Highlights of the 2021 Met Gala

Sierra Kenny and Jess Bohlert

The 73rd Met Gala took place on September 13th, 2021, with the theme “In America: A Lexicon of Fashion.”  Many viewers argued this was the worst Met Gala that has ever premiered. Complaints range from the outfits worn to the unwanted appearance of influencers such as Dixie Damelio and Addison Rae. 

There were many newcomers who attended the Met Gala including Lil Nas X, who had three Versace outfit changes and was decked out in gold for the entire night because one Versace outfit wasn’t enough. His outfits were fit for a king, literally: he made an appearance wearing a royal mantle. One of his other outfits has been described as a “golden Ironman,” a truly unforgettable runway appearance, and a great way to enter his Met Gala debut. 

Other newcomers such as Olivia Rodrigo made her walk across the runway wearing a sheer Saint Laurent jumpsuit with a rim of… fuzz? Although the young star looked amazing her outfit was, well… questionable. Paired with this outfit fit for a bird, she wore huge giant chandelier-like earrings with huge diamonds connecting to her earlobe

Although there were many newcomers, many met gala regulars made an appearance. Would it be a Met Gala without the Kardashians? Kim Kardashian appeared as a dementor who had just escaped from Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. She was fully covered by a Balenciaga black cloth. If you ever feel bad, just remember someone did Kim K’s makeup just for her to cover it up. (This is not to take away from the beautiful job and amazing opportunity Mario Dedivanovic, her makeup artist, was given). 

On the other hand, Kendall Jenner also appeared at the Met Gala. She wore an Audrey Hepburn tribute, a beautiful sheer dress by Givenchy dazzling with diamonds throughout the dress. Although many people believed it was too similar to dresses she had worn in the past, there is no denying she looked stunning on the red carpet. The Kardashians did not just focus on their outfits this year; Kris Jenner broke her silence and spent a moment gushing over her daughter, Kylie Jenner’s pregnancy announcement.

Billie Eilish is often seen with baggy clothes and crazy green hair, but at the 2021 Met Gala, Eilish wore a stunning Oscar De La Renta gown that had fans going wild. Although this gown was beautiful, Eilish told De La Renta that she would only wear it on one condition: they had to stop using fur in their products. Eilish is a vegan who supports animal rights and was thrilled when De La Renta agreed to her idea. According to Hannah Ryan at CNN Style, “She stated that she was ‘beyond thrilled’ the team heard her on the issue and have now made a change that makes an impact for the greater good, not only for animals but also for our planet and environment too.” Fur had always been a part of the fashion industry and Oscar was a big fan. 

Alex Bolen, chief executive of Oscar de la Renta, said, “I thought a lot about what Oscar said — he was a big fan of fur, by the way — that the one thing he really worried about in the fashion business was his eye getting old.”  With the help of Eilish, Oscar De La Renta is now a fur-free company. Eilish says that she hopes to make an impact and encourage other big fashion brands not to use fur. 

You could definitely describe this year’s Met Gala as… Interesting.