Friday Heirloom 101: The MET Gala (2019)

Check out the Highlights of May here

Many things in the world have not been named; and many things, even if they have been named, have never been described. One of these is the sensibility — unmistakably modern, a variant of sophistication but hardly identical with it — that goes by the cult name of “Camp.” (Notes On “Camp” by Susan Sontag)

The MET Gala is an annual fundraising event that was established in 1948 and is held every first Monday in May for the benefit of the MET’s Costume Institute in New York City.

Marking the opening of the Costume Institute’s annual fashion exhibit, the gala celebrates the theme of that year’s exhibition which, in return, defines the formal outfit the guests will choose for the night.

Since this year’s exhibition is “Camp: Notes on Fashion” (inspired to Susan Sontag’s Notes on “Camp”) — which by the way I very much look forward to seeing — the theme for this year’s gala was exactly that one: camp.

And some of the outfits were definitely “camp”!

But what is camp, exactly? When I think of camp, I immediately think of nature and wild. On the same wavelength, camp is also the excessive, extra-ordinary and exaggerated. But camp is also so much more than that!

To make it simple, if I had to think of one person who is the epitome of camp in all their outfit choices of the past years, well, that would be… Lady Gaga — photos below (with 4 outfits on the red/pink carpet of this year’s MET Gala!)

Lady Gaga, aka The Queen of Camp – Outfit 1 (by Brandon Maxwell)

Outfit 2

Outfit 3

Outfit 4!

Lady Gaga, a closer look to the make-up

Another magnificent appearance at this year’s MET Gala was Billy Porter, whose outfit was designed by The Blonds. Recalling kings and queens of ancient Egypt, Porter arrived with their equipe of strong, fit and flamboyants.

I also personally liked Travis Scott‘s outfit, camp in its own way, designed by Dior.

And then mysterious Ezra Miller — aka “whoops I don’t know where to look” — mixing identities, the unknown and multiple souls.

In the same mood Jared Leto, in Gucci, carried a replica of their own head. So incredibly CAMP!

I was also stunned by Cardi B‘s gown designed by Tom Browne, which apparently took nothing less than 2000 hours to make! Bright, extreme, in other words: camp.

Cardi B: detailed view

I surprisedly also liked Natasha Lyonne‘s white and blue outfit. They looked elegant, essential and camp at the same time. Nailed it!

Following now are my two favorite outfits, the ones that I would have probably worn (winking!)… the first was worn by Laverne Cox and the second one by Janelle Monae, both in Christian Siriano. They looked campily stunning! Don’t you agree?

About the celebrities who, I believe, could have put a little more effort in picking their camp outfits are Hailey Bieber, Lily-Rose Depp and Rami Malek (especially after interpreting Freddie Mercury — arguably the king of camp — in Bohemian Rhapsody!)

“Camp” is such a fun (and wide) theme and I simply think a little more brio could have gone a long way. Here a few photos of their outfits: