Hollywood’s most sparkling and extravagant event of the year, the Met Gala, was held May 4, and it’s safe to say that this year’s models did not disappoint. This year’s exhibit in The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York is “Costume Art,” making the big event’s theme “Fashion is Art.” This calls on the attendees to perceive themselves as a canvas, displaying how humans as a whole can be an outlet for art. The theme is open to thousands of imaginative ideas, and the majority heard the theme and absolutely followed through. Here is a rundown of the night’s best looks, and also its biggest flops.

Copy Editor’s Favorites

1. Lisa: Dressed in a stunning Robert Wun, Blackpink’s Lisa was easily one of the best dressed of the entire night. Her dress — a beautiful, intricately beaded white number complete with sculpted arms and a diaphanous veil — was a perfect reflection of this year’s theme “Fashion is Art.” Everything about the dress was brilliant, but the sculptural white arms were easily the most memorable part of the ensemble. They served as an homage to centuries of sculpture, while simultaneously creating an ethereal, uncanny silhouette that evokes almost inhuman, almost alien imagery. It was peculiar and wild, and was absolutely a risk well-taken for the biggest night in fashion. It was a completely unique look and served as a dramatic statement on the red carpet.
2. Yu-Chi Lyra Kuo: Clad in brilliant white Jean-Paul Gaultier, Yu-Chi Lyra Kuo absolutely stole the show. The stunning ensemble was modeled after the “Winged Victory of Samothrace,” a Hellenistic Greek sculpture of Nike, goddess of victory. The dress was nothing short of perfection — with its full skirts and lovingly detailed wings that flared out from her hips, Kuo truly looked as though she were about to burst into flight at any given moment. However, one of the most fascinating details of the number had to be the sculpted figure inlaid in the front of the frothing skirts. It only became visible on second glance, but once seen, it was impossible to ignore. The headless, winged bust served as a minute replica of the statue that inspired the gown, and was the perfect addition to an already phenomenal ensemble. Even her hair was a statement, with structural pieces spiked out from her half-up, as well as delicate silver hair pins with a floral motif that perfectly complemented the shapes of the feathers on her gown. Her entire look was nothing short of a masterpiece, and should absolutely go down in Met Gala history.
3. Sabrina Carpenter: Last year, Sabrina Carpenter’s Met Gala ensemble left something to be desired. However, this year, she made a complete comeback with one of the most unique and unconventional gowns to cross the carpet. Instead of draping herself in silk or lace, Carpenter donned a far more unusual medium: film. Her custom Dior dress was adorned with layer upon layer of rhinestone film strips from Audrey Hepburn’s 1954 classic “Sabrina.” Every single piece of the ensemble was absolutely jaw-dropping, from the draped film and rhinestone-laden black sheer skirt to her vintage Hollywood-inspired pin-curled bob and crystalline headpiece. It was artistic and odd and absolutely perfect for the theme, serving to portray the importance of photography and film as art forms. It was a perfect look for Carpenter; she simply exuded old-Hollywood glamour in every way, and it was absolutely one of her best Met Gala outfits to date.

Copy Editor’s Least Favorites

1. Kim Kardashian: Whoever told Kim Kardashian to wear that shade of orange and not brush her hair should be fired, or perhaps given a stern talking-to. That isn’t to say that the outfit was not completely without hope; the heavily structured bodice was truly impressive. However, the overall look left more than a little to be desired. Violent tangerine looks good on very few people, and a metal, conical bust and skirt that looks more like a stiff, taped-on towel from a child’s dress-up game looks good on even fewer. The pinnacle of the disaster, though, had to be her hair. The outfit, however questionable, might have been saved by a similarly structured updo or half-up. Instead, she rolled up to the red carpet with hair that looked like she had just rolled out of bed. Kim, do better.
2. Lauren Sanchez-Bezos: Any dress that references John Singer Sargent’s “Madame X” or “Portrait of Madame X” deserves drama. It deserves deep, rich fabrics and textures, with layers upon layers of intrigue sewn into the skirts. It should be iconic and romantic and eye-catching, or at the very least, as interesting as the once-scandalous painting itself. It should not, however, look like a prom dress from Shein. It would seem, though, that Lauren Sanchez Bezos did not receive that memo. Her dress was more of a cheap, knockoff imitation than a representation of the painting. It might have been fine, albeit a slight bit boring, for a normal red carpet, but this is the Met Gala, the biggest night in fashion all year. It simply wasn’t enough, especially as a reference to one of the most iconic paintings in the world.
3. Carey Mulligan: It has to be wondered whether or not Carey Mulligan knew what event she was attending. Did she know she was attending the Met Gala? It looked a bit more like she thought she was attending a Sunday dinner party. The pink colors of her Prada dress worked somewhat nicely, but other than that, it was nothing short of boring. There was nothing of interest in the columnar silhouette, and the geometric patterns simply appeared like an odd fabric from the back corner of Joann’s, rather than an instrument of haute couture. The square neckline added nothing but an overwhelming sense of geometry — which could have been heightened in a more on-theme way by an homage to Piet Mondrian or an artist of the like — and even the sewn darts didn’t quite seem like they were truly tailored to her figure. It was an unfortunate gown, and truly had no place on a red carpet as elevated as that of the Met Gala.

Copy Editor’s Honorable Mentions

Fortunately for fashion aficionados everywhere, this year’s Met Gala was a relative success in comparison to previous years, and as such, there were several designs that completely stood out from the rest. While perhaps not quite enough to make this particular ranking’s top three, Madonna, Emma Chamberlain and Anok Yai all earn honorable mentions for standing out as some of the most stunning and memorable looks of the night. Madonna’s Yves St. Laurent pirate ship hat and draping veils were a jaw-dropping callback to an eerie background figure in Leonora Carrington’s painting “The Temptation of St. Anthony.” Emma Chamberlain’s dramatic, sweeping Mugler was a gorgeous homage to the works of Van Gogh, down to the rippling waves of Impressionistically ruched fabrics in colors found frequently in works such as the forever-iconic “Starry Night.” Anok Yai, however, took a different approach, draping herself in billowing black fabric from Balenciaga and painting herself in shades of shimmering gold, turning herself into a gilded statue even King Midas would be envious of. The entire look was heavily inspired by the so-called “Black Madonna” paintings and statues, down to her prosthetic wig sculpted to embody the curling tresses of bronze statues, with a coiled snake woven through as a recall to Medusa. They were each so unique and eye-catching, and truly encompassed what it means to tie fashion and art.

Entertainment Editor’s Favorites

1. Beyoncé: Making her return to the Met Gala’s red carpet 10 years later, Beyoncé had one of the most gorgeous outfits of the night. In a diamond-encrusted dress shaped to resemble a skeleton alongside a matching headpiece and feather train, every part of her outfit was to die for. In true “Queen-Bee” form, the pieces are extremely extravagant and are the epitome of the theme – “Fashion is Art.”  The theme itself is supposed to call on the viewers to look at humans and view the body as a canvas. Beyoncé took this theme and made it literal. The outfit is truly a statement and was a grand return for Beyoncé to the most prestigious red carpet.
2. Jisoo: Making her Met Gala debut clad in a sparkling pink-floral Dior dress, Blackpink’s Jisoo’s outfit was a sight for sore eyes. It was everything a Met outfit should be, dazzling, eye-catching, making a statement and call to the theme. Dior itself is the perfect brand for this year’s theme, with designer Jonathan Anderson utilizing Monet as inspiration for Dior’s last season, making Jisoo’s dress the perfect outlet to show this. The outfit is embroidered with a garden scene and trimmed with floral arrangements and topped off with Cartier jewelry. Every part of the dress is to die for, and truly is a work of art. As a K-Pop star, Jisoo has always known how to catch the eye, and this event was just more proof of that. Every part of this dazzling pink outfit was to die for and is the epitome of the theme, leaving no notes needed.
3. SZA: Dressed in a gown designed by Emily Bode with the use of vintage fabric from eBay, every part of music artist SZA’s Met outfit was on theme. The point of this theme is for people to look at what is deemed as “weird” and find the art and beauty in it – and SZA’s dress allows people to do just that. From the top of her floral headpiece to the bottom of her train, every aspect is gorgeously one of a kind. The outfit is a callback to SZA’s personal beliefs regarding femininity, alongside having so much historical significance. Bode utilized inspiration from Wiener Werkstätte (Vienna Workshop), which was a pre-war design collective that focused on craftsmanship and nature, and was very influential for its time. It’s absolutely a statement piece, from the bright yellow color to the minute details of the headpiece. Yet, every piece works in unison to make a jaw-dropping outfit that was absolutely one of the best pieces of the night.

Entertainment Editor’s Least Favorites

1. Jennie: From stage to off-screen, Blackpink’s Jennie has always been an extravagant person. So, seeing her Met Gala outfit this year was, well, disappointing. The dress itself, a column dress completely covered in sequins varying in shades of blue, is gorgeous. However, it does not feel fit for the Met; rather, it is something a girl could be seen wearing at prom. The point of this year’s theme is to go out of the ordinary, be crazy, unique and unexpected, but this outfit did not hit any of these marks. Jennie has previously dominated the Met carpet, but this energy was lost this year. While it’s a stunning dress, it could have – and should have – been so much more.
2. Kylie Jenner: Let’s face it, Hollywood’s most famous family – the Kardashian-Jenner clan – will always be at the Met Gala. However, the least they can do is be on theme. More specifically, in one word, Kylie Jenner’s outfit was tacky. The dress is a Schiaparelli design that is surrealist and is supposed to have the image of a dress slipping off a sculpture. Yet, it had nothing special about it. It was “on theme” but in a way that was way too in one’s face and obvious. The thing about fashion and art as a whole is that it’s supposed to leave people wondering about it and looking for further details. Jenner’s outfit fails to do so and rather says everything it needs to with just one look. Just like previous years, Jenner’s outfit is very “meh” and doesn’t have a WOW-factor that the Met should have.
3. Charli XCX: Charli XCX is an absolute legend. Everything she does is loud, iconic and makes a statement. But her Met Gala outfit failed to follow through with this image. Like Jennie’s outfit, this dress feels like something that could be found in a prom shop. Her dress was a black Saint Laurent gown embellished with a sparkling silver flower designed by Anthony Vaccarello. It wasn’t by any means a bad outfit, but it didn’t have that jaw-dropping essence that was needed. An artist like Charli XCX, who is so unapologetically herself, should absolutely not hesitate to go as big as she can, or go home. The highlight of her piece is the resin flower in the middle of her dress, but other than that, there is really nothing special about this outfit.

Entertainment Editor’s Honorable Mentions

Overall, this year’s Met Gala was truly phenomenal. The majority followed the theme to a T. Like most Met’s, there were the stars who took home the best outfits imaginable, and similarly, there are those who looked incredible, yet didn’t make the cut for the top three. Dressed by Maison Margiela, Rihanna showed up knowing she’s THAT girl and owning it. Being one of the last outfits of the night, her outfit was one of the best. It is a sculptural gown that takes inspiration from medieval architecture from Flounders, Belgium. It’s so unique and is the epitome of what should be seen at the Met. Next, “Heated Rivalry” star Hudson Williams should be applauded for his outfit, especially considering this was his first Met. In a custom Balenciaga baby blue suit with black crystal embroidery, tassels and “Black Swan” inspired eye makeup, Williams deserves to be talked about. Commonly, men do not bring what is needed to the Met. Fashion can be seen as a woman-dominated field, yet Williams disproved this and made a statement – men aren’t confined to a typical black and white suit that so many wear. Finally, actress Angela Bassett walked onto that carpet looking like she stepped out of a painting. In a rose pink, floral gown designed by Prabal Gurung, Bassett took the theme literally. The look is a callback to African American artist Laura Wheeler Waring’s 1927 piece “Girl in a Pink Dress,” which is currently on display in the Met. The piece is to die for and absolutely deserves to be acknowledged for its beauty and grace. All of these pieces were gorgeous and truly called on the theme – fashion is meant to make people question, gasp and look into the deeper meaning, as it truly is art.