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Is Anok Yai The New Queen Of The Met Gala?
I was sceptical about this year’s Met Gala. With a theme like ‘Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty’, I had my concerns, as did the rest of the internet. I was apprehensive that it would be challenging to separate Lagerfeld’s contributions to the industry from his various offensive and harmful opinions. Mainly when producing the SSEDITORIAL best dressed Met Gala list. Despite my reservations about this year’s theme, I was impressed (yes, you, Anok Yai).
The night held so much room for interpretation; Karl Lagerfeld had such an extensive career and was responsible for some of the most famous iconography in the industry. As a result, we got a varied night of looks, yet all managed to be on theme. This year’s Met Gala had everything from Nicole Kidman re-wearing her iconic gown from a 2004 Chanel campaign to several Chanel brides and even a couple of Choupettes. But out of all of them, these had to be our favourites.
Dua Lipa
Met Gala 2023 Choice: Chanel
Stepping onto the Met steps in one of Chanel’s most famous bridal looks, worn by Claudia Schiffer in 1992, was one of the best archival moments from the evening. There is always a lot of pressure when co-chairing the Met Gala, but Dua Lipa’s look was flawless. The silhouette made a fun change from Dua’s usual Y2K style, swapping her pop-princess look for that of an actual royal. The dress was then accessorised with potentially the most beautiful Tiffany necklace I have ever seen, working perfectly with the regal look.
Rihanna
Met Gala 2023 Choice: Valentino
Rihanna’s looks are always unique, but this is especially true of the Met Gala. Her look by Guo Pei for the 2015 “China: Through the Looking Glass” event is potentially my favourite Met Gala look of all time. Rihanna and ASAP Rocky made a fashionably late entrance this year, but her look was worth the wait. The singer first stepped onto the white carpet in a 3-D floral hood and an elaborate train. She later removed the hood, opting to wear the delicate petals around her shoulders, revealing her gown’s beautiful bodice and growing baby bump.
Gigi Hadid
Met Gala 2023 Choice: Givenchy
Gigi Hadid channelled her sister Bella at this year’s Met Gala. While we have often seen Gigi favouring more vibrant looks at this event, her sister has consistently worn black. But with Bella absent this year, Gigi took it upon herself to represent in a monochromatic look. There was no better time to do so when the theme was Karl Lagerfeld. This sheer look featured beautiful draping that contrasted the structured corsetry beneath. The highlight for me, however, was the intricate embroidery scattered across the tulle.
Doja Cat
Met Gala 2023 Choice: Oscar de la Renta
It might shock you, but this year marked Doja Cat’s first Met Gala, so she had to make a statement. The Queen of avant-garde dressing fully committed to the theme of the evening, choosing to embody Karl Lagerfeld’s cat Choupette. This moment perfectly highlights Doja Cat’s impeccable style; it proves that when it comes to fashion, she will take risks. She will opt for something a little bit different, but it will still be fashionable. This wasn’t like when Katy Perry attended in a burger costume because this look wasn’t a costume.
Doja’s style celebrates artistry, and because of this, she isn’t gimmicky, no matter how outlandish her style may be. Her looks serve as genuine celebrations of fashion and beauty as legitimate art forms. This very attitude makes Doja Cat one of the leading women in fashion/style at the moment.
Yung Miami
Met Gala 2023 Choice: Act No1
Yung Miami wore one of my favourite looks of the night. It paid homage to many elements of Karl Lagerfeld’s career, from the colour palette to the pearls; everything referenced his work. However, my favourite nod to Lagerfeld was the dress’ silhouette mimicking a fan, one of his favourite accessories. This look summed up the theme of the night for me. While I was happy to see some archival pieces on the red carpet, I was looking forward to seeing how other designers interpret Karl and how they would put their spin on his trademarks.
Tems
Met Gala 2023 Choice: Robert Wun
Tems is quickly becoming one of my favourite red-carpet dressers at the moment. She takes risks but pulls them off so elegantly, precisely what she did at this year’s Met Gala. The highlight of this look for me had to be the headpiece. It perfectly matched the delicate plumage from the dress’s rigid corset. This notion created a beautiful textural contrast to match the binaries of the gown’s colour palette.
Florence Pugh
Met Gala 2023 Choice: Valentino
Florence Pugh is everyone’s favourite fashion ‘it’ girl right now, and with good reason. Just last week, they stepped out at the re-opening of Tiffany’s flagship store in an ethereal green gown and a bob hairdo that spiked wig rumours. And now, on the steps of the Met, she unveiled her buzzcut, which was topped with a sky-high crown of feathers.
Camila Morrone
Met Gala 2023 Choice: Rodarte
While this year’s Met Gala has had me struggling to pick a favourite look, I think it might have to be this one. And honestly, I never thought I would love a fishtail gown, but Rodarte has proved me wrong. This dress was beautifully on trend with the theme; the white lace not only added the femininity that was so prominent throughout Lagerfeld’s work, but the silhouette that it created also mimicked his famous collar that has become so instrumental in his iconography. This look was simple but perfect for the theme and worked well with Camila’s style. All in all, I cannot fault this look; I loved it.
Maya Hawke
Met Gala 2023 Choice: Prada
Maya Hawke was one of our many Chanel brides of the evening, but her look was utterly unique. Harry Lambart worked with Prada to create the intricately adorned minidress and cape. The detail of this look was breathtaking, featuring hundreds of tiny flowers that contrasted the dramatic silhouette of the coat perfectly. This look made me forget about Chanel brides; now I want to be a Prada bride.
Anok Yai
Met Gala 2023 Choice: Prabal Gurung
Regarding the Met Gala, I often feel like a parent. Now this might sound strange, but there is logic behind this statement. I feel like a parent in that creating these ‘Best Dressed’ lists suddenly feels like I am choosing my favourite child. Since her first Met Gala in 2019, Anok Yai has consistently been on my list. This year is no different. Everything from the rigid structure of the dress to the flowing beads, tulle train and a short veil was perfect. The look was other-worldly and nothing else we saw on the red carpet that evening. And with Blake Lively and Zendaya both absent, it might be time to crown Anok as the new Queen of the Met Gala.
Anne Hathaway
Met Gala 2023 Choice: Versace
Last but certainly not least, we have Andy Sachs herself. Anne Hathaway and Versace took such iconic elements of Karl Lagerfeld’s time at Chanel and had so much fun with them. The tweed gown appeared slashed open but was pinned back together with beautiful pearls. When talking to Vogue on the red carpet, Hathaway described the look perfectly as “a marriage between Versace and Chanel.”
