Met Gala Fashion: How Guests Tackled the Theme

by The Cowl Editor on September 23, 2021

Arts & Entertainment

Met Gala Fashion: How Guests Tackled the Theme

All Eyes on Hollywood Celebrities for the Annual Event

Riley Coyne ’24

One of the most exciting and anticipated events of the year for the fashion industry is the Met Gala. Elle Magazine has even referred to it as “the Oscars of the fashion industry.” Some of the biggest names in Hollywood gathered in New York City on Sept. 13 and showed off their extravagant outfits, custom-made by designer brands. This year’s theme was “In America: A Lexicon of Fashion,” and guests were free to interpret that however they deemed fit. 

First was Riverdale star Lili Reinhart, who took a very creative approach making her appearance in a stunning pink floral dress. While at first glance it seemed like her ensemble did not reflect the event’s theme, Reinhart revealed after the event that there were exactly 50 flowers on the dress, representative of the 50 states. In fact, they were the official state flowers. 

Another television sensation, Saturday Night Live’s very own Pete Davidson, looked quite put together in his Thom Browne suit dress—he even rocked a pair of shades. Despite the stylish clothing, his accessories and jewelry were what stood out the most because they held a very sentimental meaning. Davidson’s father was one of the brave firefighters who responded to the tragic 9/11 terrorist attacks and unfortunately, he never came out of the building he entered in an attempt to save others. Losing his father in such a devastating way significantly affected Davidson’s life, so he wore a garnet necklace to honor his father and all the other innocent lives lost on Sept. 11, 2001.

Nineteen-year-old music artist Billie Eilish wore a corset gown inspired by American icon Marilyn Monroe. Eilish used to be known for wearing very baggy, oversized clothes that would hide her figure. She dressed this way out of fear of receiving negative comments about her body. In an interview with Vogue, Eilish shared that she used to love to wear dresses when she was a little kid, but “It’s really body image that tore that s**t down. Why do you think I have been dressing the way I have for years?” Thanks to her newfound confidence as well as her stylists, she was able to live out her childhood dreams by wearing a dress to the Met Gala. 

Kendall Jenner blew everyone away in her sheer, diamond-encrusted gown that paid homage to the late Audrey Hepburn in the 1964 movie “My Fair Lady.” Jenner’s sister, Kim Kardashian-West, was also in attendance along with a mysterious figure some believed to be her estranged husband Kanye West. The two wore interesting ensembles: black Balenciaga bodysuits that covered their bodies head-to-toe, including their faces. Although the pair had seemed to be on a break, these matching outfits sparked speculations that they were back together. Unfortunately for fans of the former power couple, it was later revealed that Kardashian-West’s plus-one was Balenciaga’s creative director, Demna Gvasalia.

Up-and-coming rapper Jack Harlow partnered up with designer Tommy Hilfiger and made his debut at the Gala in a velvet-striped suit. Harlow mentioned in a heartfelt Instagram post that his grandfather grew up on the same street as Tommy Hilfiger, so this collaboration really meant a lot to him. When informed of their connection, Hilfiger said to Harlow: “I could see your grandpa’s house from my front porch.” It really is such a small world, even in such a big industry.