The theme of the 2022 Met Gala, gilded glamour, pays homage to America’s decadent Gilded Age, which is the focus of the fashion exhibition inside the Metropolitan Museum.
While this year’s star-studded event lacked death-dropping queer mega-wattage — as in Billy Porter being carried in on a throne by glistening shirtless men or Lil Nas X serving gold robot — there was still a wealth of cheeky representation to be ogled.
These are the top lewks:
Ariana DeBose + Michaela Jaé Rodriguez
For their gilded glamour, these two out and proud showbiz legends looked to that godfather of camp, Jeremy Scott of Moschino, who stayed true to the night’s theme with OTT opulence. Others in the Moschino posse included Manu Ríos, Megan Thee Stallion, Simone Ashley, and Iris Law.
Fredrik Robertsson
The internet nearly collapsed when someone misidentified this as Jared Leto. It’s Fredrik Robertsson, who first became non-famous when he attended a Valentino show in a silver balloon dress and everyone asked: Who is that? He’s the Swedish editor-in-chief of Boy Magazine, a champion of equality, and a close personal friend of designers far and wide. Here he wore Iris van Herpen — custom-made, of course.
Jared Leto
Already sharing a resemblance to each other, Jared Leto and Gucci creative director Alessandro Michele decided to hit the Met Gala as identical twinsies. Or, as they said in unison to every red-carpet interviewer: “double trouble.” That included matching double-breasted suits with all-over floral bouquet embroideries. You can see how this would have made the aforementioned misidentification all the more confusing.
Bad Bunny
The Puerto Rican rapper Bad Bunny, staunch queer ally, and Queerty Instastud went to the Met Gala in a floor-grazing, gender-fluid Burberry number by Riccardo Tisci (also an Instastud). Actually, let’s be proper about this and quote Burberry verbiage: “a custom wool-linen boilersuit tailored with puff sleeves and a detachable reconstructed skirt” — which, he reportedly said, “I much prefer to pants.”
Ben Platt
In a scruff-tastic jumble of formal dress codes, Ben Platt broke the rules in his Christian Cowan corset and tux. The designer said during the Gilded Age “queer culture was, of course, subversive, so in this piece, we have taken a gender f(*k approach to the traditional white tie.” Note the steel-boned corsetry and nails.
Oscar Isaac
Also jumbling the codes was Star Wars alum and universal thirst-trap Oscar Isaac, who strolled into the Met Gala in a Thom Browne mohair dress with a white tie and jacket tail. Because absolutely nothing is the way it seems anymore, the tie and tail are rendered in trompe l’oeil, an optical illusion. Oh, but how the thirst is real.
Kid Cudi
A caped and fancy-sleeved Kid Cudi stepped onto the red carpet in a Kenzo look that designer Nigo refashioned from a 1984 collection. The internet made cruel comparisons to Grover. We’d rather alert you to this non-sequitur: Kid Cudi has a nude scene in the camp-porn horror film X. That is all.
Tommy Dorfman
Tommy Dorfman made her Met Gala debut wearing a green rubber dress with gold detailing by Christopher Kane. A star of Netflix’s 13 Reasons Why, who came out as transgender last summer, also carried an Edie Parker clutch with the phrase “Protect Trans Kids.”
Jim
Gotta love the narcism of these people
bachy
I was delighted by Jared Leto and Gucci creative director Alessandro Michele’s stunning, “double trouble” look! The flowing hair with diamond barrettes, magenta bowties, floral embroidery, the matching purses and black leather gloves brought to mind an eccentric gay couple through a Gilbert & George lens.
IvanPH
Some of these looks have nothing to do with the gilded age.
IanHunter
They really missed the mark on following the theme of the gala.
PoetDaddy
Every year Anna Wintour comes up with a theme for the Met Gala, and every year most of the attendees ignore it (possibly because a lot of them are clueless).
mz.sam
All Met Gala road kill loser looks…and not because they’re LGBTQEtc.
johncp56
Did anyone get the memo, gilded age, for christ’s sake there is a series on now about that exact time in history, LOL!!! fail!!!!; like the costumes and dress in those days were over the top just as is!! dumb asses Fail
Diplomat
How vomit inducing. It’s the boys are girls gala event.
G R
YAWN
newportca
Fashionable costumes on parade, posers only.