Many guests
of Monday night's Met Gala embraced the theme — the marriage of fashion and
religion, as seen in the Costume Institute’s about-to-open exhibition,
"Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination" — with gusto.
References ranged from the subtle (many gold gowns, a hue that symbolizes
majesty and celebration in the church) to the overt, most notably Rihanna's
elaborately beaded mitre by Maison Margiela Artisanal and the oversized angel
wings, a custom design from Donatella Versace, sported by Katy Perry.Oscar de
la Renta designers Laura Kim and Fernando Garcia chose to go a little less
literal in dressing their guests: Kate Bosworth in an ivory tulle gown splashed
with gold embroidery, and Nicki Minaj in a bold red sequined ombre gown with a
matching tulle coat.
"[Kate
is] our angel, and Nicki is temptation, and I'm the nun," explained Kim,
in a simple black column gown with white fur capelet. Asked how she liked
playing temptation for the night, Minaj responded, "I don't mind tempting
the boys."
Curator
Andrew Bolton had mentioned earlier in the day that the designers featured in
"Heavenly Bodies" largely were raised as Catholics, and Donatella
Versace, whose label is among the exhibition's sponsors, is no exception.
"I grew up with the church, so I'm only feeling joy tonight," she said
on the red carpet, adding that her jubilance extended to seeing her designs
share space with those of her late brother in the Metropolitan Museum's
galleries. "I would never dream in my life that this would happen, that
Gianni's work and my work would be together like this." Does religion play
a role in his work? "The evening's theme means a lot to me, because we
need to have faith," Rousteing said. "I'm really happy because I
wanted to create clothes that felt like couture: strong, iconic, something
we'll all remember. Every day as designers, we think about what's trendy and
cool. But tonight is not about being trendy and cool; it's about being epic and
iconic and not forgetting the night. So I worked on clothes that are more
timeless than just about being cool."
Custom looks
by Michael Kors included pink taffeta and tulle for Tracee Ellis Ross and
emerald silk for Karen Elson; he walked the red carpet with Naomi Watts, who
wore a white crepe gown and capelet richly embroidered in gold. "It's a
night about opulence and artistry, and for me it's always about framing the
woman and making her look her best — and what a great picture to frame,"
Kors said, referring to Watts. The actress added that she was eager to view
both the exhibition and fellow guests: "It's a great theme for fashion,
because there's reverence and rebellion." Gucci's Alessandro Michele
indeed walked that tightrope. His long-sleeved, embroidered gown and headdress
for Lana Del Rey was inspired by Our Lady of Sorrows, one of the many names
ascribed to the Virgin Mary, while Jared Leto's look included an embroidered
liturgical stole and oversized black lapels embroidered with golden angels.
"It's the first haute couture on earth, really the first one, that's why I
love it," Michele said of religious vestments.
You had to
look closely at the diminutive pin, a vintage piece from the 18th century, on
the lapel of Zac Posen's Brooks Brothers tuxedo to notice that it was an enamel
snake wrapped around a gold tree branch, accented with a diamond.
"Aristocracy and religion are what funded and supported the arts, within
music and into fashion and architecture, for centuries," he said. "I
think [the theme is] absolutely appropriate and kind of exciting, especially to
see the incredible pieces that came from the Vatican."
Posen's Met
Gala designs included a regal gown in teal satin for former Wonder Woman Lynda
Carter and a black moire-silk gown and sculptural cape for model Imaan Hammam.
"Moire is a very traditional fabric used in a lot of vestments,"
Posen explained. "[The design is] just about a form that holds power and
elegance. I wanted to create something that spoke obviously to the theme, but
also to all religions, different shapes that are powerful and also a
cross-section of a lot of different beliefs."
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