Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more
Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more
The 2024 Met Gala red carpet has come and gone, and fashion lovers have already delivered their hottest takes about this year’s red carpet looks.
The theme for the annual fashion event, which occurred on Monday 6 May at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, was “Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion” – coinciding with the opening of the Costume Institute’s exhibit centred around 50 historically significant pieces of fashion, some too fragile ever to be worn again.
Much like every year, the 2024 Met Gala also came with its own dress code. Met Gala guests were entrusted in following the “The Garden of Time”, which takes inspiration from a short story of the same title written by JG Ballard in 1962. Vogue editor-in-chief and longtime Met Gala curator Anna Wintour instructed guests to follow a dress code that resembled fleeting beauty.
As celebrities descended upon the Met steps this evening, it instantly became clear who closely followed the Met Gala dress code and who left some things to be desired. For some stars, such as Met Gala co-chair Zendaya and Vogue red carpet host Emma Chamberlain, they donned dramatic gowns that perfectly captured the natural elements of land, sea, and sky seen in this year’s exhibit.
Of course, there were others who embraced the obvious at the Met Gala by wearing florals to represent an actual garden. As Meryl Streep’s iconic character Miranda Priestly says in The Devil Wears Prada film (which was inspired by Anna Wintour herself): “Florals? For spring? Groundbreaking.”
Then, there were some – cough, men, cough – who simply threw on a suit and called it a day. Even Met Gala co-chair Chris Hemsworth wore a cream-coloured suit to the event, though his ensemble could’ve very well been worn to any other Hollywood photo-op.
Unsurprisingly, many viewers took to X (formerly Twitter) to voice their own frustrations over this year’s lack of Met Gala attendees on-theme.
“This theme wasn’t HARD,” one person posted on the platform. “Like Y’ALL need to find some new stylists cause this is unacceptable??!”
“THE THEME IS GARDEN OF TIME. WHAT IS SO HARD ABOUT THAT?” another person wrote, while someone else said: “WHY DOES NOBODY UNDERSTAND THE THEME?”
Here’s a list of the 2024 Met Gala guests who missed the mark of this year’s theme, “The Garden of Time”.
Chris Hemsworth
While the Thor star was one of the co-chairs for this year’s Met Gala, his simple Tom Ford three-piece suit didn’t seem to match the “Garden of Time” theme. The off-white ensemble was left without a touch of floral, though it could be argued that the suit’s earthy tones may represent something akin to the sands of time.
Matt Damon
Matt Damon and his wife of nearly 20 years, Luciana Damon, wore coordinating black-and-white looks at the 2024 Met Gala. Some fans may believe that the actor’s back Dior tuxedo is subtle and chic, but why go for something simple when the Met Gala theme is “The Garden of Time”? After all, this is fashion’s biggest night of the year.
Morgan Spector
The Gilded Age star Morgan Spector has churned out some memorable menswear looks in recent months, and is surely on his way to becoming one of the best dressed actors in Hollywood. However, his Met Gala look – a red and black suit by Willy Chavarría, featuring oversized poppies on the lapel – may be a bit too on the nose.
Lauren Sanchez
Lauren Sanchez, award-winning journalist and fiancée of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, wore an Oscar de la Renta gown for her Met Gala debut. Out of all the elaborate and over-the-top floral ensembles for the evening, Sanchez’s stained glass-inspired black and white dress was easily considered to be sub par.
Donald Glover
Actor and rapper Donald Glover wore a baggy, tan suit with a brown collared shirt and matching brown tie to the 2024 Met Gala. As some fans on Reddit jokingly claimed, the Atlanta star’s ensemble looked more like he was “pulling up to the middle school dance” rather than a fashion fundraiser.
Gigi Hadid
Supermodel Gigi Hadid has been known for her stunning Met Gala looks over the years. However, her white and yellow off-the-shoulder Thom Browne dress was one of her least memorable Met Gala moments.
Alison Oliver
Conversations With Friends star Alison Oliver wore a brown, long bedazzled cape with matching brown leggings, complete with a patchwork floral lining. Although the British actor’s Met Gala ensemble could very well match the evening’s theme with its earthy tones, her outfit of choice overall faded into the background.
Jamie Dornan
Jamie Dornan stepped out at the Met Gala wearing a classic three-piece suit inspired by The Garden of Time short story written in the 1960s. While his Met Gala outfit did touch on this year’s theme, the baggy striped trousers and longline black suit jacket made the ensemble appear oversized and rushed.
Kylie Jenner
While the Kylie Cosmetics founder is known for her iconic sense of fashion, her champagne-coloured Oscar de la Renta gown was more understated than usual. On X, one user even declared Jenner as the “goddess of disappointment” at this year’s Met Gala.
Read The Independent’s list of best dressed Met Gala attendees here. Follow for live updates from the 2024 Met Gala red carpet here.
