{"id":1912797,"date":"2026-05-01T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-04-30T21:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1912797"},"modified":"2026-05-01T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2026-04-30T21:00:00","slug":"wonderland-163","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1912797","title":{"rendered":"Wonderland"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\n\t\t\tTHE ART OF COSTUMING THE MET GALA<\/span>
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Ahead of fashion\u2019s most scrutinised red carpet, we asked some of the industry\u2019s chicest insiders how one actually dresses for the Met Gala.<\/h3>\n
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Photo by Mari Sarai\/Wireimage.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

Some people count down to their birthday. Or the next time they\u2019ll see their highly non-committal, long-distance boyfriend. Or that holiday they can only technically afford because Amex exists and Klarna is loyally carrying the rest of the load.<\/p>\n

But for the fashion crowd, there\u2019s really only one date circled in red ink. One night that arrives with the sort of quasi-religious anticipation usually reserved for christenings or Beyonc\u00e9 drops: the first Monday in May. Formally, the Met Gala. Otherwise billed as Fashion\u2019s Biggest Night.<\/p>\n

Held each year at New York\u2019s Metropolitan Museum of Art to celebrate the opening of the Costume Institute\u2019s spring exhibition, the evening, once a gala, has become a kind of cultural pageant. Hollywood\u2019s brightest stars ascend the museum steps dressed bigger, stranger and more theatrical than usual, courtesy of fashion\u2019s most ambitious ateliers, all attempting to interpret the theme placed before them.<\/p>\n

This year\u2019s brief: Costume Art.<\/p>\n

What follows, inevitably, is the annual ritual \u2013 a frenzy of pop-culture obsessives and fashion darlings (including us) poring over every hemline, reference and rhinestone with a fine-toothed comb. Think of it as the ultimate post-party debrief.<\/p>\n

So before this year\u2019s big night kicks off, we asked some of fashion\u2019s most stylish and well-versed insiders for their 411 on the art of dressing for the Met Gala.<\/p>\n

Olivia Singer<\/a><\/strong> Writer, editor and creative consultant<\/p>\n

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Via Getty Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

What\u2019s your all-time favourite MET Gala look?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Much as I am profoundly entertained by the competitive theatrics of the 2020s, there\u2019s something really chic about when everyone just used to dress in normal but fabulous clothes \u2013 SJP in tartan McQueen in 2006, Kate Moss in Marc Jacobs in 2009, Mary-Kate and Ashley in a wealth of fabulous vintage. But my favourite year for the red carpet was, perhaps unsurprisingly, the Comme des Gar\u00e7ons year: Stella Tennant, Michele Lamy, Rihanna, Caroline Kennedy\u2026 everyone looked fantastic.<\/p>\n

Which designer\u2013celebrity duo would you love to see this year?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Anyone with Matthieu Blazy\u2019s Chanel. I hope he does something fun, and he has some fabulous ambassadors. I\u2019m excited to see what Ayo wears.<\/p>\n

What\u2019s one do and one don\u2019t for this year\u2019s theme?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Don\u2019t be basic; I hate when people have things that light up or transform into other clothes \u2013 it\u2019s not drag race. Do, if you can and aren\u2019t on a contract, support young talent!<\/p>\n

Osman Ahmed<\/a><\/strong> Writer and fashion editor\u00a0<\/p>\n

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\"The
Via Getty Images.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

What\u2019s your all-time favourite MET Gala look?<\/strong><\/p>\n

I know it\u2019s fashion\u2019s Super Bowl and it\u2019s more of a costume party in this era of virality, but I\u2019m a big fan of when the Met Gala was a sort of fashiony-uptowny-museumy event and people looked like they were having fun, picked their own outfit and there were just a few arrival photos, not in HD focus. I think women who wear vintage to these kinds of things are always the chicest and most mysterious. Tina Chow in an antique Fortuny robe or gown; Mary Kate and Ashley in their treasure trove of vintage; Jessica Stam in what we would now call \u201carchival\u201d Dior Couture, back in 2007. Miuccia Prada in whatever exquisite Pennisi jewels she brings out of her vault. Shout out to Cher and Diana Ross, too, because they really laid the blueprint for the kind of theatrical dressing we see now, and somehow always looked like they weren\u2019t in a costume.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Which designer\u2013celebrity duo would you love to see this year?<\/strong><\/p>\n

I\u2019m probably most excited to see who (and what!) Jonathan Anderson, Mathieu Blazy and Haider Ackerman are bringing to the table. I\u2019d also love to see some younger designers and independent labels being worn by women who love their work and maybe strike up a longer lasting relationship outside of transactional brand contracts. Again, I\u2019d love to see women in vintage that they own, rather than from an \u201carchive\u201d.\u00a0<\/p>\n

What\u2019s one do and one don\u2019t for this year\u2019s theme?<\/strong><\/p>\n

I guess it\u2019s about the body this year. I am a little afraid because nothing is more of a battleground than women\u2019s bodies in a public arena. There\u2019s such a wealth of designers \u2014 both from history and really exciting, young designers \u2014 whose work explore the body in interesting ways. Not just naked dresses! I guess it\u2019s also about art, so I\u2019d love to see people doing what great art does best: conveying something profound about the world we live in now. That said, maybe the most radical thing is for people to wear what they love and makes them feel like the best version of themselves in what must be an anxiety-inducing environment. Can you tell I just read Famesick? IYKYK.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Jodie Hill<\/a><\/strong> Creative consultant and editorial director<\/p>\n

What\u2019s your all-time favourite MET Gala look?<\/strong><\/p>\n

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\"The
Charlotte Gainsbourg and Maggie Cheung at Met Gala in 2007. Via X<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

It\u2019s not even really a \u201clook,\u201d more just this image that comes back around every now and then. Charlotte Gainsbourg and Maggie Cheung at the 2007 Met Gala, both squatting in the bathroom, smoking. Charlotte\u2019s in Balenciaga by Nicolas Ghesqui\u00e8re and Maggie\u2019s in a fur bolero and long black dress.\u00a0<\/p>\n

They both represent everything I love about cinema and fashion coming together. Each had an ongoing relationship with Ghesqui\u00e8re, at Balenciaga and later, Louis Vuitton. What I like about them is that they never feel too \u201cdone.\u201d They move between everyday dressing and red carpet without seemingly changing anything. It\u2019s so effortless and chic. Especially Charlotte, she was always seen wearing a full look with heels and a bare face, still completely herself and slightly dishevelled in the best way. Like she got dressed in low light and didn\u2019t check again. That image has something the Met\u2019s lost a bit. It feels loose, a little bit irreverent, slightly chaotic. I think everyone misses events where celebrities would show up for their own night, not the production around it. Nowadays, the gala could use a bit of the mess and attitude: someone sneaking out for a cigarette instead of another step-and-repeat.<\/p>\n

Which designer\u2013celebrity duo would you love to see this year?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Honestly, anyone who keeps it simple and actually looks like themselves. I always like when there\u2019s a real alignment between the designer and the person wearing it, something that feels lived-in rather than staged. Lately it\u2019s all getting a bit overworked, like everyone\u2019s trying too hard to have a moment, and it just ends up feeling noisy.<\/p>\n

What\u2019s one do and one don\u2019t for this year\u2019s theme?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Do: Stick to who you are. You can feel when something\u2019s been forced, and it never lands the same. At the end of the day, a leopard can\u2019t change its spots! Even if the styling tries to say otherwise.<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t: Please, no more naked dresses. We\u2019ve seen it.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Ameli Lindgren<\/a> <\/strong>Founder of Nordic Poetry<\/p>\n

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\"The
Via Getty Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

What\u2019s your all-time favourite Met Gala look?<\/strong>
<\/strong>It has to be Rihanna in Guo Pei (2015). Not just because of the spectacle, but because it felt genuinely archival-like<\/em> something that already belonged in a museum. That\u2019s the benchmark for me: when a look doesn\u2019t just reference history, it becomes part of it.<\/p>\n

Which designer\u2013celebrity duo would you love to see this year?<\/strong>
<\/strong>I\u2019d love to see Bella Hadid in a true John Galliano moment-either a custom Margiela or something that taps into his late \u201890s Dior energy. She understands silhouette and attitude in a way that feels very collector vintage<\/em>, not costume.<\/p>\n

What\u2019s one do and one don\u2019t for this year\u2019s theme?<\/strong>
<\/strong>Do: Commit fully-reference a specific era, a specific archive, a specific idea. The best looks always feel researched, not just styled.<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t: Play it safe in \u201cexpensive minimalism\u201d unless it\u2019s exceptionally<\/em> cut. There\u2019s nothing worse at the Met than a look that could pass for a very good dinner outfit<\/p>\n

Brenda Weischer<\/a><\/strong> Fashion influencer and writer<\/p>\n

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\"The
Via Getty Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

What\u2019s your all-time favourite MET Gala look?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Solange in 2018 for \u201cHeavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination\u201d wearing Iris van Herpen Fall 2012 Couture, added with a durag that had \u201cMY GOD WEARS A DURAG\u201d written in the back. She is my all time favourite Met Gala guest overall. There are not a lot of images of it online, the durag had to be spread in order to read<\/a> it.<\/p>\n

Which designer\u2013celebrity duo would you love to see this year?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Maybe with her unlimited resources, Lauren Sanchez Bezos could resurrect McQueen?\u00a0<\/p>\n

What\u2019s one do and one don\u2019t for this year\u2019s theme?<\/strong><\/p>\n

I think more importantly than dressing the part is using the platform, one of the most covered red carpets in the world, to speak up for things that matter. You could directly address the hosts, too!\u00a0<\/p>\n

Ariana Sheehan<\/a> <\/strong>Founder of ARO archive<\/p>\n

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\"The
Via Instagram @BobMackie<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

What\u2019s your all-time favourite MET Gala look?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Cher 1974 , Lil Kim 1999 and Cardi B 2019.Hard choice but definitely Cher, I just love that woman!!\u00a0<\/p>\n

Which designer\u2013celebrity duo would you love to see this year?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Something interesting please! Like Val\u00e9riane\u2019s Ind\u00e9pendantes De Coeur dressing Dennis Rodman. I like the hard with the soft, or something London based? Martine Rose x Rihanna and A$ap Rocky? I\u2019m not into \u2018celebs\u2019 \u2013 boring! What even is that lol.<\/p>\n

What\u2019s one do and one don\u2019t for this year\u2019s theme?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Don\u2019t do wearable \u2018paintings\u2019 or attached pieces of art. Art is for the walls and clothes are for your back. I HATE \u2018funny\u2019 clothes or outfits. Do hire a stylist that knows what they\u2019re doing and watch Matt Kings\u2019 Met Gala in\u2019s & outs!<\/p>\n

Abigail Hazard<\/a> <\/strong>Wonderland\u2019s<\/em> Fashion Editor <\/p>\n

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\"The
Via Getty Images.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

What\u2019s your all-time favourite MET Gala look?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Sarah Jessica Parker wearing Alexander McQueen Met 2006. Both of their looks!!!<\/p>\n

Which designer\u2013celebrity duo would you love to see this year?<\/strong><\/p>\n

A Stella McCartney x Taylor Swift Met Gala step out would make the Swifties quake however unlikely. I am looking forward to seeing who Glenn Martens dresses for Margiela.<\/p>\n

What\u2019s one do and one don\u2019t for this year\u2019s theme?<\/strong>
Do: Zone in on a specific reference. From what I\u2019ve read, the exhibition is divided loosely into three sections, and I want to see an interpretation of less desirable beauty standards like the aging body.<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t: Play it safe. Anything themed should make you go all out, make an effort to nail the theme, whether the look gets you a best dressed or not.<\/p>\n

Words by Moira Gonz\u00e1lez and Ella Bardsley<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n

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\n\t\t\t\tThe Broadway uniform, according to Ayo Edebiri<\/span> <\/span><\/a>\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\tWonderlist<\/span> <\/span><\/a>\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Wonderland THE ART OF COSTUMING THE MET GALA Ahead of fashion\u2019s most scrutinised red carpet, we asked some of the industry\u2019s chicest insiders how one actually dresses for the Met Gala. Photo by Mari Sarai\/Wireimage. Some people count down to their birthday. Or the next time they\u2019ll see their highly non-committal, long-distance boyfriend. Or that […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[226,257],"class_list":["post-1912797","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-crawlmanager","tag-wonderlandmagazine-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1912797","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1912797"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1912797\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1912797"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1912797"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1912797"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}