Met Gala 2021: Was it worth the wait?

Iman in the glowing gold outfit that took 400 hours to create by Harris Reed at the Met Gala. Photo Courtesy: new.elagantsite

A night of fashion do’s and don’ts is the new trending topic all over the media. The 2021 Met Gala gathered our favorite celebrities to celebrate a night of looks, fashion and fundraising.

The Met Gala is an annual fundraising event to benefit New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute.

Every year actors, artists, models and a who’s who of Hollywood take to the red carpet and compete for fashion social status.

After a two-year hiatus due to COVID-19, the Met Gala was back in action Monday. However, many viewers live-streaming the event at home were not impressed.

This year’s theme was “American Independence,” which could have many different interpretations.

Dymone Robinson, a graduating senior at Tallahassee Community College, said he was overall unimpressed.

“Honestly, in the beginning I didn’t like the theme due to the state of the world. I didn’t believe that American independence was a good theme, but in the same breath, it was fitting because America is trying to rebirth as a country after battling the pandemic for over a year,” Robinson said.

“My best dressed was Somali-American fashion model, Iman. I loved this look. She embodied everything that the Met Gala is about. Her outfit reminded me of an American eagle, and the gold feathers gave her an angelic aura. Allyson Felix was another one of my favorite looks from last night. I loved the feathered looks; it was very elegant and her hair complemented her dress very nicely. Maluma, was the best dressed male in my opinion, I thought it was very on theme and on brand. The fridges on his jacket were very clean,” he added.

Robinson, like many others, had a few favorites at the event, but was overall disappointed in what celebrities decided to wear.

“I hated Kim Petras’ outfit. The dress with the horse was not flattering. Her hair wasn’t a match for the look either. I was disappointed in Megan Thee Stallion. Her dress resembled prom. However, her glam team nailed it with her hair. With Megan being a tall African American woman, she has to be aware about every aspect at important events. She has a lot to learn,” Robinson said.

One of the trending looks from Monday’s event was mogul Kim Kardashian West.

She arrived in an all-black head to toe look designed by Balenciaga. Viewers interpreted the looks in several different ways.

Sarene Morgan, a senior nursing student at FAMU, discussed her interpretation of Kim K’s mystery look and her favorite look of the night.

“I personally loved the look; it was more of a statement piece. I think it resembled darkness in America today. However, on the brighter side, my favorite look of the night was American actress Yara Shahidi. Her gown was beautiful, and I adored that she paid homage to Josephine Baker, she was very classy and graceful, Shahidi never disappoints,” Morgan said.

Rihanna in Balenciaga at the Met Gala. Photo Courtesy: usanewswall.com

As the night came to a close, fans were anticipating singer Rihanna’s appearance. But when she arrived, people were not impressed. The mogul came to the Met Gala with her boyfriend, A$AP Rocky, dressed in a Balenciaga overcoat and matching hat. However, Rihanna’s outfit had a deeper meaning.

“I wanted a look that seemed powerful, yet feminine, yet like a black hoodie. Which is the thing that we’re incriminated by as Black people. And I wanted to empower that, I wanted to take it, make it mine and make it fashion,” Rihanna said during a live interview Monday.

According to the Associated Press, tickets to attend the Met Gala were estimated at $30,000. The Cut reports that between 500-600 people attended, raising roughly $15 million.

The Met Gala is an annual event, so we’ll have to wait until next year to see celebrities hit the carpet. But the Gala never fails to get us talking. And we can all agree that we are anticipating what’s next at the glamorous event’s return.