The first Monday of May always means one thing: Met Gala. This year the dress code “The Garden of Time” from the 1962 story by James Graham Ballard
Words DOMENICO C
The most anticipated event of the year opened the exhibition Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion, but the feeling is that we had better stay in bed. In our pajamas. Stuffing ourselves with chips and ice cream. Let’s come to the event. It has been on stage since 1948 and over time it has become a gathering of rich stars who use fashion to give up with holy reason (stylistically speaking). What are you wearing this year? It’s the most popular question of who goes up the stairs of the Metropolitan of New York that change color according to the theme. The result of the 2024 theme? Flowers, small flowers, leaves, flowering meadows. Did we mention flowers? This year’s Met Gala was much more like a mid-1800s debutante ball. The diamond of the season? Zendaya, co-host of the event, who showed herself in a Maison Margiela dress by John Galliano. There was a few positive points in this waltz of fashion. And the positive note is Jonathan Anderson in a clear state of grace and on the crest of the wave. The other positive note is called “everything that comes out of the hands of Jonathan Anderson”, and then the outfits of Anna Wintour, Ariana Grande, Taylor Russell, Jamie Dornan, Josh O’Connor. Special mention to Lana Del Rey in a dress-roots by Alexander McQueen by Sean McGirr, inspired by a masterpiece designed by McQueen himself in 2006 for the collection The Widows of Culloden. Well, if someone wanted to understand how nature works, that collection is in perfect balance. There are, however, winners for this year’s Met Gala: men, who for the first time have outdone women. Our knights laid down the axe of manhood by contaminating black. Josh O’Connor, for example, showed up in black tails with a white shirt signed, guess what, by Loewe. Not just a tailcoat. Meanwhile the swallow tails of the jacket were XXL and touched the floor. On the feet not a simple pair of classic shoes, but clogs with flowers always by Loewe. To neck instead a silver bow tie in the shape of candy. Or Mike Faist who opted for a Loewe look consisting of cream-colored pants, black double-breasted blazers and a radish-shaped brooch dipped in butter.
Going out of the perimeter of the clothes (which are always dresses but with a message) and entering that of fashion, the Met Gala lacked perspective and above all the lateral thinking. Which is that ability to reason and create by looking out of the little garden. Above all, we remembered a fashion that stopped asking questions and giving answers. And that no longer exists.
