I think part of what was going on is that Anna Wintour obviously wanted very much to revive her problematic friend’s career, and when her attempt to leverage the Met exhibit/gala to do so was thwarted, the outcome was a watered-down theme. I don’t know why this particular thing is so important to her (it certainly demonstrates loyalty, on her part).
Beyond that, everyone is aware at this point that the event is more about who can access the best stylists than anything else. The behind-the-scenes work is so visible that it all just seems tedious.
I was thinking about this... When Anna goes, it will be time to reinvent this thing. Do you stealth wealth it and let the Old Money back in and make it a quiet party? Do you ticket an after party like they used to and allow the masses in? I don't know.
Zendaya’s costume change is what really sealed it for me. This event/the entire celeb-fashion industrial complex already feels so bloated as is, we don’t need to set a precedent for multiple looks on the same carpet.
I’m honestly so tired of hearing about Zendaya being a “fashion icon”. Like… she’s a glorified clothes hanger. She probably doesn’t have any personal style, instead relying on Law Roach who cares about his own celebrity more than anything else (I need to down a bottle of pepto bismol to keep myself from vomiting at the thought of his “celebrity image architect” moniker). She’s conventionally attractive and has a model’s body so she looks good in anything. That’s the problem with celebrity styling in general, in that they don’t actually have any. But her whole Met Gala schtick was especially annoying because it’s just a continued trend of Vogue always having to do some kind of celebrity “moment” every year, whether it’s Rihanna arriving so late to last year’s that the photographers were starting to leave or having Beyoncé wear a naked dress five years straight. Plus, correct me if I’m wrong, but didn’t someone else do an outfit change last year?
I wonder if part of the reason is that that the event has outgrown itself in a specific kind of way. When you compare it to the Oscars, for instance, there is a point to it all (the actual awards) that the public is part of, because they can view the entire event. The Met Gala just feels so disconnected now because you know the vast majority of attendees don't care about museums (some of them probably don't even know the difference between the Met and MoMA, I'm guessing) or even fully understand why they are there. So it all just feels kind of fake, and the public isn't allowed inside for the party, so it winds up feeling very hollow, despite the absurd star power on the red carpet.
When it was more of a society event, there was a perception of authenticity, because those attending seemed to have a true interest in the institution of the Met. It felt like more of a NYC-specific type of thing that was more closely connected to the museum. I am not sure if any of this made sense, it's kind of word salad, but tldr: the gala is too big, too corporate, and too phony-feeling now to be relevant.
I felt it was over when the "Chloe Girl Gang" showed up...they looked like they were dressed for the wrong event and gave me a womp-womp "sad horn", even if in another context they would have been perfect. Just not exciting nor formal enough for The Met. Glad to hang in there and see the later arrivals though - I think things improved over the evening, but it was disappointing overall. The themes are always tricky, and people take them too seriously — fashion people are so afraid of making a mis-step on Instagram that they've lost their senses of humor. Thank you for hosting the chat - it was fun! ;-)
YES people seemed really happy to see the Chloé girls but seriously -- what was that?? Chloe has the money to do something cool and special and fun -- and they just showed up to merch out belts and platforms??
The gala is the cool group showing off. It is exclusionary, moneyed, and out of touch with the world. While I love fashion, its commentary on life, the reality for me and many others is that this is far removed from any reality I am in. While Anna Wintour is a force in fashion, she simply has been there too long and nothing she does or supports is innovative. It’s just there. Like a marble bust of some long forgotten pillar of society. No one remembers, their legacy forgotten, or over shadowed by the new comers.
I have this very conceptual idea that the concept of "cool" no longer exists, since social media has made everything too accessible and has eliminated subcultures. To me, it feels like the prevailing theme in the culture is the worship of wealth. But yeah, what is "cool" nowadays? What does it even mean?
I don't really understand this myself! It's almost like a lot of young people want to be in a counterculture moment like Steve Jobs in the seventies but then they also want to be, like, TikTok influencers.
Still, I ended up enjoying some of the looks this year. Top for me was Taylor Russell dressed as a Tree by Loewe. Balmain also surprised me, especially dressing Elle Fanning. (I've always adored the Cecil Beaton Gigi dress that must have inspired it).
I was so disappointed in the looks that I stopped watching / following after maybe 20 mins 😬 the dissonance of some people following the theme and others not was too much for me this year. Haven’t been able to point out why but it felt stronger this year. Also, Anna’s outfit was grossly underwhelming. Curious to see how much longer they maintain (any) relevance within culture.
I think Anna’s leadership casts the event a certain way — elitist, exclusionary, out of step. If someone else was hosting, the event would have a whole new vibe… I think she’s a remarkable business person, but her legacy can’t be undone at this point
This whole thing has lost its purpose, IMHO. I used to love to watch it and seen stunning fashion. It's now become all about the click-bait stunts (See Cardi B and her 8-man entourage!) ever since Jared Leto carried his head. Sorry, that's not fashion. Fave looks of the night: Pamela Anderson nailed Hollywood glamour, Tom Ford (not in Tom Ford!), Lewis Hamilton, Jon Batiste. The men really excelled!
I agree, and I was looking through images of former Vogue staffers posting pics of past Met Galas pre-2010 on IG, and it looked like it was so different. Everything just had a sense of elegance, from the decoration to the fashion. Now, predictably, it feels like a TikTok reel come to life (so, I guess their sponsorship this year really hit the nail on the head!). Late stage capitalism energy now.
Very curious about what Loewe/LVMH thought about making Galliano the low key guest of honor.
They couldn’t have been happy that Margiela got most of the hosts and high profile guests on a night they were supposed to be the main sponsor. LBR Anna was not the person they were hoping to dress when they decided to spend that money.
Good observation. I think I read somewhere that Loewe dressed 17 guests to Margiela's 6... I think when you spend your career teetering on the edge of the volcano, and no one really knows which way you will or should fall, there's just a lot more interest in your dresses. Versus Jonathan Anderson, who seems utterly lovely and has kept himself out of trouble.
This event is so irrelevant in 2024. The percentage of the society benefiting from all this money tastelessly thrown into just one night of decadence and unnecessary extravagance is so tiny, no one should care anymore. Ms Sanchez has poor taste indeed. But the poorest taste of all belongs to Anna Wintour and her entourage. What a waste of money and talent
It's funny to think that Bezos could have just written a check for $22 million (which is what the gala brought in last year) and it would be the equivalent of like, a normal person finding a nickel in a couch cushion. And then this whole event could have been avoided! Haha.
Indeed, a joyless relic of the past, which perdures because of Anna and the fact that most fashion marketers are conservative box-tickers. No one gets fired for doing something around the Met Gala. EMV will support the decision, although it doesn't account for the growing lack of actual interest
Did anyone feel that the Loewe work on the red carpet had very obvious antecedents in golden era McQueen? Ayo Edebiri’s degradé floral embroidery, Greta Lee’s lace face shield and Taylor Russell’s wooden corset all seemed to be heavily influenced by McQueen. Was this deliberate because of his presence in the exhibition?
They need a clearer/better theme and some young blood. We’ve all seen this movie before and it’s boring. Also, if you can’t get Taylor and Travis in 2024 not to mention Beyoncé can you even call this a success?
It all seemed so joyless.
Joyless is a good word. What could have saved it? People thought camp was inane when it happened but there was more joy I think. Different time.
I think part of what was going on is that Anna Wintour obviously wanted very much to revive her problematic friend’s career, and when her attempt to leverage the Met exhibit/gala to do so was thwarted, the outcome was a watered-down theme. I don’t know why this particular thing is so important to her (it certainly demonstrates loyalty, on her part).
Beyond that, everyone is aware at this point that the event is more about who can access the best stylists than anything else. The behind-the-scenes work is so visible that it all just seems tedious.
As far as what could fix it: get rid of the noise, turn it back into an event about the costume institute, vs. a costume party with too much airtime.
I was thinking about this... When Anna goes, it will be time to reinvent this thing. Do you stealth wealth it and let the Old Money back in and make it a quiet party? Do you ticket an after party like they used to and allow the masses in? I don't know.
It just feels very competitive now.
Zendaya’s costume change is what really sealed it for me. This event/the entire celeb-fashion industrial complex already feels so bloated as is, we don’t need to set a precedent for multiple looks on the same carpet.
Right? She's going to give the Kardashians ideas...
I’m honestly so tired of hearing about Zendaya being a “fashion icon”. Like… she’s a glorified clothes hanger. She probably doesn’t have any personal style, instead relying on Law Roach who cares about his own celebrity more than anything else (I need to down a bottle of pepto bismol to keep myself from vomiting at the thought of his “celebrity image architect” moniker). She’s conventionally attractive and has a model’s body so she looks good in anything. That’s the problem with celebrity styling in general, in that they don’t actually have any. But her whole Met Gala schtick was especially annoying because it’s just a continued trend of Vogue always having to do some kind of celebrity “moment” every year, whether it’s Rihanna arriving so late to last year’s that the photographers were starting to leave or having Beyoncé wear a naked dress five years straight. Plus, correct me if I’m wrong, but didn’t someone else do an outfit change last year?
I wonder if part of the reason is that that the event has outgrown itself in a specific kind of way. When you compare it to the Oscars, for instance, there is a point to it all (the actual awards) that the public is part of, because they can view the entire event. The Met Gala just feels so disconnected now because you know the vast majority of attendees don't care about museums (some of them probably don't even know the difference between the Met and MoMA, I'm guessing) or even fully understand why they are there. So it all just feels kind of fake, and the public isn't allowed inside for the party, so it winds up feeling very hollow, despite the absurd star power on the red carpet.
When it was more of a society event, there was a perception of authenticity, because those attending seemed to have a true interest in the institution of the Met. It felt like more of a NYC-specific type of thing that was more closely connected to the museum. I am not sure if any of this made sense, it's kind of word salad, but tldr: the gala is too big, too corporate, and too phony-feeling now to be relevant.
Someone from the Met told me that when Justin Bieber arrived one year, he thought he was at the Museum of Natural History.
I agree with your point, it was cooler, more authentic, when it was a society event
I felt it was over when the "Chloe Girl Gang" showed up...they looked like they were dressed for the wrong event and gave me a womp-womp "sad horn", even if in another context they would have been perfect. Just not exciting nor formal enough for The Met. Glad to hang in there and see the later arrivals though - I think things improved over the evening, but it was disappointing overall. The themes are always tricky, and people take them too seriously — fashion people are so afraid of making a mis-step on Instagram that they've lost their senses of humor. Thank you for hosting the chat - it was fun! ;-)
YES people seemed really happy to see the Chloé girls but seriously -- what was that?? Chloe has the money to do something cool and special and fun -- and they just showed up to merch out belts and platforms??
Thank you for coming to my chat!!
The gala is the cool group showing off. It is exclusionary, moneyed, and out of touch with the world. While I love fashion, its commentary on life, the reality for me and many others is that this is far removed from any reality I am in. While Anna Wintour is a force in fashion, she simply has been there too long and nothing she does or supports is innovative. It’s just there. Like a marble bust of some long forgotten pillar of society. No one remembers, their legacy forgotten, or over shadowed by the new comers.
Is it the "cool group" though? Are hollywood celebrities considered cool in 2024?
I have this very conceptual idea that the concept of "cool" no longer exists, since social media has made everything too accessible and has eliminated subcultures. To me, it feels like the prevailing theme in the culture is the worship of wealth. But yeah, what is "cool" nowadays? What does it even mean?
I don't really understand this myself! It's almost like a lot of young people want to be in a counterculture moment like Steve Jobs in the seventies but then they also want to be, like, TikTok influencers.
Hit nail on head.
The Ballard Vogue quote gave me chills!
Still, I ended up enjoying some of the looks this year. Top for me was Taylor Russell dressed as a Tree by Loewe. Balmain also surprised me, especially dressing Elle Fanning. (I've always adored the Cecil Beaton Gigi dress that must have inspired it).
Balmain surprised me as well!
I was so disappointed in the looks that I stopped watching / following after maybe 20 mins 😬 the dissonance of some people following the theme and others not was too much for me this year. Haven’t been able to point out why but it felt stronger this year. Also, Anna’s outfit was grossly underwhelming. Curious to see how much longer they maintain (any) relevance within culture.
I think Anna’s leadership casts the event a certain way — elitist, exclusionary, out of step. If someone else was hosting, the event would have a whole new vibe… I think she’s a remarkable business person, but her legacy can’t be undone at this point
Yes! Excellent point. As with everything in life, it’s just as important to know when to exit. Sometimes I’d argue even more important.
This whole thing has lost its purpose, IMHO. I used to love to watch it and seen stunning fashion. It's now become all about the click-bait stunts (See Cardi B and her 8-man entourage!) ever since Jared Leto carried his head. Sorry, that's not fashion. Fave looks of the night: Pamela Anderson nailed Hollywood glamour, Tom Ford (not in Tom Ford!), Lewis Hamilton, Jon Batiste. The men really excelled!
I can't get over Tom Ford in Anthony Vaccarello...
Tom Ford gives a “don’t be alone in a room with him.” Yes I know he is gay, but there is just something about him that gives me the heebie Jeeves.
He looked amazing! (And, also, yikes)
I agree, and I was looking through images of former Vogue staffers posting pics of past Met Galas pre-2010 on IG, and it looked like it was so different. Everything just had a sense of elegance, from the decoration to the fashion. Now, predictably, it feels like a TikTok reel come to life (so, I guess their sponsorship this year really hit the nail on the head!). Late stage capitalism energy now.
Very curious about what Loewe/LVMH thought about making Galliano the low key guest of honor.
They couldn’t have been happy that Margiela got most of the hosts and high profile guests on a night they were supposed to be the main sponsor. LBR Anna was not the person they were hoping to dress when they decided to spend that money.
Good observation. I think I read somewhere that Loewe dressed 17 guests to Margiela's 6... I think when you spend your career teetering on the edge of the volcano, and no one really knows which way you will or should fall, there's just a lot more interest in your dresses. Versus Jonathan Anderson, who seems utterly lovely and has kept himself out of trouble.
Also - there are too many Kardashians at the event!
Well I guess Balenciaga is un-canceled for sure now.
This event is so irrelevant in 2024. The percentage of the society benefiting from all this money tastelessly thrown into just one night of decadence and unnecessary extravagance is so tiny, no one should care anymore. Ms Sanchez has poor taste indeed. But the poorest taste of all belongs to Anna Wintour and her entourage. What a waste of money and talent
It's funny to think that Bezos could have just written a check for $22 million (which is what the gala brought in last year) and it would be the equivalent of like, a normal person finding a nickel in a couch cushion. And then this whole event could have been avoided! Haha.
Indeed, a joyless relic of the past, which perdures because of Anna and the fact that most fashion marketers are conservative box-tickers. No one gets fired for doing something around the Met Gala. EMV will support the decision, although it doesn't account for the growing lack of actual interest
Did anyone feel that the Loewe work on the red carpet had very obvious antecedents in golden era McQueen? Ayo Edebiri’s degradé floral embroidery, Greta Lee’s lace face shield and Taylor Russell’s wooden corset all seemed to be heavily influenced by McQueen. Was this deliberate because of his presence in the exhibition?
They need a clearer/better theme and some young blood. We’ve all seen this movie before and it’s boring. Also, if you can’t get Taylor and Travis in 2024 not to mention Beyoncé can you even call this a success?