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TheCut.com

Kim Petras gave reference to the American West with her 3-D horse head added on to her dress.

The Met Gala, an annual night of celebrities and iconic fashion statements, was held on Sept. 13 after not being held since 2019 due to Covid-19. Although the star-studded event is usually held on the first Monday of May, this year’s gala directly coincided with New York Fashion Week.
The Met Gala’s theme this year was “In America: A Lexicon of Fashion”. While many interpretations of this theme arrived at the Gala: denim, stars and stripes and originals from American designers, most stars paid homage to American stars and icons of the past. Further, many attendees found that the Gala was an influential time for thousands of viewers to see political statements and references to social movements, such as Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s “Tax the Rich” dress.
Compared to the Met Gala of 2019, themed “Camp: Notes on Fashion”, this year’s Gala failed to impress me. Some outfits that stood out to me for the wrong reasons were Kim Petras and her tribute to horse girls, Naomi Osaka’s uncoordinated dress and hair and Asap Rocky with his blanket outfit. Although most attendee’s missed the mark on their get-ups, Iman’s shiny and abstract gown, Lili Reinhart’s beautiful floral dress and Rihanna’s interpretation of street style made my and many critics’ jaws drop as they entered the scene.

As I watched the night live on Vogue’s website, I witnessed the countless stars pull into the Gala, walk up the iconic stairs and then get interviewed. Keke Palmer was one of the interviewers for this year’s Gala and kept the night fun and energetic while meeting some of the most well-known celebrities.
Controversy sparked across social media for days following the Gala due to influencers being invited this year. Dixie D’Amelio and Addison Rae both attended and faced hate. Many think that by having influencers invited, it makes the Gala less prestigious and more of a social event. However, with social media becoming such a big part of society in the past few years, having social media influencers now being invited to the Gala does not surprise me.
Although this Gala did not make up for the skipped Gala of 2020, the outfits and celebrities showed up and showed off as they walked up the famous stairs of the Met. It was refreshing to see a big gathering like the Gala after such a hard past year of cancellations, and am excited to view what is in store for the extravagant fashion of the Met Gala in 2022.