THE STARS AND STYLES FROM THE 2022 MET GALA

For some, it is simply the Party of the Year; for others, it is the Oscars of the East Coast. We like to call it fashion’s biggest night. It doesn’t matter what you call it; the Met Gala is always an evening for the books. This blog post covers every moment of this year’s May 2 edition. From the stars that grace the night to the details of their style, we’ve got plenty to take away from this iconic night of fashion elegance.

The 2022 Met Gala was hosted by Ryan Reynolds, Blake Lively, Regina King, and Lin-Manuel Miranda. They were later joined by honorary co-chairs Tom Ford, Anna Wintour, and Instagram’s Adam Mosseri, along with others on the who’s who list of the world’s biggest stars. It was a night of stars, and they were clearly all briefed on the “gilded glamour” dress code.

So, what did they wear? How many cases of fashion risk did we see? To quote Anna Wintour: “What’s wonderful about the Met is that people feel very fearless.”

An Overview of the Met Gala

Since 1995, Anna Wintour has overseen and organized the Met Gala. By now, this event has become a much-loved yearly festival of fashion and glam. At its core, the Met Gala is a charity event, considered a fundraiser for the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute. Traditionally, it’s scheduled to celebrate the opening of the Met’s annual fashion exhibition, and with each passing year, the event continues to raise eight-figure sums for this course.

The Venue of the Met Gala

The Met Gala is usually held at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, always falling on the first Monday in May each year (except for the 2021 event, which took place in September due to COVID restrictions). Guests attending the Met Gala typically stay in hotels close to the venue. 

How Significant is the Evening?

The Spring season has played its tricks. Taco Bell’s Mexican pizza is here like it never left, and even though it’s hard to believe another year has come and gone since the last one, the Met Gala 2022 is here again to reclaim fashion world peace, falling on the traditional first Monday in May.

While it might feel like only yesterday that we watched Sir Lil Knight X disrobe on the red carpet, fashion’s biggest night made its official comeback on May 2. Well, if you ask anyone around, you will understand there couldn’t be more excitement in the air. As for me, it remains a pleasure to sit around in sweatpants with stains on them and give you every tidbit of celebrity looks–in fact, it’s one of my primary personal satisfactions in life.

Easily one of the most exciting aspects of the Met Gala, it was lovely to witness how attendees interpreted the night’s theme. Seeing their detailed, elegant outfits and over-the-top glamorous looks, you can understand why this is fashion’s biggest night.

Is it possible to forget Lady Gaga’s four-act performance for the 2019 camp-themed event? Or can anyone forget Rihanna’s pope cosplay at the 2018 gala? Every year promises new highlights. I learned this year’s theme is Gilded Glamour. Well, if you’re not a history buff, you may need a refresher on the term’s exact meaning. 

This post gives you a close recap of everything you need to know about this year’s Met Gala. Dive in and enjoy the stars of delight!

The True Meaning of the Theme: “In America: An Anthology of Fashion.”

Vogue will describe the Met Gala 2022 as celebrating “the second half of The Costume Exhibit’s two-part feature honoring American contributions to fashion.” 

Also, head curator Andrew Bolton told a certain writer (Steff Yotka) that this year’s slice of the exhibit was going to star unsung heroes who have promoted the American design world. Bolton said before the show, “The stories really reflect the evolution of American style, but they also explore the work of individual tailors, dress-makers, and designers. What’s exciting for me is that some of the names will be very familiar to students of fashion, like Charles James, Halston, and Oscar de la Renta, but a lot of the other names really have been forgotten, overlooked, or relegated to the footnotes of fashion history. So one of the main intentions of the exhibition is to spotlight the talents and contributions of these individuals, and many of them are women.”

Last year’s celebration, which you can still see IRL at the Metropolitan Museum of Art until September 5, emphasized the parallels that American designers share when building on each other’s foundations. The spotlight of this year’s fashion night revolves around a set of film vignettes in the period rooms within the American Wing at the museum. We had filmmaking stars like Martin Scorsese, Tom Ford, Chloé Zhao, Sofia Coppola, and Regina King, all standing out in this galactic exhibit.

For those who want to attend the actual exhibit this year, it opens on May 7, the Saturday after this year’s Met Gala. And now, back to the main reason for this piece: unpacking the stars and their fashion choices!

A Significantly Different Dress Code

As planned, the Met Gala was a white-tie affair, so the organizers and co-chairs were expecting the best of the best formal looks. Of course, that doesn’t mean we wouldn’t expect Timothée to wear Converse again.

Indeed, we were hoping for another “Chanel shorts” or “sheer dress” moment on the red carpet. But the more on-trend outfits, as they should, took the nights for the traditional high-profile after-parties the next day.

• Then what did people wear?

Since this year’s gala theme connects to America’s Gilded Age, we expected celebrities to go full-on period drama on the red carpet. And what do you think we got? Just that!

From opera gloves to frilled hems and bosom-boasting bodices that take us back to the romantic aesthetics of the era, there was plenty to drool over. If you check out the several TikTok videos that followed, you’ll notice the on-brand names the Internet is buzzing about.

Leading up to the event, Westwood was frequently referenced by fans describing what they wanted their faves to wear. We saw Westwood’s trademark aesthetic mashed with modern-day punk style; later, we saw more variation on this same theme. Pay no thought to the fact that the 81-year-old designer isn’t American. If the vibe is right, most fashion girlies will be all over it.

• Did Our Faves Choose Bridgerton?

I wouldn’t say that. Note that the United States’ Gilded Age pays homage to the 30-year period of various creations and cultural uprisings from 1870 to 1900. While we actually got huge Bridgerton vibes from this era, the show’s costumes were inspired by various other pieces made in the Regency era, which ended in 1820. 

To get a more historically accurate context for what we saw on May 2, may we say that The Gilded Age was quite literally a show about the time and its fashion. Check it out on HBO for additional insights!

• In what ways does “In America: An Anthology of Fashion” compare to last year’s Met Gala theme?

Last year’s “American Independence” dress code paid homage to the U.S.–based designers and the vast array of aesthetics, both old and new, that they brought into the cultural glossary. However, what we saw was pretty wide ranging, and the looks of some stars dressed head-to-toe with European labels might be difficult inspos to follow.

For this year’s Gilded Glamour theme, the stars achieved a more high-caliber and perfected stylistic mood. They, and their fashion teams, gave us so much to take in. 

More Details About this Year’s Met Gala 

• Meet Our Co-chairs from this Year’s Met Gala

Our co-chairs are Blake Lively, her husband Ryan Reynolds, Lin-Manuel Miranda (not as Alexander Hamilton), and Regina King. They all co-hosted this year’s red carpet and also hosted the gala. 

• The Guests

Before the event began, the guest list was under lock and key. We were not disappointed when the evening finally came and we were in the presence of real stars. 

We were looking back at past attendees for a guess at who might have shown up on the Met stairs. We hoped for certain names to grace us with their presence and make it a night to remember, and we will say more about the guests below. 

For now, however, you can be sure the night wasn’t short of spectacular figures.

• Catching Up on the Met Gala 2022

As we learned, Vogue already hosted a live stream, from the red carpet to the rest of the event, on its website. The site also has a recap of the magical night, and you can catch up with anything you missed here on Vogue. In addition, Twitter was flooded with memes that can give you a feel of what the night served us. 

Highlights from this Year’s Fashion Olympics 

The Met Gala 2022 is popularly known as fashion’s interpretation of either the Olympics or the Oscars, depending on who you ask. This year’s event was truly an Olympics and an Oscars in one. I will stick more with the Olympics comparison, since this year’s fashion evening wasn’t “Smithen.”

This year, celebrities swept the gold with their extravagant looks. I enjoyed the sight of these celebrities, models, and New York socialites (mostly celebrities, these days). Discussing their Gala looks is a tradition for fashion lovers, so here I am, analyzing who literally understood the assignment best. 

Remember, there’s a theme each year and this year was not an exemption. So, who did it like it should be?

It would help to point out that this year’s Gilded Glamour theme is a tribute to the era of style between the 1870s and 1900s. Since it’s a white-tie affair, we expect the attendees to show up in garments reflectng America’s Gilded Age. Basically, this suggests that the tighter the corset and longer the opera gloves, the better the representation!

Now, let’s check out the stars that stood out and came in at the top of our Met Gala 2022 best dressed list. We go from the Hollywood arrivals to others on the night’s full list of star-studded attendees.

• Kerry Washington-Kerry Washington stormed the 2022 Met Gala in his usual sultry Kerry Washington vibe. It was a surprise to discover that this sheer, corset gown was from Tory Burch, as this style isn’t typical of the fashion brand. Although this outfit might have a case of the Dolce & Gabbana’s about it, I love not only the dress, but the styling as well. Jacob & Co. jewels and Jimmy Choo ‘Max’ sandals combined as styling elements to make a flawless look.

• Blake Lively-Blake Lively coordinated with the carpet in a strapless, coppery pink Atelier Versace gown. Her outfit was coupled with opera gloves, and as she walked up the stairs, her dress changed color to a blue-green. By her side, her husband, Reynolds, wore a simple black tux that simply served as a perfect undertone to Lively’s style.

• Sarah Jessica Parker-When we talk about Met Gala veterans, Sarah Jessica Parker ranks top on the list, and she sure knows how to nail a theme. Over the past few years, the stylish actor has constantly and thoughtfully interpreted the dress code in a unique, grand style. While speaking to Vogue, last month, she mentioned that she spends up to 10 months working with designers to produce a single outfit. We knew the dress code for the 2022 Met Gala was Gilded Glamour, white tie, and, as expected, Parker did not disappoint! She worked with Christopher John Rogers to deliver a striking, thoughtful look, andin an interview with Vogue, Rogers says, “What excited me the most about dressing her is how much of a fashion lover and historian she is. She’s intentional about everything that she wears.”
• Sarah Jessica Parker stormed the Met Gala with a look that pays homage to Elizabeth Hobbs, Keckley, remembered as the first black female fashion designer in the White Noise. She was a former slave who relocated from Virginia to D.C., then went on to become the official dressmaker to First Lady Mary Todd Lincoln in 1860. She also outfitted many of Washington’s socialites during her time. Rogers says, “She was a smaller designer and someone that people don’t really talk about. The idea was to highlight the dichotomy between the extravagant, over-the-top proportions of the time period, and the disparity that was happening in America at the time.” This homage was yet another thoughtful ace move from Jessica Parker, and we always love to see it. 

• Normani-In her style, Normani brought her own brand of sexy glamour to the 2022 Met Gala in a black two-piece Christian Siriano outfit.

• Megan Thee Stallion-We also saw a huge Moschino win, as Meg looked predictably fierce in gold rocking the designer’s piece.

• Jodie Turner Smith-Sparkle! Verge! Theatrics! Turner Smith followed the theme and still managed to make a bold statement while doing it.

• Lizzo-From the coat to the choker and the flute, it was all Jamie McCarthy.

• Rosalia-To describe this singer’s look in one word: iconic!

• Venus Williams-Not exactly here for a costume party, the tennis legend looked cool and understated. Chic!

• Gwen Stefani-We saw the singer’s fresh and vibrant look putting women half her age to shame on this red carpet, thanks to a fluorescent yellow Vera Wang two-piece outfit.

• Kim Kardashian –Truly, Kim seemed to be wearing the same dress worn almost 60 years before by Marilyn Monroe. Later on, she changed into a replica of the classic outfit as soon as she got inside the event. Let’s guess that’s her way to honor Monroe as a timeless treasure.

• Genesis Suero Understood the Assignment-If we take anything away from this event, it should be that Suero decided to lay the first stone for the fashion statements of the evening. She ensured the styles and glam wouldn’t be left to the celebrities, coming through with her own look for the 2022 Met Gala. She might be a reporter covering the red carpet, but when it came to the event theme, she sure knew exactly what the assignment was. To clarify, Génesis Suero is a reporter, former Miss New York USA in 2018, and the host of the special red-carpet coverage of the Met Gala for Telemundo. The juicy part is that this reporter showed all the way up in style for this event. Frankly, it’s tough to compare her look to others, and its distinctiveness explains why she’s gone viral on social media since the event took place on Monday evening. Clearly, Suero was ready to let the stars see how it’s done. She stormed the event in a dashing gold beaded gown by Lucia Rodriguez, which was a showstopper on its own. However, knowing the Met Gala theme was “Gilded Glamour,” she took her look a notch higher with unique embellishments. 

Now, as for the rest of our top stunners, we saw:

• Janelle Monáe in Ralph Lauren
• Kendall Jenner In Prada
• Nicki Minaj In Burberry
• Gabrielle Union-Wade and Dwyane Wade in Versace
• Khloé Kardashian in Moschino
• Winnie Harlow in Iris van Herpen
• Kylie Jenner in Offwhite
• Cardi B In Versace
• Ciara and Addison Rae in Michael Kors
• SZA in custom Vivienne Westwood Couture
• Lenny Kravitz In Chrome Hearts
• Tessa Thompson in Carolina Herrera and Piferi boots
• Naomi Campbell in Burberry
• Erykah Badu In Marni
• Ariana Debose In Moschino
• Travis Barker and Kourtney Kardashian in Thom Browne
• Chloe Bailey in Area
• Future in BOSS
• Quest love in Zegna
• Alicia Keys in Ralph Lauren, paying tribute to her home town of New York with the Manhattan skyline embroidered into the black cape worn over her silver dress.  

*Photo Credit: Getty Images and Google Images*