A Roman Dream: The 2018 Met Gala

2018 Met Gala: “Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination”

The Met Gala. A stunning performance of creative expression in the fashion world. A yearly occurrence on the first Monday in May that can take your breath away or leave you a bit disappointed. The 2018 Met Gala theme was “Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination”. Think Byzantine style dresses, gold, crosses, royalty, deep reds, Catholic history, the Vatican, and ancient Roman looks. You’ll be transported back in time and fashion and religious art will be brought together beautifully.

 Anna Wintor has spoken on how Vogue worked closely with the Vatican through the process of creating this years Met Gala and exhibit. Anna chose this theme because of how much the catholic imagination has impacted and influenced fashion for centuries. This Mets theme was seen as controversial by some especially for right wing and conservative Catholics as it is a play on this kind of religious history. With that being said, this was a spectacular night that would leave very few people upset because of its sheer beauty.

Some of the best dressed from this years Met were Zendaya wearing Versace, Rhianna in Maison Margiela, and the one that stunned us all: Blake Lively wearing Versace.

Some of the lesser dressed were Amal Clooney in Richard Quinn, Cara Delevingne in Dior, and very plainly and disappointingly: Kim Kardashian.

Now the real question is how would I dress celebrities that were not in attendance at the 2018 Met Gala and who would I pick?

First off we have Sydney Sweeney:

Sydney is recently popular from many tv shows and movies such as Euphoria, Anyone But You Immaculate and Madam Webb. She was not at the Met Gala in 2018 since she hadn’t really come into fame yet. Although if she was there this is how I would style her.

She works with Miu Miu a lot currently so I decided to style her in a Miu Miu look for this Met.

This is a Miu Miu dress that Naomie Harris wore to the ‘Rampage” premier in 2018. 

This dress for me really speaks of that Catholic/Roman style. With its gold almost leafy looking exterior. This dress was not in a Ready-to-Wear collection but was made for the premier it was worn at.

Next, I would have Sydney wear these stunning Miu Miu gold pumps, I would however make them an inch or two higher since Sydney is 5’3. I would also make the heel slightly wider as I think it would accent the dress a bit better and would look a bit better when you see the heel from the back of the dresses open slit. I would also style her in this flowery/leafy crown type headpiece. I just found this image online but I would have Miu Miu design one for her and make the gold color a bit less brassy. I think this would really establish the Roman kind of look that we know from history. Lastly, I would have her hair be styled with large curls and a very gold looking makeup with a striking red lip.

Next is Madelyn Cline:

Madelyn Cline is known from acting in things like the Netflix show Outer Banks, and Glass Onion: the Knives Out sequel.

I would have her wear Versace as she has worked with the brand before, and she tends to match the brands aesthetic.

Dress from the Atelier Versace Fall-Winter 2021 Collection.

I would style Madelyn in this dress because I think the style/cut is something she would wear and would complement her. I would also have her wear a darker makeup look to match this dress with some silver accents to it. I also think a metallic darker lip would be really cool.

Next, I would have her wear some black silky gloves as I think it gives it a more historic/modern style at the same time. I would put her in these chunky silver Versace heels and have her wear a headpiece and choker like this that gives that kind of Roman/Catholic queen look. I think the headpiece and necklace really ties the look all together giving it an almost Roman/gothic style.

Lastly, we have Jacob Elordi:

Jacob Elordi is known for being an actor in things like Euphoria, Saltburn, Priscilla and many more.

I would have Jacob wear Valentino as he has worn the brand perviuosly and I think it aligns well with the look for the theme and also who he is as a celebrity.

Valentino Haute Couture Spring/Summer 2023 line Suit:

I would style Jacob in this dark red sparkly suit as I think the color fits the theme really well while being on the more extravagant side of what men usually wear for the Met Gala. I also think that the shirtless look would really appeal to his viewers/fanbase since he is currently kind of a “heart throb” and also goes well with one of his most recent films vibe: Saltburn. As well as his role as Elvis in Priscilla.

Next, to accent this shirtless look I would have Valentino design a large, long chained and detailed gold cross. I think the fact that he would be shirtless would really draw attention to this piece of jewelry and really be a statement of the theme. Lastly, I would put him in these classic Valentino loafers which will really remind you of who he is wearing and tie this look all together.

We love the Met Gala because we get to witness all of these beautiful looks of fashion and artistry. We see the celebrities that we love (and the ones we hate). And we get to be consumed by the beauty ultimately, it makes you feel good.

Some people do however dislike the Met Gala since it is a show of the upper class and can sometimes be seen as “out of touch”. It can also be controversial since there is war and poverty in the world and this is an extremely expensive event.

We care about who’s invited (and who isn’t) because of course, we want to see our favorite celebrities at the event. It is also a status symbol to be invited to the Met Gala and when you’ve been invited for many years and suddenly aren’t there one year it only leads the people to think that you’ve now become irrelevant.

Celebrity social media has changed this event because you can now see their looks from the Met without actually watching the Met Gala itself. Celebrities are also now able to give an almost behind-the-scenes feel to their viewers as they often show clips of them getting ready or preparing for the event. Which in turn makes their fans feel more involved.

I personally, believe phones should continue to not be allowed inside the event because it always leave the viewer wondering what is going inside. And while yes, we do see clips from performances from the inside much is still left to the imagination and saves the Met Gala from obtaining an artificial feel.

A question that has been asked for ages is: Should the everyday civilian be able to purchase a ticket to the Met Gala?

And my opinion on this matter is no. I personally, believe that much of the almost royal feeling of the Met Gala will dissipate if just anyone is able to attend. The reason why we love the Met Gala so much is because it lets us have an imagination. We get to wonder, be in awe of the beautiful looks, and essentially be swept away.

If I was in charge, I really wouldn’t change much…beyond the annual looks that leave us feeling a bit nauseated and wondering how they were even allowed at the Met Gala. The Met Gala continues to be a day fashion lovers look forward to every year like its Christmas. And that is something that I think should never change.