you have been following CFDA’s work recently that would come as no surprise. Working closely with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, they have committed to supporting more sustainable fashion.
Billie Eilish
A completely upcycled Gucci gown made from pre-existing fabrics was spotted on the red carpet. It was worn by none other than Billie Eilish, who had shown her dedication to sustainability many times and didn’t fail to follow her heart even at the Met Gala. “We didn’t have to waste a bunch of stuff. It all already existed. I just wanted to be as eco-friendly as possible,” said Billie as she revealed her Met Gala look featuring a corset, lace sleeves, and ruched skirt during the Vogue red carpet live stream. The dress was made specifically for her by Gucci’s creative director Alessandro Michele, but it was made from entirely upcycled fabrics.
Nothing beats seeing celebrities on the red carpet channelling sustainability and promoting climate positivity. They have shown us there is nothing more rewarding than wearing something that makes you feel good and does good for the planet. These are only a couple of the sustainability garments so make sure to have a look at all the outfits of the night.
Yves Saint Laurent Aux Musées, Celebrating the Designer
60 years ago, Yves Saint Laurent created his debut collection for the couture house he and his partner, the businessman Pierre Bergéand, founded together. And ever since then, they changed the world of fashion forever.
Raoul Dufy - La Fée Electricité, 1937 - Ph. Pierre Antoine
The collection of Yves Saint Laurent is taking over six of the most established museums in Paris to celebrate the great fashion changemaker.
It was January 29th 1962 – Paris – when all the important people in the fashion industry in France gathered at 30 bis rue Spontini to watch Yves Saint Laurent presenting his first-ever collection. Just at the age of 26, he became known as part of the greatest fashion designers of the 20th century. Over the years, the designer became a prominent figure in France and this can be seen in some of his work. He shares a deep bond with French art, literature and museum collections.
Portrait de Yves Saint Laurent, 1971 - Ph. Jeanloup Sieff
60th Anniversary Of The Designer
This year marks the 60th anniversary of this special moment in the history of fashion and the Fondation Pierre Bergé - Yves Saint Laurent decided to have a proper celebration for it.
“I thought it would be impossible to get so many museums to agree to our idea, but they were all very interested and hugely enthusiastic from the beginning. It is the first time they have all worked together on one project”, says Mouna Mekouar, the curator of the event.
Yves Saint Laurent - Robe Hommage à Piet Mondrian, Autumn/Winter 1965
Composition en rouge bleu et blanc II, 1937 - Piet Mondrian
The Centre Pompidou, The Musée d'Orsay, the Louvre and three other museums in Paris decided to honour the french designer and put his garments on display as part of their permanent exhibition. All museums taking part in paying tribute to the designer decided to simultaneously open the doors to the public. It was the date when 26-year-old Yves Saint Laurent presented his first collection in 1962: 29th of January. Other exhibitions are also taking place at the Picasso Museum*, the Museum of Contemporary Art and the Yves Saint Laurent Museum and will be available till the 15th of May.
Yves Saint Laurent - Veste Hommage à Pablo Picasso, Autumn/Winter 1979
Yves Saint Laurent - Veste Hommage à ma maison, Spring/Summer 1990
The Exhibitions
The interesting part of the exhibitions is that every museum presents and explores different moments in Laurent's life as a designer. The Musée d’Orsay showcases his love of Marcel Proust, the Louvre compares the lavish decorative arts in the Galerie d’Apollon with his garments and presents the why they inspired the designer. The avant-garde movement linked to one of his collections is portrayed in the Pompidou. While the art museums display his collections, the Museum of Fashion presents the sketches that resulted in the garments. Every single event will combine Saint Laurent’s pieces along with those of famous artists such as Mondrian, Picasso, Matisse, Bonnard and Dufy.
Galerie d'Apollon, Musée du Louvre - Ph. Antoine Mongodin
“Saint Laurent was very much inspired by art and this shows the links and dialogue between his work and the museum exhibits. We didn’t want to put the clothes in a room, we wanted them there among the permanent collections. This way the visitors will rediscover those collections at the same time as paying homage to Yves Saint Laurent. It’s like a cultural archipelago” continued Mekouar.
Yves Saint Laurent - Ensemble inspiré de Pierre Bonnard, Spring/Summer 2001
Yves Saint Laurent - Toile dune cape Hommage à George Braque, Spring/Summer 1988
Yves Saint Laurent, the genius with a remarkable vision, revolutionised women’s fashion and shifted the industry into a new and contemporary direction. Providing modern women with an appealing mix of power and femininity, he permanently transformed their wardrobes and he keeps doing so.
Yves Saint Laurent - Cœur (1962) - Ph. Nicolas Mathéus
“I tried to show that fashion is an art. I created for my era and I tried to foresee what tomorrow would be.” – Yves Saint Laurent
*The exhibition at the Picasso Museum will end exceptionally on 15th April.
Photo courtesy of Claudine Colin Communication