Enthusiasts and haters alike refreshed their feeds and tuned in to livestreams to admire the lavish looks and turn their noses up at outfits that weren’t quite up to snuff.
The event is kind of like charity in two regards: The Costume Institute — and its important historic preservation work — gets to exist another year, and the rest of us get to bully the rich. It’s a win-win if we ever saw one.
The theme of this year’s Costume Institute exhibition is "Superfine: Tailoring Black Style," a retrospective on Black style and identities through the lens of the dandy, or someone whose style reflects wealth, taste and upward mobility. That’s a bit of a broad definition, but it’s a broad theme with over 300 years and countless iterations of the dandy to play with. The dress code of the event (which is always slightly different from the exhibition’s theme) is “Tailored For You,” which leaves even more room for interpretation.
Discourse over Monday’s looks will likely rage for months to come, but we’re happy to report that North Texas attendees made us proud with their taste and adherence to the theme. Although we can't help but wonder what gala-regular Erykah Badu would have turned out in. Our aesthetic hunger from her absence is probably a blessing to everyone else who attended, though, because this theme was practically tailor-made (no pun intended) to her deliciously flamboyant style.
Here’s a breakdown of the local looks for your entertainment and/or seething disgust — we’re not here to tell you how to feel.
Sha’Carri Richardson
The Dallas native and Olympic gold medalist was a second-time Met Gala attendee and first-time co-host, and her look lived up to the expectations of her position. She wore a Valentino cream-colored dress over a lace lavender bodysuit. Her loose hair was adorned with a flurry of cream and white bows. Richardson worked closely with Alessandro Michele, Valentino’s creative director, to create a look that balanced beauty with thematic significance. Of course, she accessorized with her signature: intricate nail art.“My look is inspired by Black power — by Black women power,” she told WWD ahead of the Gala. “I want to represent the feminine power of Black women, and show that there is not just one particular way to be powerful and feminine at the same time.”
We’re certainly in awe.
Leon Bridges
If there’s anyone we expect to eat up a menswear theme, it’s Fort Worth darling Bridges. He’s a regular of both the Met Gala and best-dressed lists at this point and can be counted on to deliver an eye-catching suit and thoughtful, intricate styling. At an event where the men have notoriously given us the bare minimum in galas past, the hometown hero is always the exception.“Today marks such a special moment in my journey," Bridges said in a press release. "My musical path has always been deeply intertwined with how I carry myself aesthetically. There were times I questioned my expression when it didn’t seem to resonate widely but it always kept me grounded. I was inspired by those who came before me, the trailblazers whose presence and style made space for mine."
This year’s fit, a collaboration with designer Nicholas Daley, pays homage to 1970s touchstones with pinstripes, ornate jewelry, leather gloves and flared pants.
Usher
The plain black suit is an easy way to earn the ire of Met Gala viewers who view it as an uncreative cop-out that’s rarely on theme. Dallas-born Usher, who was also a co-host alongside Richardson this year, had a pretty good excuse. For one thing, his Ralph Lauren three-piece was on theme, comfortably falling under the “Tailored For You” dress code, and accessories like a scarf, jewelry and cane provide intrigue for those who look at the details before jumping to conclusions.He also has a history of stellar Met looks and performed at the Gala later Monday night. We’ll let him have this one.
Nick Jonas (and Priyanka Chopra)
Another Dallas-born performer, Nick Jonas, hit the Met steps in a Bianca Saunders look that included a cream-colored long-sleeved blouse with a scarf detail, black trousers and a broach on the sash. In a year where most of the men were pleasant surprises, we'll admit Jonas looks very dapper, but his wife, actress Priyanka Chopra, eclipsed him with ease.Chopra is not from Dallas, but she’s in most of the pictures with Jonas from the night, so we’ll count her as married-in. She wore a tailored Balmain ensemble covered in polka dots and completed the look with a wide-rim black hat and Bulgari jewels. Her necklace, in particular, turned heads, as it contains the 241-karat “Magnus Emerald,” the largest stone ever set by Buglari.
It’s no “high heels, red dress,” but Chopra’s look was dazzling all the same. And you know what? Extra points for following the theme.
