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.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New YorkPh. 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.

Published in Blog
Thursday, 28 April 2022 20:34

Met Gala 2022: Everything you need to know

Fashion's biggest event, as many people describe it, is going with full force this year on the 2nd of May. From picking out the decoration, to creating the guest list, it is time to focus our attention to all fashion icons and haute couture houses for any hints of the celebrities and outfits we will see at the Met Gala. The night every fashionista counts the days to.

Journal des DemoisellesPh. Journal des Demoiselles (Flikr)

This year the Met Gala asks its guest to relive the 1870’s - the Gilded Age New York

 

Earlier this year the Metropolitan Museum of Art announced that the Met Gala will return with a second instalment under the grander theme of ‘In America’. Following the theme from 2021 “In America: A Lexicon of Fashion,” this year’s theme is “In America: An Anthology of Fashion,”. The theme is usually very broad and one can only know so much from it. We can only let our minds wander around to try and figure out what the dress code will be. That is the most important thing for all the guests.

Met Gala 2022 - Dress Code

Daydou Fils, Paris. A Collection of Fashion Plates of the Late 1890s. ca 1890Ph. Daydou Fils, Paris (Flikr)

Every spring the Met Gala invitations get sent to a number of celebrities very specifically picked out by Anna Wintour herself. At the bottom of the invitation is a small, but very important, inscription. That inscription reveals the dress code. This year the dress code is gilded glamorous, white-tie. As Vogue mentioned earlier this week the attendees will be asked to ‘embody the grandeur of Gilded Age New York’. All the way from the 1870 to 1890, was a period of unprecedented prosperity, cultural change, and industrialisation in America. A time when skyscrapers and fortunes seemingly rose overnight. If there is one word to describe fashion during this period it would be - extravagant. Think about bows, ruffles or maybe lace. Imagine all the combinations of textiles going into one dress. The colour pallete consists mostly of rich and deep jewel tones.

Dressing up doesn’t have to be only for the guests of the Met Gala. You know the theme and the dress code, get creative and pick your best outfit that resonates with the Met Gala. You might not be able to attend it this year but you never know when your time will come. Save the date - May 2nd for fashion’s biggest event.

Published in Blog
Tuesday, 01 March 2022 21:50

The Met Gala and what to expect for this year

It is that time of the year when creativity and thinking out of the box is being embraced by all haute couture houses with many opportunities for new designers to take on the fashion industry. It is a time celebrated by all the fashion fanatics out there: the announcement of this year’s theme for the Met Gala, the biggest night of the year in the fashion world.

Vanderlyn PanoramaPh. Vanderlyn Panorama

The museum announces this year’s theme of the Met Gala and the topic of the exhibition is, In America: An Anthology of Fashion, and the gala marks the celebration of its opening.


What is the Met Gala?

Long floral costume dressPh. LucieMonnay

The Met Gala is a major fundraising event with celebrities being part of every single aspect of the event. Organised with Anna Wintour as a chair of the event and attended by celebrities like Rihanna, Kim Kardashian and Liza Koshy, the gala displays outfits by all the famous luxury fashion houses like Balenciaga, Prada and Gucci. However, its importance extends far beyond the huge amount of money raised and all the social media presence. At the event we see the intersection of art as fashion and fashion as art, demonstrating how they are essential components of our cultural fabric. The theme of each year is based on the topic of the exhibition and the gala marks the celebration of its opening.

What makes the Met Gala important?

Long beige costumePh. Halston

The Met Gala is mostly known for fashion and the display of over the top memorable celebrity looks. We should not forget that it is also a charity event that raises money for the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute thanks to the standard ticket purchase. The party and exhibition are sponsored by various names and brands that support the fashion industry and all of the money from ticket sales go to the Costume Institute. This department is the only one from the Metropolitan Museum that is self-funded because ever since the Costume Institute was established, there have been debates about whether fashion is a form of art. The goal of the event is to highlight all those aspects of designing a garment that makes it an art piece.

Published in Blog
Thursday, 09 May 2019 20:35

Met Gala Brow-inspiration from Hailey Bieber

Hailey Bieber shows us how to get ‘on fleck’ Met Gala feathered brows.

Published in Beauty