The first Monday of May has arrived, and with it, the esteemed and eagerly awaited Met Gala. Famed for its fashion focus, the Met Gala red carpet is arguably a bigger talking point than the charity gala itself, and it is an aspiration for many in the industry to be included in Ana Wintour’s exclusive guest list. Each year A-listers saunter the stately red carpet, showcasing masterpieces and theatrics from all the major fashion houses, before disappearing inside the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, into the somewhat secretive event. The highbrow evening is rumoured to ban selfies, photography and social media, so the publicity buzz hinges on every guests’ arrival. Their looks, or better costumes, are supposed to allude to the gala’s annual theme, and brands and their celebrity canvases work together to try to navigate the narrow line between gimmick and genius.
The Met Gala is a salient event in the fashion calendar, and celebrities have been known to both flourish and flop under the pressure of donning something new and risky, but that appeases public taste. More often than not, it is the works of the big muscled fashion houses that dominate the industry press and reporting in the preceding days. Whether it be positive or negative, press is press, and the leading names seem to mop up coverage wherever they go. Whilst other magazines cover the big budget creations and high-profile names that grab readership attention, this clouds the visibility of smaller designers that should be applauded for making it onto such a renowned world stage. At GLITCH, our intention as ever is to disrupt the traditional industry, and find new routes to help emerging talent reinvigorate the fashion space. As such, we have curated our top small fashion brand picks from the Met Gala, spotlighting our favourite looks from smaller houses, and giving them the space and coverage we believe they truly deserve.
- Cardi B wow-ed in a black velvet gown by Chen Peng, the London College of Fashion Graduate who has been storming the couture industry over the past 7 years. The look was beautifully romantic and gentlemanly at the same time.
2. Sean “Diddy” Coombs in his own label Sean John that he bought back out of bankruptcy in 2022. His look was certainly beautiful couture marketing for the impending rebirth of this streetwear brand. We are waiting with baited breath as now that Diddy has bought his name back…
3. Grace Elizabeth in a plush pink ribbon gown by Christopher John Rogers that certainly dazzled amidst the sea of monochrome.
- Rachel Brosnahan in a sheer Sergio Hudson look. The American fashion designer who won Bravo TV’s “Styled To Rock” debuted his first collection at New York in September 2020, and is already creating daring but gorgeous pieces for Met Ball attendees.
- Chloe Fineman in Wiederhoft, the couture label launched in 2019 entrenched in the beauty of ballet and theatre.
- Tems in a beautiful ensemble for Robert Wun’s first ever custom debut at the Met Gala. Olympian Elieen Gu also donned an iconic wine stained gown from the house’s SS23 collection.
- Emily Ratajowski in a custom look by Dilara Findikoglu for the after party.
by Hebe Street from GLITCH Magazine
