The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute Gala, better known as the Met Gala, is this Monday, May 2nd.
Every year, distinguished Vogue staff select a distinct dress code for the event and its highly anticipated celebrity-studded runway. This year’s theme is “Gilded Glamour.”
Gilded Age Women’s Fashion
Millions of adoring fans wait in excitement as their favorite celebrities will pay homage to the glitz and glamour of New York’s old money elite.
Vogue’s Elise Taylor writes that this year, attendees are to arrive at the 2022 Met Gala encapsulating the “grandeur” and “dichotomy” of Gilded Age New York.
Spanning from around 1870 to 1890, the Gilded Age was a time of economic prosperity in the United States due to industrialization. High society and fashion dominated the New York social scene. The booming economy and outbreak of new industrial developments rapidly transformed fashion.
It was a time when New York became solidified as one of the fashion capitals of the world. Vogue was even founded during the Gilded Age to celebrate the cultural shifts and developments in fashion.
“For the upper echelon, fashion during that period was one of excess,” Taylor writes. “Thanks to recent innovations of electric and steam-powered looms, fabric became faster and cheaper to produce.”
Gilded Glamour Lookbook
Fashion in the Gilded Age was excessive and gaudy. Taylor writes that women’s wear utilized a combination of several textiles, especially satin, lace, bows and ruffles. Feather hats and tight corsets were all the rage.
The “Gilded Glamour” theme will pay homage to films like “The Age of Innocence,” but with a modern twist. Gloves are another large aspect of Gilded Glamour, which may appear at the Met Gala this year as they’ve been incorporated into so many red carpet looks as of late.
Gilded Glamour, though paying homage to fashion from centuries ago, couldn’t be a more fitting theme for 2022.
It’s fair to say that Vivienne Westwood may play a huge part in this year’s Met Gala. The popularity of the brand’s Pearl Orb necklace and the brand’s overall affinity for modern elegance will give celebrities of all different kinds of personal style room to explore Gilded Glamour in the modern age.
Though this year’s looks are inspired by the Gilded Age, there are bound to be looks inspired by Regency era fashion, which holds several similarities to Gilded Glamour.
Regency-era clothing became popular again following the release of Netflix’s “Bridgerton,” one of the streaming service’s most popular shows at the moment. The elegant, intricate corsets and ensembles from the show make it a cultural phenomenon, and fans will be excited to see how their favorite celebrities play up this theme.
Celebrities to Watch
The Met Gala red carpet always brings loads of excitement. It is arguably one of the greatest fashion-focused events of the whole year. Some of the looks are talked about for months after.
As for which A-list attendees turn a look in accordance with the dress code, that usually depends on the year. This year’s dress code is very clear and arguably one of the easiest to follow in recent years. VALLEY knows that there are some celebrities who are almost always on par and are guaranteed to deliver show-stopping looks.
Lady Gaga’s four-part reveal for her 2019 “Camp” look that doubled as a performance piece will always be one of the most memorable moments in the event’s history. If she were to show this year, VALLEY predicts she will be styled in something just as elaborate.
Though she is expected to give birth anytime soon, if Rihanna were to come to the 2022 Met Gala, she definitely has some huge shoes to fill. Her 2018 Met Gala look for the “Heavenly Bodies” theme left her with some high expectations.
Are you ready to see all the looks from this year’s Met Gala? DM us your favorite @VALLEYmag!
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