Karl Lagerfeld Would Have Hated These Met Gala Looks
The Met Gala, fashion’s biggest night, happened on Monday, May 1st. Celebrities pulled out all the stops, showing up in stunning ball gowns, suits, and… cat costumes? The dress code of this year’s gala was In Honor of Karl, matching the exhibition theme, Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty in honor of the late designer.
As always, there were stunning looks, disappointing looks, and absurd looks. Jared Leto arrived in a head to toe cat costume, channeling Lagerfeld’s cat, Choupette. Lil Nas X also appeared in a head to toe look, though his revealed much more; he was completely covered in silver body paint and jewels, wearing only boots and speedo-sized bottoms. The theme was adhered to pretty successfully, possibly because this year’s dress code is relatively straightforward.
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There were, however, some looks that were very intentionally not on theme. Karl Lagerfeld is a notoriously problematic figure. He heralded many opinions about women’s bodies, immigrants, and sexual assault that were bigoted and even cruel. He said of the #MeToo movement that if women didn’t want to be assaulted, they shouldn’t go into modeling. Choosing to honor him at this year’s gala has been a controversial choice for this reason. There were many attendees who decided to keep it clear where they stand on this issue through their looks in subtle-or not so subtle ways. Here are some of the looks that would have made Karl furious.
Karl Lagerfeld once said “think pink but don’t wear it”. So, of course, there were several pink gowns on the Met Gala carpet. Viola Davis’s shocking pink Valentino gown was perhaps the most conspicuous, but by no means the only one that made a statement. Quannah Chasinghorse looked stunning in a baby pink gown and embrace of her Indigenous beauty. Grace Elizabeth, Donnatella Versace, and Naomi Campbell also wore pink.
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Karl Lagerfeld was also infamously fatphobic. “No one wants to see curvy women,” he once said. So the people who showed up in gowns that emphasized their curves instead of hiding them would have made Lagerfeld shake in his boots. Lizzo, Paloma Elsesser, Yung Miami, and Alex Newell all looked stunning in their hip-hugging outfits.
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Another Lagerfeld quote: "I hate nothing more than when men cross their legs, and you see hairy legs, socks and pants – the worst. The worst!" In true Pedro Pascal fashion, the The Last of Us actor showed up to the Met in a black and bright red Valentino look complete with shorts that showed off plenty of very hairy leg. To complete the ensemble, he very subtly gave the camera the middle finger.
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Lagerfeld also historically had a problem with queerness and gay marriage, despite the fact that he himself was gay. Kristen Stewart’s Chanel look, while not directly in response to this, has taken the internet by storm for being ‘iconically gay’.
Photo: Getty Images via Vogue