Style/Fashion

Blake Lively is inarguably one of the all-time crown princesses of the Met Gala — her looks always make a stir and, to her credit, they’re always on theme. This year, she channelled the Statue of Liberty and 1920s New York through a showy Atelier Versace transformation, and despite a decidedly 2009 colour scheme, the final result was Twitter’s pick of the night.

Kaia Gerber’s 1920s-inspired Alexander McQueen ensemble was a true showstopper. Her voluminous, waist-grazing curls were definitely the most impressive hair moment on the red carpet, so while her outfit didn’t exactly nail the theme, I won’t hold it against her.

Quannah Chasinghorse wore Prabal Gurung to celebrate Indigenous culture on the Met Gala stage, and the result was one of my favourite Met looks of all time. While some criticized her for going off theme, I say fuck them — Indigenous peoples resisting colonial culture is the best historical rep anyone could ask for.

Lizzo made an unforgettable impression in black and gold Thom Browne regalia, but her outfit (as impressive as it was) wasn’t even the star of her show: with a rare $55,000 flute, she played era-appropriate strains of Debussy for an adoring red carpet audience.

Cardi B’s literal interpretation of the “Gilded Glamour” theme may be unorthodox, but it’s inarguably one of the night’s most impressive looks. Rather than go a historical recreationist route, she draped her body in pounds of gaudy, modern gold jewelry — personally, I’m choosing to believe she was trying to communicate some kind of commentary on modern-day wealth inequality. Comrade Cardi!

Riz Ahmed made a stir with his decidedly political interpretation of the Gilded Age theme — in 4S Designs workwear, double-knee pants and all, the artist chose to represent the working-class immigrants who were the exploited backbone of the Gilded Age’s glamour.