2017 Met Gala fashion takeaways: a run on red, a bouquet of florals and a show-stopping trench coat
Priyanka Chopra attends the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute benefit gala celebrating the opening of the “Rei Kawakubo/Comme des Garçons: Art of the In-Between” exhibition on May 1 in New York.
The dress code for this year’s Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute benefit gala was “Avant-Garde,” which was appropriate given that it was celebrating the opening of “Rei Kawakubo/Comme des Garçons: Art of the In-Between,” an exhibition honoring the Japanese designer whose boundary-pushing work is nearly impossible to describe without the term. In fashion, the French term, which translates literally as “advance guard,” often refers to innovative silhouettes and techniques that are often more experimental than wearable.
But everyone who turned up to the gala needed to wear something (except, apparently, Bella Hadid, whose skintight Alexander Wang jumpsuit provided little more coverage than a fresh coat of paint) and while not every look was a boundary-pusher, overall the attendees seemed to have a better grasp on the theme than they did for last year’s “Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology” gala, which Kim Kardashian West memorably summed up as “blingy, sexy robot.”
A few of the overarching trends — including a run on red and a whole lot of flowers — are detailed below.
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Seeing red
The color red had some serious traction on the Met Gala red carpet. Katy Perry, one of the 2017 Met Gala co-chairs, was an early arrival and on-trend in a crimson red Maison Margiela Artisanal wool coat over a tulle and silk chiffon gown designed by John Galliano.
Met Gala co-chair Katy Perry attends the Met Gala on May 1 in New York.
(Theo Wargo / Getty Images for US Weekly)
She accessorized her look with a statement-making crown and veil headpiece with large metallic sidepieces and what looked like cursive writing spelling out a word (“witness,” according to Twitter) across her forehead in between.
Other statement-making ladies in red included Rose Byrne, Joan Smalls, Emma Roberts (in a lipstick-red satin dress by Diane von Furstenberg), Doutzen Kroes (in an off-the-shoulder gown in lightweight taffeta from 2016 CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund winners Brock Collection) and Pharrell Williams’ wife, Helen Lasichanh, who was one of the attendees who paid homage to Kawakubo by wearing a Comme des Garçons outfit. (Another memorable one was Tracee Ellis Ross’ sculptural blue coat by the label.)
Met Gala co-chair Pharrell Williams, left, and wife Helen Lasichanh.
Was it a case of April showers bringing May flowers? Or simply the first full-blown fashion fete of the spring season? We’re not sure what was behind the bumper crop of blossoms blooming on last night’s red carpet. Among those spotted rocking floral frocks were Megyn Kelley (in a dark red chiffon gown with white floral embroidery from the fall/winter 2017 Altuzarra collection), Zendaya in Dolce & Gabbana, Daisy Ridley in an Oscar de la Renta dress with a black-and-white floral skirt and generously trailing train and Bee Shaffer in an an ivory patchwork jacquard evening dress from Alexander McQueen.
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But two of the evening’s biggest, most striking flower-powered ensembles came courtesy of Caroline Kennedy and Rihanna, both of whom turned out in Comme des Garçons outfits that were as much wearable bouquets as dresses. Kennedy, an honorary Met Gala chair and former U.S. ambassador to Japan, chose a tiered gown with flattened floral panels that evoked the idea of origami, while RiRi’s ensemble was nearly the opposite — structure-wise — a voluminous dress that made her look for all the world as if she was enveloped in a cloud of loosely scattered fabric flower petals (many of which were, in a meta way, printed with a floral patterns). It was easily one of the standout looks of the night.
Rihanna made a memorable entrance at the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute benefit gala on May 1.
(Charles Sykes / Invision / Associated Press)
Old-school elegance
In the midst of the over-the-top ensembles (more on our favorites in that category below), the model contingent was a model of restraint — wardrobe-wise — with old-school elegance seeming to be the watchword for Joan Smalls, Behati Prinsloo, Candice Swanepoel and event co-chair Gisele Bündchen, the last of whom stunned in a bespoke pewter embroidered cutout gown by Stella McCartney (part of the Green Carpet Challenge, it was made from certified organic silk and featured allover glass-bead embroidery).
Gisele Bündchen and husband and fellow Met Gala co-chair Tom Brady.
(Getty Images for US Weekly; Getty Images for US Weekly; AFP / Getty Images)
Perfectly accessorizing the supermodel was her Super Bowl champion of a husband, Tom Brady, who matched her perfectly in a silver metallic shawl collar Tom Ford dinner jacket.
Standing out in the crowd
Solange Knowles attends the 2017 Met Gala on May 1 in New York.
(Theo Wargo / Getty Images for US Weekly)
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Three of the evening’s most memorable looks were ones that, in all honesty, we hadn’t seen coming. Elizabeth Banks dazzled our optic nerves in a custom black-and-white sequined optical checkerboard stretch-tulle gown by Michael Kors collection, and Solange Knowles filled our field of vision with a Thom Browne black, down-filled tuxedo coat ensemble paired with the ice skate booties right off New York Fashion Week’s February runway.
But it was Priyanka Chopra who made the most interesting entrance — and wardrobe choice — of the evening, a Ralph Lauren collection custom trench coat evening gown with a train that went out behind her for days. In one red-carpet turn, Chopra did more to raise the style profile of the khaki-colored trench than anyone since Thomas Burberry himself.
And how’s this for avant-garde? The voluminous skirt was actually removable, which allowed the gown to convert into a trench-inspired minidress.
Check out our photo gallery of looks from the Met Gala’s red carpet.
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Priyanka Chopra’s Ralph Lauren Collection trench-inspired gown from the 2017 Met Gala (seen from the back at left) had a hidden feature -- a removable skirt -- that could be taken off to turn the outfit into a trench-inspired mini dress. At right she appears at the Marc Jacobs after party in an edited version of the ensemble.
(Neilson Barnard (L) and Daniel Zuchnik (R) / Getty Images)
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Selena Gomez and the Weeknd stop to take photos at the Met Gala.
(Theo Wargo / Getty Images For US Weekly)
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Chrissy Teigen and John Legend attend the “Rei Kawakubo/Comme des Garcons: Art of the In-Between” Costume Institute Gala at Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 1 in New York.
(Theo Wargo / Getty Images For US Weekly)
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Halle Berry poses for photos on the steps to the Met Gala. (Feet away from Berry stands fashion legend Valentino Garavani.)
(Theo Wargo / Getty Images for US Weekly)
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Nick Jonas in a black and white Art Deco jacquard tuxedo jacket and black tuxedo pants from Ralph Lauren Purple Label, with Priyanka Chopra in a Ralph Lauren Collection cstom trench coat evening Gown on the red carpet at the 2017 Met Gala.
(Dia Dipasupil / Getty Images for Entertainment Weekly)
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Rihanna was on trend in florals -- and paid homage to designer Rei Kawakubo -- by wearing a Comme des Garçons dress to the Met Gala.
(Dia Dipasupil / Getty Images for Entertainment Weekly)
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Madonna and designer Jeremy Scott arrive at the Met Gala. Madge is wearing a custom-made camouflage-patterned, silk satin bustier and fishtail skirt paired with a matching flak jacket and net shawl from Moschino by Jeremy Scott.
(Getty Images, Evan Agostini / Invision / AP, Dia Dipasupil / Getty Images for Entertainment Weekly)
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Celine Dion arrives for the Met Gala.
(Angela Weiss / AFP / Getty Images)
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Celine Dion attends the “Rei Kawakubo/Comme des Garcons: Art of the In-Between” Costume Institute Gala at Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 1 in New York.
(Dia Dipasupil / Getty Images for Entertainment Weekly)
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Janelle Monáe, left, and Miranda Kerr attend the Met Gala.
(Theo Wargo / Getty Images For US Weekly)
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For the 2017 Met Gala, Zendaya chose a Dolce & Gabbana Alta Moda double organza baroque gown accessoruized with $1 million worth of Forevermark diamonds including a platinuim-set yellow-diamond ring and double-drop earrings.
(Theo Wargo / Getty Images for US Weekly)
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From left, Lori Harvey, guest, Corinne Foxx and Sonia Ben Ammar attend the Met Gala.
(Neilson Barnard / Getty Images)
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Presley Gerber, from left, Gabriel Kane, Sofia Richie, Jordan Kale Barrett, Chloe Bennet, Joan Smalls and Behati Prinsloo hit the red carpet at the Met Gala.
(Justin Lane / EPA)
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From left, Naomi Watts, Stella McCartney and Kate Hudson attend the Met Gala.
(Angela Weiss / AFP / Getty Images)
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Kim Kardashian West hits the red carpet at the Met Gala.
Tracee Ellis Ross in a sculptural blue dress by Comme des Garcons at the Met Gala.
(Evan Agostini / Invision / AP, Getty Images)
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Grace Hartzel arrives on the red carpet at the Met Gala.
(Justin Lane / EPA)
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Diane von Furstenberg takes a photo on the red carpet at the Met Gala.
(Theo Wargo / Getty Images For US Weekly)
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Elle Fanning in a pale blue chiffon empire-line strapless plisse gown by Miu Miu at the 2017 Met Gala.
(Dimitrios Kambouris / Getty Images)
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Tom Ford and Andrea Riseborough hit the red carpet at the Met Gala.
(Dimitrios Kambouris / Getty Images)
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Members of hip-hop group Migos attend the Met Gala.
(Angela Weiss / AFP / Getty Images)
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Zoë Kravitz attends the Met Gala.
(Theo Wargo / Getty Images For US Weekly)
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Rose Byrne and Bobby Cannavale attend the Met Gala.
(Charles Sykes/Invision/AP (left and center); Justin Lane / EPA (right))
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Emma Roberts attends the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute benefit gala in a lipstick-red, heavy hammered satin dress by Diane von Furstenberg.
( Evan Agostini / Invision/AP )
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Co-chairperson Katy Perry at the Met Gala in a crimson red Maison Margiela Artisanal wool coat over a tulle and chiffon gown. It was designed by John Galliano. We’re not sure about the provenance of the headpiece but it certianly qualifes as avant-garde.
(Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images)
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Jenni Konner, left, and Lena Dunham at the Met Gala.
(Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images)
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Jennifer Lopez and Alex Rodriguez take photos on the red carpet at the Met Gala.
(Dia Dipasupil / Getty Images for Entertainment Weekly)
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Jennifer Lopez arrives at the 2017 Met Gala in a custom Valentino Haute Couture gown specially designed for her by creative director Pierpaolo Piccioli.
(Evan Agostini / Invision / AP)
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Serena Williams arrives at the Met Gala.
(Getty Images Dia Dipasupil / Getty Images for Entertainment Weekly, Dimitrios Kambouris / Getty Images, Dia Dipasupil / Getty Images for Entertainment Weekly)
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Jaden Smith arrives at the Met Gala.
(Angela Weiss / AFP/Getty Images)
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Dakota Johnson, left, and Gucci creative director Alessandro Michele hit the red carpet at the Met Gala.
(Justin Lane / EPA)
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Daisy Ridley in Oscar de la Renta at the 2017 Met Gala.
( Evan Agostini / Invision/AP)
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Cassie, left, and Sean “Diddy” Combs aka Puff Daddy hit the red carpet at the Met Gala.
(Theo Wargo / Getty Images for US Weekly)
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Priyanka Chopra wears a Ralph Lauren Collection Custom trench coat evening gown at the Met Gala. The skirt is removable, which converts it into a trench-inspired mini dress.
(Angela Weiss / AFP / Getty Images)
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Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen attends the Met Gala.
(Dimitrios Kambouris / Getty Images)
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Pharrell Williams and Helen Lasichanh -- both in Comme des Garcons -- at the 2017 Met Gala.
(Dia Dipasupil / Getty Images For Entertainment Weekly)
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Kylie Jenner at the Met Gala.
(Dimitrios Kambouris / Getty Images)
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Char Defrancesco, Frances Bean Cobain, Courtney Love and Marc Jacobs arrive at the Met Gala.
(Justin Lane / EPA)
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Lily Collins poses on the red carpet at the Met Gala.
(Angela Weiss / AFP / Getty Images)
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Tom Brady in Tom Ford and Gisele Bundchen in Stella McCartney manage to be both matchy-matchy in a silver color palette and old-school elegance on the 2017 Met Gala red carpet.
(Evan Agostini / Invision / AP)
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Sofia Richie attends the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute benefit gala celebrating the opening of “Rei Kawakubo/Comme des Garçons: Art of the In-Between” on Monday in New York.
(Evan Agostini / Invision / AP)
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Bee Shaffer an ivory heritage patchwork jacquard evening dress with ivory feather stitching from Alexander McQueen at the 2017 Met Gala.
(Dimitrios Kambouris / Getty Images)
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Megyn Kelly wears a chiffon gown with floral embroidery from the Fall/Winter 2017 Altuzarra collection at the 2017 Met Gala.
Senior features writer Adam Tschorn is a former small-town newspaper editor, game-show question-and-answer man and fashion scribe who joined the Los Angeles Times in 2007. He currently covers a wide range of pop-culture topics with a focus on cannabis culture. Holding a B.A. in philosophy and an M.A. in journalism, he feels perfectly suited to looking at things, asking “why?” and writing down the answers.
