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Illustration of Lorde’s jeweled jacket cape and skirt complete with an elevated, jeweled flower crown. (Corina Karr)

After a two-year hiatus due to COVID-19, the fashion industry’s top event of the year – the Met Gala – has finally returned. Hosted at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, this year’s carefully crafted guest list included around 400 attendees, approved by Vogue’s Editor-in-Chief, Anna Wintour. 

This year’s theme, “In America: A Lexicon of Fashion,” was obeyed subtly by some attendees and completely bypassed by others. Guests such as New York Congresswomen Alexandria Ocasio Cortez and Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney, as well as English model Cara Delevingne, wore outfits that clearly showcased political statements in their attire. Other guests such as American singer and songwriter Billie Eilish flaunted a classic American style inspired by Marylin Monroe. Many iconic past attendees such as Taylor Swift, Blake Lively, Kylie Jenner and Harry Styles forwent the gala altogether.
No matter the theme, there are always attendees whose getups are quite outrageous and eccentric. The 2021 Met Gala was no exception, with many guests wearing flamboyant ensembles. Ranked below are ten of the most eccentric styles of the night.

10.

New Zealand singer and songwriter Lorde shone in her beautiful white ensemble paired with a bedazzled headband. What set Lorde’s enchanting gown apart was that it was sustainably made. The designer of this piece, Emily Bode, created it entirely out of repurposed materials. Although Lorde looked gorgeous in this piece, it didn’t connect to the theme of this year’s Met Gala. In fact, it aligned more with the theme of her new album, Solar Power.

9.

Saturday Night Live cast member Pete Davidson wore a black Thom Browne slip dress, representing Thom Browne’s identity as an American designer who breaks fashion boundaries. Davidson’s dress was paired with custom sunglasses from Silhouette and a classic white blazer from Thom Browne. While Davidson’s dress was rather simple, him wearing a dress on his first Met Gala appearance was a vital step towards pushing gender stereotypes. 

8.

All eyes were on Rihanna and A$AP Rocky when the newly official couple made their red carpet debut. Rihanna wore a Balenciaga ruffle dress as well as Bulgari diamonds. While A$AP Rocky showcased a quilt ensemble, by American designer Eli Russell Linnetz. Rhianna looked fabulous as always but A$AP’s quilt was lacking. After all, they were attending the Met Gala, not a slumber party.

7.

Entrepreneur and supermodel Iman stunned Met Gala viewers in her gold bustier top paired with flared trousers and an incredibly feathered headdress to reference 1920s showgirl glamour and 18th century cage crinolines. This dramatic look is the works of Dolce & Gabbana x Harris Reed. Iman’s getup was definitely spectacular, and connected significantly to this year’s theme.

6.

Euphoria star Hunter Schaffer dressed in a custom-made Prada metallic two-piece, transformed her eyes with eerie white out contacts, extended her fingertips with glass snakes, and incorporated other details to resemble an alien. What is more American Hollywood than sci-fi? Although the ensemble was more fit for a Halloween party than the MET carpet, Schaffer rocked it in her dazzling aura.

5.

Kim Kardashian stunned viewers by covering her entire body and face in black Balenciaga. Speculators guessed the look was to exhibit just how influential Kardashian’s body is in American pop culture, or perhaps reminiscent of the wedding gown and veil Kardashian wore to promote Kanye West’s new album Donda at the August 26 listening party. “What’s more American than a T-shirt head to toe?!” Kardashian captioned an Instagram post, teasing the inspiration behind the ensemble. The outfit was dull but definitely left an impression, just as Kim’s body has had on American fashion. 

Lil Nas X demanded attention throughout his Met Gala debut with two dramatic outfit changes. The American singer wore three majestic styles custom made by Donatella Versace. The looks were inspired by his experience publicly coming out as a member of the LGBTQ+ community earlier this year. Although Lil Nas’ ensembles were definitely extravagant, the dramatic costume change seemed familiar, as during the 2019 Met Gala, Lady Gaga did the same.

3.

Dan Levy’s extravagant Met Gala debut with Cartier and Loewe was inspired by LGBTQ+ history. Loewe’s Jonathon Anderson celebrated the American artist and AIDs activist David Wojnarowicz. Levy’s look was adapted from two of Wojnarowicz’s famous looks F*** You F**got F***er, 1984 and Untitled (One Day This Kid…), 1990-91. Although the history behind his outfit is compelling, Levy’s final look was a bit too much. Were the shoes with roses and gold spikes really necessary?
2. 

Grimes’s sheer zig-zag Dune-inspired gown was complete with a sword and tiny book in hand. According to Grimes, her look connects with this year’s theme as Dune was written by American author Frank Herbert. The Canadian singer’s dress was 3D printed by Iris Van Herpen, who has done work for Beyonce and Lady Gaga. Having dated the world’s richest man in technology, Elon Musk, must mean that Grimes has an inclination towards technology. However,  showing up to the Met Gala looking like a video game character is simply ridiculous.

1.

Kim Petras made a shocking entrance in a Collina Strada gown which featured a sculpted horse head on the bodice and a dramatic floral skirt. Pairing the look with a long braided hair piece and strappy red heels, Petras announced that the ensemble was to represent “horse girls” (and humans) everywhere. This ridiculous getup looks like something that can be found at the half off discount rack at Forever 21. It is understandable that Petras would want to reference her equestrian roots, but the execution was a galloping mess. 

These styles, and many more, were all presented on the Met Gala red carpet. Whether they truly fit the American theme, however, is subjective. Now comes the question: what will next year’s theme be? And even more importantly, will gala attendees actually follow it?