Hello, my bald little eagles! Today's look is a soft
take on Rosie the Riveter because... Today we're going to be
talking about the Met Gala. And this year's Met Gala theme is "In America: A Lexicon of Fashion". This is an incredibly broad theme. There is so much room to explore. You could do disco, you could do motown, you could do classic rock & roll. You also don't need to do music but,
those are the first things that came to my mind. You could do cowboys, you could do sportswear, you could do old Hollywood... There is just so much
leniency in this theme and so... I thought that it would be a
good opportunity for celebrities who've been moaning
and grinding about how they haven't been going to
as many parties as they used to. I thought it'd be a good
opportunity for them to stunt. To show up in
an outrageous costume, because there's just
so much you could do. So, come the Met Gala and I guess
I'm freaking pinned as a fool because they were so underwhelming. Most of the looks were, either, very simple,
very basic, very predictable... Or they just like didn't
match the theme at all. Like, I don't even know
what the reference was...? - So, tell me about the
inspiration for this look and what are you wearing,
get into it. - I'm wearing Chanel and... That was my inspiration! My love, Chanel is FRENCH! - I think the inspo, like-- The color... I wanted a dress that I had
seen in Bram Stoker's 'Dracula'. I'm very into like, gothic things
and vampires and such. DRACULA? Count Dracula? Is he not European? Is he not from Transylvania? Like, I'm so confused! So I thought this could be just
like a little informal video where I talk about some of the
looks on the red carpet. I'm not a complete negative Nancy, there were some looks that I pulled
out that I actually really did like and that I feel like,
set the blueprint and everyone else should just fall in line. And then some looks that I... Really... I don't know, didn't care for and some looks that
were kind of in between. I just wanted to pick a couple, because there's so many looks and... I found it exhausting! And I'm sorry if your favorite
was not part of this roundup. You can tell me about it in the comments. I do want to preface by the way that
I'm mostly judging these looks based on how well they follow the theme, because that is the entire
fucking point of the Met Gala. I'm also like, not judging them as individuals. I'm sure a lot of them have a very
good style outside of the red carpet, I'm just... You know, I'm just basing all my
opinions on this one singular event. Let's start off strong! Let's start off with
the look I really liked. I really loved Emily Blunt's look. She's a custom Miu Miu sheer dress
that is fully star-spangled with a white cape and a gorgeous star-adorned headpiece. I want that headpiece so freaking bad! But this was a great look. It clearly referenced Hedy Lamarr
in the 1941 film 'Ziegfeld Girls'. And... All the elements are there! The sheerness, the white, the star headpiece. It's a totally different dress
than what Hedy wore, but all the elements make
it such a clear reference. Emily did a fantastic job, also I love the addition of the pearls! Because pearls are really on trend these days and I just think it added
a nice touch of modernity. On the other hand, and I know this is going to
sound super contentious, but there was another
star that, allegedly, did an old Hollywood theme and I feel like you probably
all know who it is: Billie Eilish! Billie Eilish looked
very old Hollywood. She looked very Marilyn Monroe. I think that was like,
the number one thing that people said about her,
even though she actually said that her look was inspired by Holiday Barbie. I don't know if her stylist
was going for a combo or... What's going on. But I did not like this look and I know that I'm gonna get
dragged for it in the comments, because I think a lot of people
did quite like this look, but I just thought it was very basic, even if it wasn't supposed
to be a "Marilyn look", it ended up being a Marilyn look, just because everyone
assumed she was Marilyn. And it wasn't giving. It's a nice dress. She looks gorgeous! But I'm just not blown away
by a big ball gown with a long train. Like, I feel like, after
Lady Gaga did it for Camp... If you're gonna do it, you're gonna have to do better than
what Lady Gaga did and... I don't... I don't think that's possible. I think her hair stylist could have
gone for a way more vintagey updo or, I don't know, just anything, because her hair just felt a little bit untidy. It was a little messy. I don't really know what they were trying to do, but usually with vintage hairstyles, you'll notice that they're very sleek. There's no hair out of place. Like, right now, I don't know. I kind of just threw this together
and it's not... It's not the best look, but...! I'm not going to the Met Gala, so--! It just would have made her look
a lot cleaner, a lot sleeker, if her hair wasn't so... Blah, blah, blah. And, at the end of the day,
we've just seen so many Marilyn looks, like, in movies, on the red carpet, as Halloween costumes... It's just so predictable when you
think of like, American icons. And because it's done so often,
like not at the Met Gala... I would have liked for her stylist
to push in a different direction. And if Holiday Barbie
was really her vibe, which is totally fine-- I'm pro Barbie, but it wasn't giving Barbie, because, One: Her hair should have been longer like,
they should have given her a wig or extensions, because Barbie, I feel like,
is really known for the luscious long hair. And then, also, a Holiday Edition...? Usually they would
have like, a bow detail, or for trim, or velvet... Something that speaks more to "Christmas". I personally wouldn't go for a
Holiday Barbie look just because... It's September! But if you're gonna do that,
if you're gonna choose that, commit to it! Okay. Another old Hollywood inspired look
we have here is Kendall Jenner's. I love this dress on its own. It fits her very well. It's very pretty. I love the collar details,
she looks gorgeous. But is it American. So when I first saw pictures of this dress I thought she was doing
the same thing as Emily Blunt, like I thought it was like a
Hedy Lamarr, 'Zigfield Girl' reference. And I was like,
"yeah! I see the vision, Kendall. "You surprised me,
but good for you, I'm proud of you". But then I saw this red carpet interview: - So, tell me about the dress. - Well, it's the inspiration was
Audrey Hepburn's, 'My Fair Lady'. - Yes.
- Just did a modern take on that moment, you know--
- I love Audrey, so like, we really wanted to kind of
take a special moment of hers and make it our own and... I feel like he did an amazing job. She wore Givenchy all the time. Interesting choice, considering Audrey Hepburn
is from Belgium and... Is a British citizen and... Also, 'My Fair Lady' literally
takes place in England. And is LITERALLY about
English class politics, so none of that really
rings a bell for "Americana", for me, personally. Another old Hollywood look
we have here is Gemma Chan, wearing an Anna May
Wong inspired dress. The dress was
designed by Prabal Gurung. I'm sorry. Who is Nepalese-American and
actually made a connection last year with models walking down the
runway wearing sashes that said "who gets to be American", so... I think with that background and the fact that it's Gemma Chan, this reference makes total sense
and I really like it-- I love Anna May Wong, so I'm never
mad about an Anna May Wong reference. Do I like the dress? Okay, so... I like it and I don't like it. I like it because I think it's incredibly cool that the
dragon embroidery at the front of the dress was actually traced from a Qing Dynasty hand scroll
in the Met's Museum collection. And I think the look is very on theme. I think it's very cool that
Gemma Chan is rocking her heritage by paying an homage
to, literally like, the WOMAN who paved the way for
Asians in Hollywood. The only thing I didn't really
like was the silhouette, because Gemma Chan did post
images of Anna May Wong on Instagram before the Met Gala and one of the pictures was definitely
the main reference for Gemma Chan's look and... I don't know, just in
comparison to the original, I love 1930s fashion, so I'm probably biased-- [ Ba Dum Tss ] In the sense. But i'm not really into the
strapless mini dress shape. I feel like it kind of
cheapens the dress. This is how I feel about all like
strapless mini dresses, by the way. So again, biased. But Anna looks so elegant in this
like, really long slim fitted dress that kind of pulls a train
at the bottom of the hem... Yeah! I think I would have liked
something a little bit more simple, something a little bit more... Elegant, I thought Gemma's green train kind of looked
like three yards of unfinished fabric, just tacked onto the back of the dress
to make it a little bit more interesting, at the last minute because it just wasn't coordinated
with the rest of the dress. Of course she looks beautiful, so it's not like a bad look, because... She's beautiful! But yeah, those
are just my thoughts. At least it was on theme, though. So I'll give it that. i love Iman's look SO MUCH and I hate to say it,
because D&G did play a part in it and... We just don't support
D&G on this channel. But it's just so extravagant, it's exactly what I would
want from the Met Gala. So she's wearing a
custom bustier with trousers, a tiered and gilded feather cage overskirt
and a matching headpiece. This was a collaboration
between Harris Reed and D&G. Reed said that he was inspired by
ballroom culture in America's Golden Age. So this is like what I wanted, because, One, she's wearing pants
underneath a feathered crinoline, and even though Harris Reed
was inspired by ballrooms, it wasn't taken so literally
as I feel like illy eilish's look was, where it was like,
literally a ballroom dress. I admire the innovation more, the creativity more for this look. Reed also said: "America is a country
where anything is possible, "so to be yourself,
the most heightened, "most radiant,
most over-the-top version of that "is truly what I aim for
within my design work. "That essence informed this design,
coupled with the legendary Iman, "who has been a constant
inspiration for me". Yeah, this look is definitely more
conceptual than the other ones. It's not taking a specific motif, it's not making a reference
to a specific celebrity, but I really like it and I think that's one of
the coolest things about the Met Gala themes, it's just like you can really run with it and interpret the themes as much as you want. Like, that's the entire point: To be as creative as possible. - I feel great because the
whole evening is about hope. A ray of light. Kind of like what Iman said, I feel like she wore this dress
because it represents hope. And, at least in the 20th Century, I feel like that's what a lot
of immigrants coming to America felt America represented. It represented a "land of opportunity",
if you will. And that's the entirety of
American propaganda, right? In that regard
I do think she also... Not only looks amazing,
but also fits the theme pretty well. Another gold look
we have is Lil Nas X. And I personally think
he looks fabulous. I love the idea of having three outfits
and transforming on the red carpet. It's very fun. So... It really hurts to say that I just don't understand
how it fits the theme at all. He did explain it a little bit. - Okay, we wanted to start
with like, "royalty", you know? Or like, a cloak, you know? Like, we're in our show, right? And then we break out of a
little bit more, you know? You know, it's kind of like, me
when I got into the industry, nobody knew who I was...
And then we got the armor, right? It's like, I built this shelter on myself,
even though I came out. And then, this year I feel like
I really came out, you know? And that's what this represents,
like this breakdown into this, you know? So I can understand where he's
coming from and I feel like... These outfits represent more of his
personal identity and personal journey as a citizen of America? That's like, the biggest stretch I can give it. But the outfit itself is not giving America. The decadent robe makes me think of Europe. It makes me think of coronation gowns. It makes me think of King George. It's just not part of American
folklore to have these royalty figures and these knights
and everything. It's very.... It's very Great Britain. That's not America. The last fit was okay. It could have been paying an homage to disco, if I want to take a reach. So, it's a no for me,
even though I love Lil Nas and I feel like he rocks many red
carpets every time he's on there, but this was just... It was just not--
It was not delivering. Another big upset for
me was Cara Delevingne, because I really rocked
with her heavenly bodies, a confessional look. And I thought the Camp look
she did was also pretty good, but this year... My girl, what is going on?! I see the vision! The corset definitely reminds me
a little bit of a straight jacket or maybe a vintage 1960s corset. Like, if you've been on eBay
and you look up "camp corsets", like the brand Camp... They kind of look like this corset. But the message across the top,
"peg the patriarchy"... I've got a bone to pick with that one. She's speaking to
gender oppression, clearly. If there is a straitjacket
reference in there, then, yes. Women have historically been
characterized as being prone to mental illness and have been like, unfairly
shipped off to these abusive mental asylums for, you know, God
knows like, every reason under the sun. If it's a vintage corset reference, then... I'm like, eye rolling a little bit,
but, whatever! - So, it's still Maria Grazia. For me, if anyone doesn't
know what this one is, you're gonna have to look it up,
because I'm not gonna explain it right now, but "peg the patriarchy", you know,
it's about women empowerment. Women equality, gender equality, but, you know, it's a bit
like "stick it to the man". Overall I'm not against the intention-- I know she has good intentions,
like I'm not a Cara hater. However, it implies that pegging is like,
overtaking something and... It implies sexual violence. The idea that penetration is the act of
taking power away from something or someone is actually very patriarchal. And it's the same rhetoric that's
used to justify gender differences, to justify oppression towards women
and other genders and is the same rhetoric that
also justifies homophobia, so... I don't know! Like, obviously, Cara is not homophobic
or against women or whatever, it's just... I just don't think she
thought it through enough. Okay, Timothée Chalamet. A lot of people didn't like this look,
from what I saw on Instagram. And I see why people wouldn't like it, because I think pairing a tuxedo jacket
and sweatpants is a pretty bold look, but... Hey, at least he did better than
most of the other men who showed up with their predictable black suits. So, yes, the bar is
starting off pretty low. Timothée is wearing a satin
hater Ackermann tuxedo jacket, a Rick Owens turtleneck,
white Chuck Taylor's and sweatpants adorned
with some 1920s Cartier brooches. Ackermann told Vogue his
inspiration for the look saying: "Whenever I visit America, "I'm always struck by the wonderful
clash of uptown and downtown cultures, "of music and sport, "and all of this energy
just mixing together". Hence why we see this eclectic mix
of leisure wear and formal wear. Timothée also said that his look
was an homage to Chuck Taylor. I don't know if Timothée just decided that
because he's wearing Chuck Taylor's or if that was the
vision from the get-go. If it was the vision, you know,
I still like it... The all-white look gives a Gatsby
early American sportswear flare, which is a nice touch because Chuck Taylor was a basketball player that kind of
rose to prominence in the 1920s. I just personally don't love the clashing
between the sweatpants and the tuxedo jacket. I think a nice white tailored pant
could have looked a lot more cleaner, while still giving the same vibe. I also would have liked a
little bit more balance of color. The black color is pretty jarring because
nothing in the outfit has any black in it, but, you know, I give props for
following the theme, once again. Okay, let's talk about Rihanna. I actually was... Pretty underwhelmed by Rihanna's outfit. And I didn't really want to talk about it
because I didn't have that many thoughts on it, I was just kind of underwhelmed. But I know, because she's like,
the reigning queen of Met Gala looks, people would want to know about it. She's wearing a Balenciaga
overcoat and a beanie. The overcoat is definitely a reference to
the famous Balenciaga balloon dress from 1950 and the beanie, I can tell, is a reference to the clashing
of high fashion in Streetwear, that feels very American these days. However, and I noticed this with a lot of
celebrities, not just Rihanna, but Cristóbal Balenciaga is from Spain. Like, he is a Spanish designer, so I don't really understand
why you would pick a famous design from him
as a reference for an American theme. I love Rihanna and she has killed it
on consecutive occasions, so I feel like my expectations
for her were just a lot higher, but, yeah-- I was pretty disappointed in this look. Also, I forgot to add this in earlier,
while I was recording, but you can still wear a European
designer or a non-American designer and still fit the American theme. For example, Lupita Nyong'o did an
amazing job with her red carpet look. She's wearing Versace, but the entire gown is made of denim and this was like a tribute to the fact that
denim was such a huge part of American culture and how cotton,
along with indigo, which goes into the production of denim, was cultivated by
enslaved peoples in the South. Also, very interesting,
but @fashioningtheself, this Instagram account pointed out, that the styling of her afro
was inspired by the artwork of the African-American artist Lorna Simpson, who created a series of collages using archival
images of black women from Ebony and Jet. So, long story short, you don't
need to wear an American designer, but you got to make sure your
reference is at least American. One of my favorite looks of the night, which is probably the last
look I'm going to talk about, because I'm getting a little tired, but I definitely want to point out,
Quannah Chasinghorse's look. She's an indigenous model and activist, and wore an outfit clearly inspired
by her North American heritage. So, if you didn't know, Jocelyn Billy-Upshaw,
who is with Navajo Nation in 2006, flew her Navajo jewelry collection
to NYC for Quannah's look. The layering of all the turquoise
necklaces is just absolutely right. The dundas gold cutout gown is stunning! The way it drapes on her body and I love how it has a little
disconnected cape in the back. Disregarding the theme,
she looks amazing, but then, with the theme,
she looks even more amazing! So, yeah! That is my roundup of some Met Gala looks. And even though I did talk about some
of the looks that I really liked, overall I felt like the looks
were very disappointing. Probably even more disappointing
than some previous years. Though Camp was very rough. It's just like, the theme this year
was so much more lenient than previous themes. Like it was way more lenient
than like, heavenly bodies. And... I just don't understand why it was
so hard for people to be creative, especially because they have stylists, they have designers, like there's an entire team that
goes behind creating these looks. And they're just--
They were just not giving. I would have liked to have
seen more corporate mascots, like takes on McDonald's or Wendy's,
because that would have been fun. I would have liked to see more
little house on the prairie, like American high school archetypes,
like Prom Queens and cheerleaders. Ciara did have a sick football
player look, though. I love this one too. But, you know, there's diner waitresses, there's all these different
doll collections like: Barbie, American girl doll, Bratz... All these artists from
America like Andy Warhol... There's just so much they could have done and I feel like everyone just
limited themselves to like, "Statue of Liberty" motifs. "Red, white and blue" color scheme. Old Hollywood references... I just would have liked
to see more range. People just need to listen to a
couple more Lana del Rey songs to figure out their inspiration, because the content is out there, the mood board is out there. But anyways, I'm going to
stop talking about this now. If you want to share in the comments
what look you like the most, what looks you like the least, whatever look I
didn't cover in this video... The comments are all yours. It's free reign! And thank you for your time! I'll see you next time! And I hope you have a
lovely rest of your day. Bye! you
