Met Gala: Costume Art brings fashion and art together

On fashion’s most iconic staircase, life imitated art this time around.

This year’s edition revolved around the theme "Costume Art", a concept intended to position fashion as an artistic expression on a par with the classical arts. The idea also shaped the evening’s dress code: "Fashion Is Art".

As ever, some guests embraced the brief, while others chose black to avoid taking risks or relied on classic tailoring to remain less conspicuous.

Art takes to the runway

In keeping with the dress code, several stars turned themselves into genuine canvases.

Dressed in white, with her eyes ‘blindfolded’, Rachel Zegler - propelled into the spotlight by her portrayal in the latest version of Snow White - wore a major reference to "The Execution of Lady Jane Grey", by French painter Paul Delaroche.

Hunter Schafer, in Prada from head to toe, also looked to the world of painting. With a bow in her hair, the American actress became Austrian master Gustav Klimt’s "Mada Primavesi".

Gracie Abrams also drew inspiration from Klimt, channelling his iconic "The Kiss" in Chanel.

Wearing Saint Laurent, Madonna stopped and truly ‘occupied’ the evening’s staircase. Accompanied by five assistants, one holding each end of the vast veil, the artist made an impact with a reference to "The Temptation of St. Anthony Fragment II", a canvas by Surrealist Leonora Carrington.

Continuing the gallery theme, pop star Charli XCX, also in Saint Laurent, elevated the classic black dress with one of Van Gogh’s many flowers. Meanwhile, Claire Foy, in Erdem, could easily have been mistaken for John Singer Sargent’s Madame X.

Regular Met Gala attendees sisters Kim and Kendall also seized the opportunity to bring their own references. In GAP Studio, Kendall Jenner was painstakingly ‘sculpted’ to evoke "Winged Victory of Samothrace", the renowned second-century Greek marble sculpture depicting Nike, the goddess of victory, standing on the prow of a ship.

Kim Kardashian, meanwhile, collaborated with Allen Jones and Whitaker Malem on a dress with a futuristic metallic finish.

Beyond these looks, a number of outfits and details also made references to the celebrated "Klein blue", a shade created by French artist Yves Klein in 1960.

Other looks that defined the night

Among the evening’s notable references, covered faces were another major talking point.

Katy Perry, in Stella McCartney, Gwendoline Christie, in Giles Deacon, Yseult, in Harris Reed, and Sarah Paulson, dressed by Matières Fécales, were among the figures who chose to arrive with their eyes concealed, attracting attention with their irreverent approach.

Bad Bunny, however, did not stop at accessories. Almost unrecognisable at first glance, the Puerto Rican singer appeared with a walking stick, grey hair and a truly ‘older’ version of himself.

"The Met is the perfect opportunity to express ourselves in a different way," the singer explained in an interview with Vogue.

German actress and model Heidi Klum is already known for surprising people with her striking Halloween costumes. At the Met, she kept that spark alive, arriving at the gala transformed into a marble statue.

Protests against Jeff Bezos

Outside the gala, streets filled with demonstrations against the event itself and against Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez, the principal sponsors of the gala and the Costume Institute exhibition, as well as its selected honorary hosts.

Protesters criticised the businessman and accused him of buying influence. The demonstrations became so intense that one protester came very close to entering the Met staircase.

Further away from the museum entrance, other demonstrations also took place, with protesters gathering behind placards that read: "billionaires for a dead planet", "tax the rich" and "with billionaires in power, the US president is a paedophile, rapist and traitor".

According to the New York Times, before the event, activists from the Everyone Hates Elon group left 300 bottles of fake urine at the museum - a reference to reports of Amazon employees having to relieve themselves in water bottles while at work.