This year’s Met Gala honored Karl Lagerfeld, the creative director for Chanel. It was intended to honor his legacy as an influential designer, but some controversy followed. As a result of his views on certain topics, Karl was disliked by many because he made comments that were fatphobic, racist, and misogynistic. And as a whole, I thought the event didn’t have much pizazz. Chanel is known for its black-and-white collections, including tweed fabrics, pearls, and camellia flowers. Despite the fact that these components make for beautiful looks, I wish people had been able to think outside the box. Yes, we saw vintage looks that were on the Chanel runway. However, for people who had never seen those looks before, those outfits would seem like any other dress going down the red carpet. I wanted to see looks that shouted Karl Lagerfeld when you glanced at them. Here are some looks that I thought nodded to Karl and Chanel fashion.
Cardi B wore Chenpeng Studio, and I think she perfectly married Karl’s look with Chanel elements. Starting from the top, Cardi nodded to Karl’s white hair and structured white dress shirt with a black tie. And as you worked your way down, she looked like a big Chanel quilted handbag with black quilted fabric and cascading camellia flowers. I also liked that Cardi wore long black gloves to represent Karl’s fingerless gloves. It was a different take, but it pulled the look together.
Anne Hathaway wore Versace and simultaneously honored Chanel’s legacy and Versace’s. Donatella recreated the iconic safety pin dress but embellished it with Chanel flare. The dress was made of gorgeous white tweed with gold hardware, pearl accents, and cheeky camellia placements. If Karl and Donatella collaborated together, we would have seen something like this dress.
Janelle Monae wore Thom Browne and celebrated Karl in a more artistic way. Thom Browne is well known for his incredible suiting. Since Coco Chanel introduced suits into her collections and had them stand the test of time through Karl Lagerfeld, it would only make sense that Janelle would honor the brand through an oversized jacket. I loved the mix-match of black and white fabrics with white camellia flowers, and underneath, we had the ode to Karl’s white dress shirt, with ties that looked like they were floating. To add even more drama, Janelle uncovered under her hoop skirt a black bra and underwear ensemble with hanging pearls. This outfit really showcased that you could still dress in your own style but follow the theme.
Conan Gray wore Balmain, and I loved that his outfit epitomized everything about Karl and Chanel. You have the elements of Karl, with his signature black and white suit, but embellished with Chanel elements, like how the shirt transforms into a tweed and pearl jacket. Also, Karl was known to carry around a fan, and it was an appropriate nod that Conan carried one around too. It pulled the look together since it was also dripping in pearls.
Jeremy Pope wore Balmain, and it was a show-stopper. Not even critiquing the top and pants themselves, the train that cascaded up the stairs made this whole look. It was incredible that a portrait of Karl was created on this work of art. It was a remarkable feat and took honoring Karl’s legacy to the next level.
Simu Liu wore Versace and captured Karl’s look. I like that Donatella put her own spin on the suit by pleating the jacket. However, she kept some things consistent, like the brooch on the tie and the necklaces. Simu also wore a pair of black gloves that were unique to his look.
Ke Huy Quan wore Dior and resembled Karl in every way. There were nods to younger Karl with the striped suit because as Karl got older, he often wore a solid black suit. But other than that, Ke wore everything that Karl would wear down to the tiniest detail. The sunglasses, the elaborate brooch, and the necklaces. The fingerless gloves and rings on his fingers. Everything was spot on.
