Hailing back to the 2000s, one of my favourites is Lucy Liu’s 2007 look. The theme that year was ‘Poiret: King of Fashion’. Paul Poiret introduced drapery and Orientalism to fashion with bold colours, and to me, Liu’s royal purple Zac Posen dress echoes that. The drawn-in bottom of the dress and Art Noveau style were accentuated with a gold Egyptian-inspired tiara and amethyst bracelet as a simple but perfect match.
Paul Poiret introduced drapery and Orientalism to fashion with bold colours, and to me, Liu's royal purple Zac Posen dress echoes that
Moving closer to recent years, where the Met Gala rapidly gained the current reputation it has as a show to bring haute couture to extremes, fashion has really stepped it up. 2018 brought along the ‘Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination’ theme, which contains some of my all-time favourite red carpet looks. One dress that makes a statement and yet exudes sophistication is Ariana Grande in that dreamy Vera Wang ball gown, inspired by none other than the Sistine Chapel. If I could try any dress on from the Met Gala, this could very well be my top contender. Then to contrast with glamour, we have Gigi Hadid in Versace, a stained glass piece made up of shimmery, cascading panels.
If I could try any dress on from the Met Gala, this could very well be my top contender
Lastly, you cannot talk Met Gala without mentioning Guo Pei’s Yellow Queen dress, which Rihanna modelled for the 2015 ‘China: Through the Looking Glass’ theme. While the theme easily allowed for stereotypes or even potential appropriation, Guo’s dress made a bold statement against China’s reputation for fast fashion and showed international audiences that Chinese influence had its place in luxury high fashion. Symbols of Asian culture and pretty mandarin collars with pankou knots (the frog closures) appeared across the gathered stars - I also adored Zhang Ziyi’s Carolina Herrera gown - but none were as iconic as Rihanna’s that night. Guo also brought attention from the Western fashion sphere to international talent, the true win of the night.
