The 2023 Met Gala at a Glance
June 9, 2023
As defined by Vogue Magazine, the Met Gala is “a charity event that is considered a fundraiser for the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute” that has ”traditionally been timed to mark the opening of its annual fashion exhibition.” Here, celebrities come together to display their most fabulous pieces of fashion, specially designed for them. The only rule is that the outfits must be on theme (this is rarely followed). In 2022, the theme was “In America: An Anthology of Fashion,” which was inspired by New York’s Gilded Age in the late 1800s (WWD.com). This year, the theme was “Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty,” in honor of the late designer himself.
Celebrating Lagerfeld was seen as a controversial choice by many people given his offensive past behavior. Actress Jameela Jamil expressed her contempt for the theme, saying that Lagerfeld was “‘supremely talented” yet “used his platform in such a distinctly hateful way, […] showing no remorse, offering no atonement, no apology, no help to groups he attacked,’” so she would not be attending (Refinery29 Magazine).
Despite this, many celebrities did attend, such as Rihanna, Gigi Hadid, Donatella Versace, Kim Kardashian, and Anne Hathaway. When asked for her thoughts on which outfits captured her eye, Ramapo senior Taylor Pina said that Jenna Ortega rocked her favorite Met Gala outfit while Pedro Pascal wore her least favorite. She passionately stated that Jenna Ortega followed the theme by embodying Karl’s style and “slayed!” On the flip side, she found Pedro’s attire “absolutely hideous and off-theme.” Pina explains that “Karl’s style was more classy. It consisted of neutral colors like black, white, beige, and cream.” She believes Pedro Pascal did not emulate that with his shorts and “nasty, bright red outfit.”
Ms. Biunno, a teacher here at Ramapo, had some of her own opinions on the Met itself and certain outfits from the event. “The Met Gala is one of my favorite events of the year,” she said. “I look forward to seeing how celebrities put their own spin on the themes. This event is the epitome of fashion. Some of my favorite looks from this year were worn by Dua Lipa and Amanda Seyfried.”
Overall, the 2023 Met Gala was a memorable night. Despite all its controversies, people got the chance to see beautifully (and some less beautifully) designed looks on popular celebrities. The only hope is that next year’s Met brings just as much glitz and glamour.
