Met Gala 2019: The Rankings

I ranked the 2019 Met Gala looks so you don’t have to

Ava Klein, Staff Writer|May 21, 2019

Harry Styles, the host, arrives at the Met Gala wearing a lace suit

What is “camp” and what does it mean to the fashion world? That was the question that every designer, celebrity, and stay-at-home celebrity fashion critic (like myself) wondered when the theme for the 2019 Met Gala was announced. This theme signifies “ love of the unnatural, of artifice and exaggeration.” … not about talking in “terms of beauty” but rather “in terms of the degree of artifice, of stylization.” Basically, it means looking like early 2010’s Gaga at an awards show. On May 6, the attendees showed their take on the topic.

The Met Gala is an annual event held in New York City that serves as a precursor to a fashion gallery show at the Metropolitan Museum of Art (MET). Celebrities showcase their outfits on a glamorous red (or, because Harry Styles and Lady Gaga hosted, pink) carpet for the purpose of displaying designers’ takes on the year’s theme. It’s almost a ‘rich person’s Halloween’, as event-goers this year arrived as Barbie (Kacey Musgraves), an army man (Travis Scott), and Las Vegas dancers (the Jenners).  While most casual viewers judge only on the beauty of the outfits themselves, celebrities are expected to nail the theme. Here are my picks:

  • Lily Collins looking flawless in a 70’s hairstyle with a victorian style dress. She looked both classy and creative.

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  • The two faces of Jared Leto showed up to the Met Gala. This was something creative-enough that no one else thought to do.

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  • Lady Gaga, the host herself, wore four outfits, this is only the first. She then cut down to three other outfits, two of which were dresses and one of which was lingerie.

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  • Michael Urie combined the best of both worlds and shattered camp expectations. He out-dresses all of the men AND women.

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  • Gemma Chan wears a silver dress and headpiece channeling a winter look. She successfully conquered elegance with a touch of ‘camp’.

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  • Florence Welch wearing a dress of pastels with a dramatic cape. It’s original with a touch of regal.

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  • Ezra Miller has us seeing double, or even quadruple. He used makeup to his advantage as opposed to others who focus more on their outfits.

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  • Céline Dion wore fringe and feathers. She looks like what Katy Perry attempted–a good chandelier.

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  • Billy Porter showed up in a gold jumpsuit and wings. He took an artistic approach to the theme and flew in like a bird.

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  • Janelle Monáe is the epitome of camp, combining art and fashion flawlessly. She took an abstract approach and it turned out amazing.

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Honorable mentions: Gigi Hadid, Saoirse Ronan, and Lucy Boynton

Lily Collins combined elegance, old-fashioned beauty, and the theme all in one dress with one extravagant hairstyle. The first six on the list won the event as a collective tie. But if I had to choose one person, the simplicity of Salvatore Ferragamo’s flowing white dress while playing it up to make her stand out really screamed ‘camp’ to me.

Overall, I was impressed. Not totally impressed, as half of the men did not come in show-stopping outfits (cough, Patrick Schwarzenegger, cough). However, the overwhelming majority of people showed up to follow the theme and impress the masses. ‘Camp’, while it is hard to understand, was put into words through the outfits on the pink carpet this year. So, until next year’s event, I’m satisfied.