Billie Eilish, Lil Nas X — and sure, Rihanna — dazzle at Met Gala

By Associated Press

NEW YORK: Billie Eilish went full glam in an enormous peach ball robe on the pandemic-delayed Met Gala on Monday night time, whereas fellow host of the night Amanda Gorman was breathtaking in cobalt blue customized Vera Wang with a diamond laurel wreath in her hair.Rihanna, ever the Met Gala queen, confirmed up late in an enormous black Balenciaga look and hat accompanied by A$ap Rocky in a multicolored quilted coat from ERL. She wore over 267 carats of Bulgari diamonds, together with two choker necklaces.

Rihanna attends The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute profit gala celebrating the opening of the “In America: A Lexicon of Fashion” exhibition on Monday, Sept. 13, 2021, in New York. (Photo | AP)

Co-host Timothée Chalamet raced onto Fifth Avenue to take selfies with followers earlier than strolling up the steps of the Metropolitan Museum of Art for his entrance after a marching band and gymnast Nia Dennis kicked off the long-awaited night. Last yr’s gala was canceled as a result of pandemic.This yr’s official theme of the fundraiser for the museum’s Costume Institute was “American Independence,” leaving loads of room for interpretation. Just ask Lil Nas X, who did a Lady Gaga-esque strip tease on the carpet in gold Versace, from cape to armor to embellished jumpsuit.Eilish, the belle of the ball, wore Oscar de la Renta. She instructed Vogue: “It was time for this. I feel like I’ve grown so much over the last few years.”Chalamet had Converse sneakers on his ft however diamonds on his look. Chalamet known as his look, together with Rick Owens sweatpants, as “a bit of everything,” identical to America. Alfonso Navas, the style editor for Esquire, lauded his vogue decisions as a “a smart play on the theme by interpreting American icons in sportwear.”Gorman’s gown, which included greater than 3,000 hand-sewn crystals, was made to evoke a starry night time sky. She instructed Vogue she felt like Lady Liberty, reimagined. Her crown, the star poet mentioned, was a nod to publishing. Another of the hosts, Naomi Osaka, needed to rejoice all her cultures — Japan, Haitian and the U.S. — and picked a Louis Vuitton robe designed in collaboration along with her sister, Mari Osaka. It was a swirly blue, aqua and purple print with lengthy black ruffle sleeves and a large crimson sash.If this gala produced a pattern, it is large assertion sleeves, with some stars and stripes thrown in. There was a smattering of crimson, as within the crimson, white and blue of the American flag. Karlie Kloss wore crimson Carolina Herrera with large ruffles on the neck and sleeves. Jennifer Hudson additionally selected crimson sans sleeves.Also in crimson: Ella Emhoff, the daughter of the nation’s second gentleman, Doug Emhoff, and Vice President Kamala Harris. She wore a bodysuit and high-shine trousers by Stella McCartney with a sheer prime and a crystal design in all the suitable locations. She wore Adidas by McCartney embellished in crimson and made partially of a recycled materials derived from ocean plastic.The gala, drawing standouts in vogue, TV, movie, sports activities, tech and past, included tiny however mighty Olympian Simone Biles in an 88-pound Area embroidered robe of silver with a prime adorned in a firework burst sample and an enormous prepare carried up the museum steps by six males. The robe was a collaboration with Athleta.Ralph Lauren dressed Jennifer Lopez in fur with a brown look in her signature plunge on the neck and excessive slit, a wide-brimmed Western-style hat on her head. She and Ben Affleck smooched with masks on after their crimson carpet popping out in Venice.Dan Levy took the social gathering’s theme to the intense in a blue confection from Loewe. It had, in accordance with the model, “printed leg of mutton sleeves” on a polo shirt with an applique of two males kissing.Yara Shahidi wore silver customized Dior full with a lightweight hood. She mentioned she was impressed by Josephine Baker. Harris Reed, in collaboration with Dolce & Gabbana, put Iman in an enormous golden feathered head piece and equally adorned skirt of crinoline with a jacquard bustier.Blake Newby, the model and sweetness editor for Essence, known as Iman’s look “both massive and angelic.”Gala overseer Anna Wintour arrived early with a wave to the gang accompanied by her pregnant daughter, Bee, in a floral design with ruffles on the neck.Along with oh-so-many jumpsuits, there have been loads of basic crimson carpet seems to be and a wave of gold, the latter together with a Peter Dundas look worn by Mary J. Blige. It plunged to the stomach button and past at the back and front. MJ Rodriguez, the “Pose” star and first transgender performer to choose up an Emmy nomination in a serious appearing class, wore an outdated glam, black-and-white corseted look from Thom Browne. The designer known as it a modern-day twist on basic American sportswear. She attended the gala with function.”Not a lot of trans girls like myself get this opportunity,” she mentioned. “The human condition is what I’m here for.”U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez confirmed up in an Brother Vellies by Aurora James robe of white with a message splashed in crimson throughout the again: “Tax the Rich.” “It’s really about having a real conversation about fairness and equity in our system, and I think this conversation is particularly relevant as we debate the budget and reconciliation bill,” she mentioned. The night had its share of what-the-heck moments, like a few horse heads on clothes and a green-haired Frank Ocean carrying a pretend child with a inexperienced face to match. Thom Browne gave the strolling vogue assertion Erykah Badu an extra-tall prime hat with a cumbersome black look, a bunch of crystals and chunky bling round her neck.Her purse was a black leather-based dachshund.The vogue women represented, Gigi Hadid in basic white Prada recent from a slew of runway walks at New York Fashion Week, and Kendall Jenner in glittery, revealing silver by Givenchy. Jenner’s look was impressed by “My Fair Lady.”The entrance of Jenner’s older sister, Kim Kardashian West, triggered a stir as followers puzzled whether or not her estranged husband Kanye was the masked man at her aspect. It was none apart from Demna Gvasalia, the artistic director for Balenciaga who created her get-up: A black face overlaying worn with a T-shirt gown, catsuit and boots. It got here after she arrived in New York in full dominatrix gear forward of the gala.Newby instructed the AP the simplest and most blatant methods to remain true to the night’s theme is by sporting American designers. Many of the greats, together with Michael Kors, confirmed up, together with smaller manufacturers.”Black American designers had their moment,” she mentioned, noting seems to be by Christopher John Rogers, Aliette and Sergio Hudson.There had been hair statements as properly.”Geometric bobs also made an appearance with Sophia Roe and Tracee Ellis Ross showing off very avant garde ‘dos, while Yara Shahidi and Kaia Gerber channeled old Hollywood glam with deep waves,” Newby mentioned.After 18 months in sweats, it was “clear that celebrities were beyond thrilled to give it their all,” mentioned Sara Tan, magnificence director for a millennial-focused way of life web site Refinery29.com.They did in garments, but additionally equipment and sweetness, she mentioned, noting Gorman’s sparkly jewels throughout her face and Eilish’s quick, curled bob and basic winged liner in a particular ode to Marilyn Monroe.Eilish, Gorman, Iman and AOC had been the night time’s greatest dressed for Refinery29’s vogue director Irina Grechko.”Not only did Gorman wear an American designer, Vera Wang, but she also nailed the ‘American Independence’ dress code with a book-shaped clutch that read ‘Give Us Your Tired’ in reference to the Emma Lazarus poem featured on the base of the Statue of Liberty.The gala, which raises money for the museum’s Costume Institute, was pushed last year from its traditional May berth and morphed this year into a two-part affair marking the institute’s 75th anniversary. It coincides with the opening of “In America: A Lexicon of Fashion,”  the primary of a two-part exhibition on the Met’s Anna Wintour Costume Center. Organizers invited 400 company, or a few third the quantity that normally attend.