Met Gala 2020: The Met Gala That Everyone Was Invited To
The 2020 Met Gala was the first of its kind to take place entirely on social media, and it was a shining example of solidarity during such an unprecedented and turbulent time.
The 2020 Met Gala was the first of its kind to take place entirely on social media, and it was a shining example of solidarity during such an unprecedented and turbulent time. Reputed for its exalted status and exclusivity, this year's Met Gala’s transition to digital platforms resultantly transformed it into an event in which participation was no longer limited to the rich and famous.
Online fashion enthusiasts, nicknamed “High Fashion Twitter,” invited people from all reaches of the internet to showcase their finest fashions for the big night with the hashtag #HFTMetGala2020. Surely enough, Twitter and Instagram were awash with a myriad of images, collages, illustrations, and mood boards of the outfits people would have worn to the Met Gala in person. The #HFTMetGala2020 was invented by the aerospace engineering student Aria Olson, who also implored participants to donate to the International Medical Corps.
Further bridging the gap between celebrities and everyday fashionistas, the Metropolitan Museum of Art launched the viral #MetGalaChallenge, prompting everyone to recreate their favorite iconic looks from previous Met Gala. While someone of skating star Adam Rippon’s standing would expectedly have the means to wear Rihanna’s yellow Guo Pei cape dress from the 2015 Met Gala, it is rather impressive for the aforementioned creator of the #HFTMetGala2020 to flaunt a look from Thom Browne’s F/W collection. Even Rebeca, an assistant organizer of the online Met Gala, paid homage to modeling legend Twiggy with her display. One standout spectacle was the homemade recreation of Lady Gaga’s 2019 Met Gala gown made from pink bedsheets. Throughout the past decade social media has made the fashion industry’s elite more accessible to wider audiences, and now those very same online platforms are revealing the boundless creativity of those who likely have a future in the fashion industry themselves.
Photo credit: https://time.com/5831987/met-gala-2020/
Report: Nia Hunt
James Cordon Hosts a Pet Gala, and its far from Boring
James Cordon Hosts a Pet Gala, and its far from Boring
Although the Met Gala was cancelled this year, that didn’t stop late-night host James Cordon from creating his own Met Gala, but with a twist. The comedian hosted a Pet Gala, which displayed an array of adorable pets wearing bedazzled ensembles and their best red-carpet outfits. Participants were asked to send the late-night show host photos of their pets dressed to this year’s Met Gala theme, “About Time: Fashion and Duration.” The submissions ranged from dogs, to lizards, and even guinea pigs.
On the first Monday of May, Cordon was joined by Brad Goreski, an E! Red Carpet host, to discuss the submissions through a YouTube Clip. One dog named Coco rolled up in a dramatic gown with an extra-long-train, while one dog named Brutus wore a blue tulle gown, which Goreski joked was a “custom bark Jacobs” since it was so similar to Marc Jacobs 2020 spring selection. One lizard, named Phillip Arthur Norrington, stole the show when he came dressed in a snazzy top hat and tuxedo in a Jurassic limo, which granted him the title of “best-dressed man” of the night.
As difficult as quarantine has been for many, James created an outlet for audiences at home to be creative and bring out their inner fashion interpretations to the show.
Report: Woo Jong Kim
Cancellation of 2020’s Met Gala Incites the Call for Homemade Fashion
Because of COVID-19, the Met Gala was cancelled during the museum’s 150th anniversary. This did not stop people from celebrating the event’s fashionable legacy though; instead, they’ve turned to recreating the past in the comforts of their own homes.
2020 was supposed to be a momentous year for the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The museum was to celebrate its 150th anniversary with the Met Gala’s new theme, "About Time: Fashion and Duration". The theme was based around the challenges, changes, and fragmentation that the world of fashion has faced throughout time. If anything, this topic strikes hard in the uncertain era of the Coronavirus. Like many other major events around the world, 2020’s Met Gala has been indefinitely postponed due to concerns about the illness.
This hasn’t stopped the public from celebrating the event though. People recently flocked to Twitter, posting photos of themselves wearing recreations of past Met Gala looks using solely what they could find around their house. Some celebrities hopped in on the trend too. Actress Mindy Kaling used red tarp, Christmas lights, and packing tape to recreate Jared Leto’s 2019 ensemble. Olympic figure Adam Rippon bundled up in a fluffy blanket in a cozy attempt to mimic Rihanna’s 2016 look. Meanwhile, the men over on The Try Guys’ Youtube channel recorded their struggles to design and put together a range of iconic looks. Their efforts have inspired many others to pick up materials, channel their inner Vera Wang, and see what they can put together. #MetGalaChallenge has been flooded with silly, funky, and gorgeous homemade looks.
This may not be what the Metropolitan Museum of Art had in mind, but it fits with their 2020 theme. In this heavy time, people are turning to fashion in order to have fun and keep smiling. They’re looking back in time, drawing up snippets of the past, and transforming them into new moments to be shared.
Photo 1: https://twitter.com/EugeneLeeYang/status/1256648859322707968?s=20
Photo 2: https://twitter.com/HaileyJensenArt/status/1255949457713008640?s=20
Photo 3 & 4: https://twitter.com/Adaripp/status/1256327225571282944?s=20
Photo 5: https://twitter.com/mindykaling/status/1256322654564306945?s=20
Report: Nicolette Schneiderman
Links We Love - No.3
The latest and greatest links from this past week & more...
Why Minimal Doesn’t Have To Mean Boring
"From clever cuts to lovely construction, minimal fashion doesn't give it all away immediately"
via refinery29.com
Audio: Justin Timberlake, “Can’t Stop The Feeling”
"Justin Timberlake breaks his hiatus with a flirty, upbeat summer jam, 'Can’t Stop the Feeling.'”
via saintheron.com
Zoë Kravitz Is The New Face of YSL Beauty
"As part of her collaboration with YSL, the actress and fashion muse will share some of her beauty tips and favorite looks as well as star in a corresponding video project."
via saintheron.com
Lupita Nyong'o Graciously Shuts Down Vogue's Comparison to Audrey Hepburn
"Lupita cited Nina Simone as one of her sources of inspiration. However, Vogue reported that Lupita's mane was reminiscent of a shoot the magazine did (below) with Audrey Hepburn in 1963."
via popsugar.com
Rolls-Royce Wraith Luggage Collection
"Designed in the same studio by the same people that brought the car to life, the Rolls-Royce Wraith Luggage Collection is the perfect accompaniment for a long trip."
via uncrate.com
At the rise of Covid-19 many of us first questioned the timeline of fashion week and would we see the regular calendar continue - the question weighed over many of us for months! It was refreshing to see design houses and designers across the globe take advantage of the uncertainty and plow into production mode - thus my interest in Jerri Reid New York - The Black Designer based in Brooklyn New York wow’d instagram with his latest collection paying homage to the Black Is King film which debuted earlier this year in July. I was taken aback at quick of a turn round the young designer produced and released his well crafted designs reflecting some of the films most memorable moments.