The fashions from Monday night’s Costume Institute Benefit Gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art elicited mixed reactions from the media:
* The New York Times declared that nothing beat “Rihanna’s stair-sweeping, fur-trimmed, gold satin dynastic declaration-cum-robe by the Chinese designer Guo Pei” in the arena of over-the-top outfits.
* GraziaDaily.co.uk said Sarah Jessica Parker was “practically a walking Chinese interior.”
* And the Los Angeles Times asked why Beyoncé bothered to get dressed at all since she was “barely covered in crystal appliqués by Givenchy.”
Today we’ll take a closer look at some of the winners and losers of the night in terms of what worked and what could have been better.
Best Looks
Karolina Kurkova. The model positively nailed it with her adorable Asian-inspired red Tommy Hilfiger mini dress and Fred Leighton mother-of-pearl and diamond Lotus Flower earrings that had a fan effect. Altogether, it was striking and tasteful ensemble. And did you see her shoes? Snake sandals slithering up her lithe legs.
Helen Mirren. Her red floor-length Dolce & Gabbana frock with demure cutouts—unlike others, whose attire left little to the imagination—was stunning, as were her statement-making red earrings, also from the Italian fashion house. As usual, Dame Mirren was #winning.
Janelle Monáe. The R&B singer wore a perfect blend of modern, edgy, and Asian-inspired, with a little tummy showing in her monochromatic black-and-white H&M ensemble. Her jewelry was also on target: Jack Vartanian studs and jackets that fanned out underneath the lobes, Le Vian diamond rings and a Carla Amorim bracelet. Plus, she wore a cape, which scores points in fashion circles every time.
Worst Looks
Anne Hathaway. May the 4th be with you. The actress took the date too seriously and channeled Carrie Fisher from the epic sci-fi flick, with barely a jewel in sight. Her gold-hooded Maison Margiela hoodie was not unattractive, but it did not offer the glamour—complete with visible jewelry (she was wearing some Repossi jewels, including an ear climber, which were hard to see)—that everyone appreciates at these events. If she had a long oversize pendant necklace anchoring the front, I might have warmed up to the unusual choice, but without it I just expected her to kneel down and whisper a call for help to the nearest robot.
Miley Cyrus and Zoë Kravitz. These two count as one person since they walked together, and share their place on the Worst list for the same reason: The theme was China not punk (that was two years ago). Cyrus’ Alexander Wang gown isn’t bad on its own, it’s just not for this themed affair, and her pal, an actress and the child of musician Lenny Kravitz and Cosby Show’s Lisa Bonet, was essentially wearing an anti-shark suit in the form of a chain-mail gown, also from Alexander Wang. I did dig Cyrus’ Ana Khouri stud and ear climber, though Kravitz’s Chopard diamonds were unremarkable.
Chloë Sevigny. Her J.W. Anderson off-the-shoulder gown took the China theme too far, and the Cartier jewelry just didn’t work with the garment. Big diamond bracelets on the wrist, open circle-motif diamond earrings, and a Victorianesque choker? The look was all over the place and not polished. I think an oversize pair of carved jade earrings and a couple of rings would have better complemented the dress.
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