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There was some understandable hand-wringing before the Met Gala about whether guests would overdo the “China: Through the Looking Glass” theme to the point of cultural appropriation. Kaiser pointed out that many of the guests, like Katy Perry and Lady Gaga, have had issues with inadvertent racism and cultural appropriation in the past. For the most part, the guests who bothered with the theme did so in ways that were appreciative rather than running roughshod over tradition. Sarah Jessica Parker’s look was over the top, for instance, but it didn’t rely on stereotypes and was generally well received. Enter Kris Jenner. She was in Balmain, who also designed Justin Bieber’s sparkly jacket, which Bedhead will cover later.

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Kris’s dress is a decent enough tribute to the theme. She could have done fine with the dress and some subtle styling, but instead she overdid it with obnoxious dangling earrings, a giant gold belt, gold tipped shoes, and cat eye makeup that emphasizes her already pinched face. This is a bad interpretation of the theme, I’ll just leave it at that.

In contrast we have the venerable Carolina Herrera and Zang Ziyi in an incredible white cap sleeve gown with a mandarin collar and some jeweled poppies along the neckline. This is how you do the theme. I’ve always loved Herrera’s gowns, which I came to know through Rene Zellweger’s loyalty to the designer. I’m into very classic, borderline preppy styles and Herrera almost always brings it.

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Also in Herrera is Lily Aldridge whose nod to the theme was a silver koi clutch. Koi fish are Japanese, not Chinese, which isn’t that big of a deal but she did keep kissing the accessory and holding it up. Great gown and impressive styling.

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Seth Myers’s wife, Alexi Ashe Meyers, was also in Hererra, in a kind of abstract water print dress. These two are so sweet together.

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I’m throwing in Chloe Moretz at the end. She also got it wrong but it looks like Coach’s Stuart Vevers didn’t even try to design for the theme. Chloe represents Coach and is wearing a custom gown by Vevers. I can’t seem to quit their bags no matter how hard I try, but this gown helps. It looks like a nice napkin folded out on the table and it’s not formal enough for the event.

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I’ll channel Kevin Kwan’s Crazy Rich Asians & China Rich Girlfriend “Singlish” for this post about Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen who decided maintain their funereal style – which, ordinarily, I’m into – for the China MET Gala…

Alamak!

Such bad luck, lah.

And insulting. Like if you wore t…      

Katy Perry walked the Met Gala red carpet with a new pixie cut that looks suspiciously like the wig she sported on April Fool’s Day. Some people think it’s a real cut, but I’m calling it a wig. Her dress is Moschino, straight off the runway. Does she fit the evening’s theme with this grafitti print and oodles of ruffles? Not really, but she stuck with her own quirky style and managed not to appropriate. Baby steps, y’all! Plus her clutch arrives in the shape of a spray paint can. I think she looks gaudy, but she usually throws that vibe. This dress is better than most of us expected from Katy last night.

Olivia Wilde captured the gala’s punk theme a few years too late in this pink prada number with grey leather gloves. She’s ridiculously bejeweled, but you can tell that she loves what she’s wearing.

Katie Holmes also tried to fake a haircut, but this ‘do is definitely a wig. For a Zac Posen gown, this is surprisingly unstructured. The faint floral pattern at the bottom of the skirt fits the gala’s theme.

Kristen Wiig went super casual in a drapey, yellow Prabal Gurung gown. This dress had a lot of fabric that overwhelmed Kristen. Everyone said she was so nice on the red carpet, which isn’t surprising.

Sienna Miller aimed for the theme but came up with a matador vibe in this embellished, red Thakoon number. Tasselled earings matched her black belt detail, and Sienna remembered the most important accessory of all — a hefty dose of double-sided tape.

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Alexa Chung wore an Erdem with its trademark pockets. This dress was better in motion, and the fabric was dreamy. Her shoes gave an unexpected pop of color.

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Photos courtesy of Fame/Flynet & Getty

Hated what Jennifer Lawrence wore to the MET Gala main event, especially as one of the co-hosts. Is it limiting, this Dior deal? Duana wrote earlier about Emily Blunt, about assuming Emily was more fashion forward than she actually is because, hilariously, she was in Devil Wears Prada. And I feel…      

Another day, another rant about Marchesa. Three ladies chose to wear Marchesa to the Met Gala, and I hope they’re all regretting that decision. Let’s start with Sofia Vergara. Here’s what I don’t understand: if you’re not going to do anything with the theme, at least wear an interesting dress or a pretty dress or something incredibly flattering. Sofia’s Marchesa is ill-fitting, unflattering and flat-out cheap-looking. This looks like a wedding dress from 1995.

I actually think the idea behind Poppy Delevingne’s Marchesa was on-point. Deep red and black, an explosion of poppies for the top with an elegant full skirt. But the execution leaves something to be desired. Am I hallucinating or do the poppies not match the skirt? It seems like the red of the poppies are a few shades lighter than the skirt. Plus, everything just looks cheap. Like a child’s art project.

And here’s Ellie Goulding in Marchesa. I could see wearing this to a music awards show. But the Met Gala? Eh. I don’t know if there are any Goulding-loonies out there, but I think everything about Ellie is pretty overrated.

And here’s Sofia’s costar Reese Witherspoon in Jason Wu. This dress doesn’t have anything to do with the theme, but it’s a pretty/boring dress by a Chinese-American designer, so I guess that works. I think everything about this is “safe.” Of course, I wasn’t expecting Reese to wear a crazy flame headpiece, but she could have mixed it up a little bit more. This just looks like what she would wear to an awards show.

Photos courtesy of Getty, WENN.

What did I say yesterday when I wrote about FKA twigs and Robert Pattinson making their red carpet debut at the MET Gala? I said I wanted her to go rogue. Well, she wore a Christopher Kane dress with a dick at the slit. That’ll do.

When I was in London a couple of weeks ago, Lorella and I wen…      

You know I love Emily Blunt. And you further know Emily Blunt can take a fashion risk.

Well….

I wrote that sentence, and then I found myself in the position of having to back it up, and actually there isn’t that much. Like, she wore a bright green gown to the SAGs a few years back, and…      

Jennifer Lawrence wore Dior to co-host the Met Gala last night. At this point, I feel like Dior is playing JLaw hard. They usually put her in their worst designs, and she probably knows it. This relationship is strictly one of convenience for her. Jennifer doesn’t like to be bothered with styling decisions, which is fine. She’s not a fashion girl, and the industry treats her like one. Last night’s selection tried to fit the theme with a floral top stacked on top of a plain black skirt. The runway version had a shorter skirt that was pretty cute. They fancied-up the outfit for a gala, which translated into a matronly effect. The bib is perplexing. JLaw has new hair extensions now, and her spray tan has faded a bit, but her makeup is too cutesy.

Olivia Munn‘s J.Mendel gown had a weird ombre effect that reminded me of a Rocket Pop. With the halter neck and belly cutout, this dress is one big miss.

Rosie Huntington-Whiteley‘s body never stops. This Versace gown impeccably fits her figure. She looks gorgeous, especially from the back. A bolder color would have been more fun though.

Uma Thurman decided to wear a Grecian toga-inspired white Versace gown. The one-sleeved detail is confusing and possibly an attempt to fit the theme.

Hannah Davis wore a strappy J. Mendel dress that’s notable for color only. SI: Swim models rarely make a splash at the Met gala. She accessorized with Derek Jeter.

Karlie Kloss didn’t dress for the event. Her black Versace is serviceable but nothing special.

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Photos courtesy of Fame/Flynet & Getty

Of all the nearly-naked women on the Met Gala red carpet, I actually think Jennifer Lopez did it best. Kim Kardashian and Beyonce’s gowns weren’t on-theme, and they just seemed needlessly exhibitionist. At least J.Lo’s Versace gown was red, and she styled it with an eye towards keeping it in-theme. Is it still over the top? Of course. But I’m a ‘90s Girl, and I’ll always love it when Jennifer goes old-school and wears Versace.

Wendi Deng (formerly Wendi Murdoch) was one of the co-chairs of the event. She wore this blue Oscar de la Renta which… it’s okay. I probably would have liked it more on another woman. Wendi sort of cheapens it, right?

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Lorde got to wear a custom Calvin Klein dress – she was one of only a handful of Calvin Klein-clad ladies, along with Kendall Jenner and Rose Byrne. I really like Lorde and I think this dress suits her personality. And after so much nudity on the red carpet, it’s refreshing to see a young woman covered up like this. She stood out because she wasn’t exposing herself.

And here’s Rose Byrne (and Bobby Cannavale) in Calvin Klein. I like this a lot too – it’s Chinese-themed, but deconstructed.

Photos courtesy of Getty, WENN.

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Julianne Moore wears a lot of Tom Ford, who tends to put her in matronly, unflattering looks. So at least she didn’t wear Ford to the Met Gala and switched it up somewhat in black Givenchy. She was accompanied by their creative director Riccardo Tisci, Kanye West’s BFF and the man responsible for Kim Kardashian’s 2013 floral couch dress. This year, Tisci wasn’t quite as passive aggressive with his muse. Her black gown had a classic shape with some contemporary details, like small diamond cutouts along the bodice and sequin fringe across the bustline. Something nice: Moore looks lovely. However she could have looked so much better. This looks like a gown for a lesser awards ceremony, not the Met Gala. At least it’s not actively awful.

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Jessica Chastain was in a custom gold Givenchy gown that made her look like a classic screen siren. I love her hair, makeup and that incredible gown. I can only imagine the amount of work that went into making it. It would have been nice to see more of the China theme, but Chastain gets a pass for otherwise looking like perfection. This is one of the best looks I’ve ever seen on her.

Dianna Agron was similarly impressive in a white Tory Burch one shoulder gown featuring crane applique along the skirt. This was a smart way to incorporate the theme in that Cranes are central to Chinese mythology. She had understated styling and let the dress stand out. This is a win for Dianna.

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Here is Tory with the other two ladies whom she designed for, Maggie Q and Melanie Laurent. They all look incredible while subtly incorporating the theme. I’m a new fan.

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Look at Maggie Q working that sideview with her fiance, Dylan McDermott. Look at how sympatico they are.

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