Things that cost $30,000: 10,000 Egg McMuffins, 5,000 Pez dispensers, 300 pairs of Lululemon leggings, and one ticket to the Met Gala. 

The Met Gala, sometimes referred to as the Met Ball, is a yearly event that takes place at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Every year since 1995, Vogue EIC Anna Wintour has been in charge of the Gala. The Met Gala, at its true purpose, is a fundraising event for the Costume Institute of the Met. The Costume Institute is one of the only departments of the Met that has to fund itself, so the Met Gala is the Institute’s main fundraising form. This year, the Met Gala raised a record-breaking $17.4 million. 

When the first Monday of May comes around, fans are watching the red carpet to see which celebrities are attending and what they’re wearing. Each Gala has a specific theme and dress code, with 2021 and 2022’s themes being In America: A Lexicon of Fashion. The dress code for 2021 was American Independence and this year was Gilded Glamor. While there were multiple stunning looks on the carpet, there were also a number of misses. 

One of the honorary co-chairs of the night was Blake Lively. She flew to the top of every best-dressed list (including this one) for a reason. Her dress was Atelier Versace and had homages to New York City while encapsulating the maximalism of the Gilded Age. She also wanted to shine a light on the architecture in New York, from Grand Central Station to the Empire State Building. When she arrived on the carpet, her dress was draped in the style of the Statue of Liberty, and the coppery color the Statue would have been when it first arrived in America. Minutes later, the dress transformed into a more minty color, representing how the Statue has oxidized over time. The details of the dress were no less impressive. On the skirt, constellations from the ceiling of Grand Central Station were embroidered, a full-circle moment to her Gossip Girl days, where the pilot episode opens with her in Grand Central. 

To be completely honest, I’ve never been a fan of Cardi B. Her songs aren’t my style, and her red carpet looks I didn’t always enjoy, but she shocked me with this year’s Met look. Cardi B and her team at Atelier Versace managed to create a modern look while tying in trends from the Gilded Age. Her dress, which appeared to be made out of all gold chains and gems, was a showstopper. According to Billboard, the dress took over 1,300 hours to complete, and a mile of custom golden chains. 

The morning after the Met, as social media commenced a debate about who hit the mark, and who missed, people were curious about a particular Telemundo reporter. Genesis Suero, the 2018 Miss New York, and a current reporter, wore a Lucia Rodriguez dress that stormed social media feeds. Her dress perfectly followed the theme, being reminiscent of the 1890s and Gilded Age New York. It is always lovely to see when people follow the theme and look great doing it.

On the flip side, some stars showed up having missed the mark. For example, Chloe Bailey, one half of Chloe x Halle, wore the label Area. While the dress aimed to replicate the boning and corsetry that was commonplace in the gilded age, it failed. The dress already had a not-so-pleasant green color before being plagued with two lumpy appendages. Bailey’s hair and makeup were stunning, but her dress failed to bring a wow factor. 

Last, and sadly least, Amy Schumer arrived on the carpet.  I didn’t enjoy Schumer’s Oscar look, so I was hoping she would redeem herself on the Met carpet. Sadly, she did not. While I appreciate sunglasses as much as anyone, a formal, white-tie red carpet is not the place for such a casual accessory. Her dress was simple – a black Gabriela Hearst coat/dress combination. I actually slightly liked the dress, but the asymmetrical hem and long hanging fringe kept me from loving it. While her outfit wasn’t my favorite, I do appreciate the simple black heels paired with the look and her natural makeup. 

All in all, this year’s Met Gala was a refreshing look into the fashion industry’s view of ‘Gilded Glamor.’