The Florescence of Fashion at the Garden of Time
Illustration by Karuna Namala.
The Annual Met Gala is one of fashion’s biggest nights. The Met Gala is an event organized by Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour, which attracts A-listers from all over.
The 2024 Met Gala occurred at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. The theme for this year's exhibitions was “Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion,” and the dress code was “The Garden of Time,” a 1962 short story by English novelist J.G. Ballard. The story is about the last days of an aristocratic couple living in a villa surrounded by a garden, sheltered from the harsh realities of the world.
The theme itself feels ironic due to the immense backlash the event has received, with many calling it tone-deaf. One X user wrote, “A man carrying a celebrity unable to walk in her tight dress at the Met Gala is getting more coverage than a father carrying his dead child in Rafah, Gaza.”
The theme “Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening of Fashion” refers to the 220 restored garments on display at the exhibit, many of which are four centuries old and have never been seen before. These garments being shown to the public for the first time represent their awakening, which is where the term “Sleeping Beauties” comes from. Not only that, but many of the garments are so fragile due to their age that they must be laid down behind a glass wall, unintentionally emulating the character of Sleeping Beauty.
Wintour was accompanied by Bad Bunny, Chris Hemsworth, Jennifer Lopez, and Zendaya as the co-chairs of this year's event. As always, the guest list included a star-studded lineup that was meticulously crafted by Winotour herself.
The Met Gala steps are always a huge character whenever the event comes around, and I must admit, they looked stunning this year. The carpet was a beautiful mix of green and white, and the barricades that separated the paparazzi from the celebs were covered in green roots and white flowers.
In terms of fashion, there were both hits and misses. Although a majority of the celebs this year followed the concept, which is rare, many of the looks felt lackluster.
Zendaya was not one of those people.
Personally, Zendaya was the event’s clear MVP, as the actress stunned in custom Maison Margiela by John Galliano. She came down the steps looking in what I can only describe as Hunger Games fashion.
However, the actress did not stop there because a couple of hours later, she returned to the met steps in an entirely new outfit, this time wearing a Givenchy by Galliano couture ss96 (spring/summer) gown and a Phillip Treacy for Alexander Mcqueen ss07 headpiece.
Along with Zendaya, other notable looks included actress Taylor Russel, who wore a Loewe top made of actual wood, and singer Lana Del Rey, who wore a headpiece resembling a spider web inspired by Alexander McQueen's 2006 fashion week collection "Savage Beauty."
Entrepreneur Mona Patel and Grammy-winning artist Tyla made their Met Gala debuts. They made many people's best-dressed lists because they did not disappoint, with Patel wearing a custom Iris Van Herpen dress resembling butterfly wings and Tyla wearing an innovative custom Balmain dress made of sand.
A trend I noticed on the carpet was unique handbags. Tyla paired her sand dress with an hourglass clutch, while singer Camila Cabello's purse was a block of ice with a rose frozen inside to match her Ludovic de Saint gown.
Although there were certain looks this year that will undoubtedly be remembered for years to come, there were also those that I would prefer to forget.
Despite being a co-chair, Jlo's sheer Schiaparelli Haute Couture gown was a safe option for the Met while also being redundant, as Lopez has worn similar gowns for the past 15 years. It's especially underwhelming because Schiaparelli is recognized for having an avant-garde archive that pushes the boundaries, which is the polar opposite of Lopez's look.
I truly believe that Wintour needs to place an infinite Met Gala ban on black suits and ties because of the number of men who spent thousands of dollars for a seat at the event only to show up in a boring suit. It’s gotten so bad that I’m starting to think we should ban men from the affair altogether.
I would add that one man who killed it was Nigeran-American model Wisdom Kaye, who wore an all-red suit with a matching tattered cloak and hat designed by Robert Wun.
Despite what I would consider a very safe year for the ball, the Met Gala remains a significant night in fashion, keeping the craft alive. As always, I'm looking forward to next year's theme and what these designers and celebs have in store for us.
