With this year’s Met Gala having just wrapped up, I’m itching to see what next year’s will bring. The Met Gala is the pinnacle of celebrity fashion, showcasing an ensemble of creative, daring looks. Themes are a crucial part to any gala, and though this year’s disappointed, I have faith that the next one will redeem 2022’s slightly underwhelming turnout. Here are six themes I’d love to see in 2023:
Let’s bring celebrity fashion under the sea. I feel like designers could do so much with this theme, pulling inspiration from aquatic animals and plants. I’m envisioning a lot of mesh, mimicking the look of a fishing net. A coral-themed outfit would be incredible as well. Just imagine a dramatic fan coral-like collar on a tiered, brightly-colored dress. Pearls and seashells would be an obvious choice for jewelry and hair accessories, though I think a lot of celebrities could pull it off. I can definitely see Vivienne Westwood being big here, especially her iconic layered pearl choker. Long trains would also be a staple. Blake Lively would look fantastic in a cascading dress train, made to resemble ocean waves. Blues, greens, and neons would be key colors here.
Hear me out on this one. Wouldn’t it be so fun to see celebrities dress as literary characters? Maybe I’m alone on this theme, but I think it would generate a lot of unique and diverse looks. There’s so much material to base outfits off of, from The Great Gatsby to Treasure Island. I can totally see someone taking a page from Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein and donning a pair of chunky platforms and a wide-shouldered, oversized blazer. All the celebrities who flopped at this year’s Met Gala can try gilded glamour again, wearing attire straight out of Pride and Prejudice and Emma. I can imagine a more masculine, gothic look inspired by The Picture of Dorian Gray or Dracula, complete with a velvet, plum-colored suit and ornate cape. If someone takes the Dorian Gray route, they can even play around with their makeup. One side of their face can look natural, while they can use special FX makeup to make the other half look old and rotten. Timothée Chalamet would kill that.
Though fairytales are considered “literature” (per the last theme), I think they deserve their own spot in the Met Gala. Again, designers could get very creative with this theme. I like the idea of putting an unexpected twist on stories we’re all familiar with. Just think about all that we’ll see in celebrity fashion: I’m envisioning dramatic, hooded capes, elegant ballgowns, and accessories that allude to different storybooks. Celebrities can either make this theme very dark or very whimsical. It would be fun to see someone’s twisted take on a classic fairytale, creating an outfit that reflects “unhappily ever after.” I’d also be interested in seeing what celebrities make of preexisting fairytale looks, like Zendaya’s Cinderella inspired 2019 ensemble.
Truth be told, I can’t stand horror movies. Still, I can get on board with horror as a Met Gala theme. Wouldn’t it be fun to bring gore and classic horror movie characters to celebrity fashion? I feel like this would relate most closely to 2019’s camp theme, where no one should take themselves too seriously. It would be like Monster High come to life. I’m picturing black and red as the main color palette for this gala. With horror, designers can play around with textures, too. Feathers, spikes, lace, mesh…these would all work for a scary-chic look. I hate to use the term “yassify,” but I would absolutely love to see celebrities “yassify” horror movie icons. Think of a runway-ready Pennywise, or a stylish Freddy Krueger.
There’s already an element of fine art in celebrity fashion, so why not make it a theme? How I envision this gala to go is that each celebrity chooses a famous painting to base their outfit off of it. Since there are so many different artistic styles and periods, this would allow designers to have total creative freedom. At the same time, designers and celebrities can pay homage to talented artists. I think an Impressionism/Post-Impressionism-based look, maybe one inspired by a Monet or Van Gogh painting, would be absolutely breathtaking. Just imagine all the pastels! Designers could also incorporate modern art into celebrity fashion. While I’m not the biggest fan of modern art, I feel like it’s appropriate in a Met Gala setting, where the stranger the outfit is, the better. Think of Fredrik Robertsson’s spiky, experimental look for this year’s gala. Seeing as the purpose for the Met Gala is to raise money for the Metropolitan Museum of Art, this theme would feel very on-brand. The catwalk would be an explosion of color and beauty!
For this last theme, I would want to see outfits that capture the essence of one of the four seasons. Compared to the others, this theme would be the easiest to follow. I would give celebrities partial-credit if they wore a white tuxedo and called it a winter look. Of course, Met Gala guests should try to make the most of this theme. Kaia Gerber’s raindrop dress from this year’s gala would be a great look to reflect the springtime, as well as Kim Kardashian’s look from 2019. Whatever you do, just don’t wear florals for spring. Miranda Priestly would not approve (“Florals? For spring? Groundbreaking”).
Of course, these are only the opinions of an average college student. Whatever theme they choose for next year’s Met Gala, I’m sure many celebrities will knock out of the park. You can always use one of these themes to plan your own (more lowkey!) Met Gala party as you’re live-streaming the real one from home!
Feature image source: https://pin.it/1DrBQ45
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