{"id":29207,"date":"2015-05-05T02:13:58","date_gmt":"2015-05-05T06:13:58","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/wendybrandes.com\/blog\/?p=29207"},"modified":"2015-05-05T03:15:52","modified_gmt":"2015-05-05T07:15:52","slug":"my-best-dressed-at-the-2015-met-gala-is","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.wendybrandes.com\/blog\/2015\/05\/my-best-dressed-at-the-2015-met-gala-is\/","title":{"rendered":"My Best Dressed at the 2015 Met Gala Is …"},"content":{"rendered":"

First, let me ask …<\/p>\n

\"WTF_ring_M__73641_std\"<\/a>

WHAT THE FUCK!<\/p><\/div>\n

… got into people at the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute Gala last night? <\/p>\n

In 2013, when the gala celebrated the opening of the “Punk: Chaos to Couture<\/a>” exhibit, I was let down by the dearth of crazy, punk-inspired fashion<\/a>. There were a lot of standard-issue, red-carpet ballgowns that night. At last year’s gala, we saw more gowns, though those made sense for an exhibit devoted to designer Charles James<\/a>. After that, I didn’t expect this year’s attendees to go wild with huge headdresses<\/a>, near nudity<\/a>, mile-long trains<\/a>, and body art<\/a>. Basically, everything you might have expected to see at the punk gala finally appeared, except it was at the opening of the “China: Through the Looking Glass” exhibit.\u00a0 Why push the fashion envelope now? I’m going with the theory that folks belatedly realized that a themed event is a rare chance to go over the top. They’ve had a couple of years to ponder what they should<\/em> have worn to the punk event and now they’re ready to make a statement. It’s the party edition of “Never Is the Next New Thing<\/a>\u2122.” It takes a while, but people eventually get from “I’d never do that!” to “BRING IT!”<\/p>\n

This made it challenging to choose the recipient of my coveted Best Dressed\/Wear What You Want award<\/a>. I’ve written before that my combo award goes to someone who is dressed beautifully and<\/em> interestingly, but I take that back. Beauty isn’t mandatory.\u00a0 It’s more important to be eye-catching. If I can’t stop looking, that’s my winner. I keep thinking of the iconic, museum-worthy<\/a> spring 1997 collection that designer Rei Kawakubo<\/span><\/a> did for Comme des Gar\u00e7ons.<\/p>\n

\"kyoto\"<\/a>

From the collection of the Kyoto Costume Institute. Click for source.<\/p><\/div>\n

The “Body Meets Dress, Dress Meets Body<\/a>” collection was nicknamed “lumps and bumps” and “Quasimodo” by the press because of the padded inserts that created a deformed-looking, alien silhouette.<\/p>\n

\"bumps\"<\/a>

A two-piece bumpy dress now owned by the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. Click for source.<\/p><\/div>\n

Elle UK<\/a> has said, “Rei Kawakubo is unfathomable. And that is part of the point. We are not meant to understand. We are meant to feel.” Yep! When I’m choosing my best dressed, I want — as the kids say today — to “feel some type of way.”<\/p>\n

I had lots of feelings watching last night’s red carpet. I felt that Sarah Jessica Parker’s headpiece by Philip Treacy<\/a> was fabulous.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n
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