After two years of being either cancelled or postponed due to the pandemic, the Met Gala returned in full force on May 2nd, 2022. As one of the biggest nights in fashion, typically occurring on the first Monday of May at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, the event brings out some of the boldest celeb looks, jaw-dropping costume creations and unconventional accessories to grace red carpet history.
The annual fundraiser for the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute draws the biggest names in fashion, showbiz, sports and more, so you can always expect a good number of show-stopping moments from the night. With stars Blake Lively, Ryan Reynolds, Regina King and Lin-Manuel Miranda hosting, and hundreds of other celebs in attendance, the 2022 Met Gala was no exception.
Met Gala 2022 Is More Than a Chance for Celebrities to Feel Fancy
As much of the world is in turmoil given events like the ongoing pandemic, the war in Ukraine, and most recently, the news that the U.S. Supreme Court may overturn the Roe v. Wade ruling that legalized abortion in the 1970s, many have commented that the Met Gala is a shallow, surface-level event that doesn’t deserve as much press as it gets. However, the Gala represents much more than a chance for celebrities to dress up and feel fancy — it’s also an opportunity for public figures to make statements about the political issues that are important to them, and a chance for us all to celebrate the cultural impact fashion has had on society throughout history.
The theme of the 2022 Met Gala was “In America: An Anthology of Fashion,” serving as a nod to America’s most coveted fashion designers and their creations. With the dress code calling for “gilded glamour, white tie,” guests of the gala donned their most dazzling ensembles for the evening, drawing inspiration from HBO’s hit TV series The Gilded Age.
The Most Memorable Looks From the 2022 Met Gala
As usual, hundreds of guests brought their A-game to the 2022 Met Gala, gracing the red carpet with some incredible looks. Here are just seven of the most memorable, in our humble opinion:
1. Blake Lively
The word on the street is that former Gossip Girl star and one of the co-hosts of the evening, Blake Lively, won the Met Gala this year. And while the event isn’t technically a competition, it’s hard to deny that if it were, she would be the one to win it all. Lively’s incredible Versace look was inspired by the Statue of Liberty, featuring glamorous details like gloves, earrings, a tiara, and even a reversible train, and there’s no doubt she made for one beautiful Lady Liberty.
2. Lizzo
From now on, you’ll be able to find a picture of Lizzo’s show-stopping 2022 Met Gala look in the dictionary under the word “slay.” The “Truth Hurts” songstress wore a hand-embroidered black and gold ensemble by designer Thom Browne, accessorizing with a gold choker by Lorraine West, ultra-long black nails, and the pièce de resistance — a gold flute, which she played on the red carpet. In a livestream of the event by Vogue, Lizzo commented that her coat took a whopping 22,000 hours to create. For the record, that’s about two-and-a-half years, which is longer than most relationships these days.
3. Dove Cameron
“Boyfriend” singer and the former star of the Disney Channel comedy series Liv and Maddie, Dove Cameron, turned heads on the red carpet with her epic Iris van Herpen Spiral Nebula gown. Featuring layers of white fabric bonded with recycled mylar in partnership with Solaris, the gown took a total of 10 people and 600 hours to make — and it looks like the final result was worth every minute of painstaking effort.
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4. Billie Eilish
Twenty-year-old “Bad Guy” singer Billie Eilish made a bold statement at the 2022 Met Gala with her goth-glam look, featuring a corseted Gucci gown with green mesh sleeves, a black choker necklace and her signature jet-black hair pulled up in a messy updo. The best part about Eilish’s look? The ensemble was created using all pre-existing materials, making it a much more eco-friendly choice than outfits created from scratch.
5. Kylie Jenner
One of the more controversial looks of the evening came from cosmetics mogul and reality TV star, Kylie Jenner. Whether you love or hate her Off-White “POETRY DRESS®,” there’s no denying that it was one of the more memorable ensembles from the 2022 Met Gala — for better or for worse. The dress was the last couture gown designed by the late Virgil Abloh, so Jenner’s look served as a tribute to the designer’s legacy.
While the dress was enough to process by itself, her backwards trucker hat topped with a veil and faux flowers was quite another, and the internet is not happy about it. Some of Jenner’s 334 million Instagram followers made ruthless comments on her photos from the evening, such as “girl that is NOT it” and “i’m sorry kylie ily but why.” However, given the theme was “In America: An Anthology of Fashion,” Jenner just might have been completely on point with the trucker hat after all.
6. Nicki Minaj
Another celeb who donned a baseball cap as part of her ensemble at this year’s Met Gala was rapper Nicki Minaj. The musician wore a black leather hat to top off her black leather-and-feathers Burberry ensemble, finishing the look with black gemstones stuck on her arms, chest and face. Fans have commented that Minaj’s look embodies the energy of New Yorkers, as well as “Maleficent vibes.”
7. Jared Leto
Last but certainly not least, WeCrashed star Jared Leto turned heads at the 2022 Met Gala in a cream tweed tux, and while the look itself was majestic AF, it earned a spot as one of the more memorable looks of the evening for a different reason entirely. Leto showed up to the gala #TotallyTwinning with Gucci’s creative director Alessandro Michele — everything from their black gloves to their red bow ties and sparkling barrettes were exactly the same. During Vogue’s livestream of the event, Leto described their look as “double Victorian Gilded Trouble. That’s all you need to know.”
Lead image by rmbarricarte/Adobe Stock.
