This year’s “Camp” theme is an excuse for Met Gala attendees to go overboard with their outfits. After all, campy style is defined as “absurdly exaggerated, artificial, or affected in a usually humorous way.” This style was popularized by the creativity and innovation of the Black and LGBTQ+ communities, especially drag queens.
To quote the back of Lena Waithe’s pinstriped jacket: “Black drag queens invented camp.”
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Since we’re on the topic of fashion, let’s talk about the most #extra Met Gala accessories that have graced the pink carpet. The stars are serving wings, embellished hair accessories, elaborate headpieces, and colorful faux fur. Enough rambling, here are the pieces that caught our attention:
Lady Gaga
If lashes were considered accessories, Lady Gaga definitely rocked it. She had on customized lashes that had extended black and gold hairs that were put together by makeup artists Sarah Tannon and Nicky Andrea.
Celine Dion
Category is: Lumiere in Beauty and the Beast. Celine Dion wore a gold Oscar de la Renta fringe dress and a 22-pound feathered headpiece. The designer described Celine’s outfit as inspired by “Judy Garland and the glitzy costumes of the Ziegfeld Follies.”
Katy Perry
Also participating in the Lumiere category is Katy Perry, who literally showed up wearing a Swarovski crystal-covered chandelier headpiece and corset. (She later changed into a burger costume. And yes, we’re confused as well.)
Janelle Monáe
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Janelle Monáe wore a stack of hats by Sarah Sokol Millinery, and her Christian Siriano dress had a big blinking eye. The whole outfit was said to be a love letter to her favorite artist, Pablo Picasso. “Particularly, I wanted to highlight Picasso’s African Period in the early 1900s,” she told Vanity Fair.
Jared Leto
Remember Gucci’s weird runway where models were carrying their own heads? Jared Leto had his own, too, and it reportedly took six months to make. (Is he keeping his phone in there? Really curious.)
Billy Porter
Pose star Billy Porter wasn’t playing. He showed up being carried on a platform by men (just like Cleopatra), and walked the runway dripping in a custom gold The Blonds ensemble complete with a headpiece and wings. On Instagram, he called it, “Old Testament Realness.”
Ashley Graham
Ashley Graham sported a ponytail blinged out with embellished barrettes from Gucci, Kitsch, and Jennifer Behr. Thanks for giving us another idea on how to style our hair with barrettes, girl.
Lupita Nyong’o
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Wearing Versace, Lupita Nyong’o had rainbow tulle shoulder pads and an oversized hand fan. Her hair was accessorized with gold afro combs. Vogue noted that the look was inspired by Marie Antoinette, but with a Black flair. Hairstylist Vernon Francois added, “Our goal was to demonstrate the power, malleability, and luxuriousness of natural hair texture.”
Cara Delevingne
Cara Delevingne represented the LGBTQ+ community in her rainbow-striped Dior catsuit. Her Machine Dazzle headpiece was made with toy teeth, plastic bananas, and eyeball-shaped candies.
Gemma Chan
Gemma Chan’s bedazzled crystal headpiece was inspired by Elizabeth Taylor in Boom. She wore this with a custom silver Tom Ford dress.
Ezra Miller
Not gonna lie, we’re gagging over Ezra Miller’s surrealist look. He had a mask which concealed the multiple eyes painted on his face. He also had a crystal-studded corset. We stan!
Tracee Ellis Ross
When you want your own frame when people take a photo of you—yep, Tracee Ellis Ross achieved that. Her stylist, Karla Welch, told InStyle that they want to portray “a piece of art,” instead of using ruffles or feathers, on the pink carpet.
Kylie Jenner
Kylie Jenner’s Versace flesh-toned bodysuit was paired with purple puffy feathered sleeves that were on her elbows. InStyle described it as “mermaid-esque” because of the dress’ silhouette and Kylie’s purple hair.
Benedict Cumberbatch
The 'time stone', Benedict Cumberbatch wore at #MetGala2019, is a vintage nosegay brooch from around 1965, (most likely) lent by Verdura for the occasion. Made of peridot, diamond and platinum in 18k yellow gold it's worth $46,500. 😱 pic.twitter.com/wxKuU2tccu
— WestRebekka (@westrebekka) May 7, 2019
It’s low-key, but Benedict Cumberbatch spruced up his all-white suit with a vintage Verdura 18-karat yellow gold brooch with a green peridot in the middle. Some nerdy netizens are calling it the Time Stone.
Ryan Murphy
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Give it up for Ryan Murphy’s glittery bowtie and pearl-embellished Christian Siriano cape! According to the director, his outfit took six weeks to make.
Art by Tricia Guevara
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