Report by Brad Balfour
At the Met Gala 2023 held on May 1st, The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute’s black-tie fundraising event created a media buzz like no other. Los Angeles has a plethora of high profile, red-carpet award shows but this one is New York’s own.
Whether a guest is a first-time attendee or a Gala veteran, scoring an invite offers a chance to establish one’s place in the pantheon of those in demand — as least for this season. Year after year, the Met Gala is THE display of red-carpet fashion, but it doesn’t seem to represent much more than that. Yes, it does raise funds for the preservation of fashion-as-art, but the more the buzz, the more the event seems a fatuous, ostentatious display, The gala is getting more and more elaborate as the years go on. It’s Conde Nast queen Anna Wintour’s moment to lend her approval to certain stars and tastemakers. She usually taps those who were highly visible recently or had established their presence as style sirens. This year, there were many of her stalwarts, a range of newcomers and certain red carpet mainstays, but a number of those didn’t receive an invite this year. Given the impact of Irish actors and artists this year, I had expected more in attendance. Nonetheless, Pierce Brosnan, Barry Keoghan and a few others were in evidence.
The theme this year was “Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty” — a tribute to the prolific designer who passed away in 2019. The red carpet reflected Lagerfeld’s style — whose career served as an inspiration for the night and the exhibition that accompanies this event. Black-and-white color schemes dominated on the Met steps. Celebrities found innovative ways to interpret the late 85-year-old’s expansive output. Many Chanel muses arrived in archival designs originally made by the late German designer.
As for the exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute, it won’t be the typical artist retrospective. According to Vogue, approximately 150 looks Lagerfeld designed for various houses will be on display alongside the original sketches that he drew for each look.