This year’s Met Gala did not disappoint. In memory of the great designer who died in 2018, the theme was ‘Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty.’ According to a Harper’s Bazaar article, Lagerfeld was one of the most successful fashion designers of all time and served as the creative director of Fendi, Chanel and the Karl Lagerfeld brand. His self-titled brand and more recent works feature sleek, black and white looks, while his earliest work primarily featured statement piece jewelry and appliques — typically pearls. Though successful, Lagerfeld had plenty of controversy in his time that shouldn’t be overlooked — racist, misogynistic and fatphobic comments for example. Regardless, this year’s celebrities and designers can be celebrated while considering the controversy surrounding this year’s theme.
On May 1, the red carpet was filled with his original pieces, nods to his previous works, or original concepts based on Lagerfeld’s style. This was mostly interpreted as black and white, monochromatic, pearls and statement bows. That being said, among the beauty were some looks that missed the mark. Here are my five best and five worst outfits of the night.
#1 Best: Anok Yai
From the mullet to the strap heels, this look was head-to-toe perfection. The dress was a perfect gradient from gold to silver pallets and beaded fringe. The look also came with a dark brown, tulle train that followed Yai across the red carpet. To top it all off, Yai wore subtle gloves and a sheer mask to compliment, but not overpower the dress. The look perfectly complimented her features and skin tone, and she sold it in every picture.
#1 Worst: Bradley Cooper
Taking the cake for the worst look of the night: Bradley Cooper. This placement goes out to all the men who showed up in a traditional black suit, but Cooper’s was the least extravagant. He wore a black suit, bowtie and a pair of sunglasses.
#2 Best: Janelle Monáe
Janelle Monáe always brings fashion and camp to the Met Gala. This year, Monáe wore an oversized black-and-white suit with a hoop skirt to create a triangular silhouette. This piece was matched with white platform boots, a horse purse and a geometric black-and-white hairpiece. As amazing as it is, Monáe revealed under the suit a stoned, sheer hoop skirt with only undergarments underneath. The moment of the reveal was breathtaking and a well-executed risk on the red carpet.
#2 Worst:Rami Malek
Rami Malek wore a white vest, white button-up and black pants. That’s all. When it comes to masculine wear on red carpets, there tends to be a lack of innovation and creativity, and Malek went there. Thankfully, he added a blue pendant on his chest to add some color and excitement, but overall was one of the worst looks of the night. Although, not wearing a black suit is much appreciated.
#3 Best: Doja Cat
Doja Cat looked amazing on the carpet. She wore a skintight shimmery dress with a feather bottom that continued into a long train. The dress continued up into a headpiece with ears, a clever nod to Lagerfeld’s prized cat Choupette. Doja Cat went the extra mile with the reference as she wore a prosthetic piece on her face to resemble the cat. The look was topped off with a stone headpiece dangling on her forehead.
#3 Worst: Karlie Kloss
After this year, Karlie Kloss has had a couple of hiccups on the Met Gala carpet, most infamous being her 2019 ‘Camp: Notes on Fashion’ look. This year, Kloss decided to wear a sleek black dress with badly printed gold beads on the fabric mimicking her beaded accessories. Overall, not great.
#4 Best: Dua Lipa
Dua Lipa wore a princess-esque gown. It was a fitted corset top with a robust bottom. The dress was detailed with black and silver trim and fringe at the bottom of the dress. According to a People article, this gown was actually a 1995-96 Chanel original piece.
#4 Worst: Emma Wall
Emma Wall wore a cream-colored floor dress on the carpet. The dress had scrunched sleeves and waist to add texture, but in turn, made the dress look ill-fitting. The sleeves, the bodice nor the length of the dress were flattering. Also, the dress looked like it could have used some ironing before hitting the carpet.
#5 Best: Jared Leto
Rounding out the top five looks of the 2023 Met Gala is Jared Leto. Leto wore a full-body lifelike cat costume and brought Lagerfeld’s Choupette right to the Met Gala floor. The biggest risk of the night turned out to be one of the greatest moments we have seen at the Met in recent years.
#5 Worst:Kim Petras
Sadly, Kim Petras’ risk on the carpet did not fare as well as Leto’s. Petras wore a geometric, short dress with a layered train. The short dress was paired with a boot. Although the boots were platformed, the two pieces combined shrank her. The dress also had a statement bow at the front which got lost in the volume of the dress. But, the worst part was the side-slicked hair and faint eyeshadow. The hair choice was a disservice to Petras’s face, while the faint make-up contrasted the drama of the outfit too much.
Overall, the Met Gala brought some unforgettable fashion moments, but not all shined equally. Regardless, the Met continues to provide us with amazing outfits as one of the most famous fashion red carpets in America.
