On Sept. 13, the annual Met Gala, held at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, produced both praiseworthy and reprehensible fashion looks. 

     After every Met Gala, observers from all around publish their critiques and compliments about the outfit choices of the public figures who attend. Typically, these celebrities are assessed by the appearance of their look and how well it follows the theme of the event. This year’s theme was “In America: A Lexicon of Fashion.”

     Despite the various subcategories of celebrity Met Gala looks, the two main categories are the looks that were on-theme and fashionable, or off-theme and unfashionable. At this year’s Met Gala, there were many prime examples of both of these classifications. 

     One of the few celebrities that dressed well and on-theme was 23 year old tennis star Naomi Osaka. She wore a beautiful dress by Louis Vouton that incorporated a digital watercolor print that her sister, Mari Osaka, created. The koi fish in the dress’ design nod to Osaka’s Japanese heritage and represent the mixture of cultures in America. 

     Actress Lupita Nyong’o also nailed the theme and managed to simultaneously maintain style. Nyong’o wore a stunning denim Versace dress with gem details. What better way to honor American fashion than to wear denim; the most influential fabric in American fashion history. Nyong’o also paid tribute to the beauty of black women’s hair with a coiffure that incorporated delicate, tulle-like swirls. 

     Osaka and Nyong’o weren’t the only ones that dressed to impress on the carpet. Poet Amanda Gorman paid tribute to the Statue of Liberty and sparkled in a royal blue Vera Wang dress, a book-shaped clutch and a headpiece inspired by Apollo to represent poetry. Makeup sensation NikkieTutorials paid homage to transgender activist Marsha P. Johnson in a tulle gown embellished with Johnson’s signature expression “Pay It No Mind.”

     On the other hand, there were many public figures whose outfits lacked appeal and a proper execution of the theme. 

     Shockingly, the woman who runs the Met Gala and who is widely known for her influence in the fashion industry as the Editor-in-Chief of Vogue, had a less than satisfactory look. Anna Wintour wore an Oscar de Renta gown to supposedly honor American designers and the “renaissance” that is occurring in the modern fashion industry. While the general concept of her look is vaguely there, it’s lost in the unrevolutionary dress that was supposed to symbolize a new era.

     Tennis star Serena Williams also disappointed at the Met Gala this year. She wore a silver Gucci bodysuit with a feathered ombre cape. Her look was supposed to exemplify superheroes, but it unfortunately ended up being too feathery to accomplish that resemblance. Despite her suboptimal outfit, Williams’ hair and makeup was very elegant. 

     As he often does, Justin Beiber failed to impress and kept his look incredibly simple with a Le Maison Drew suit. Kacey Musgraves wore a Ralph Lauren outfit that consisted of a basic black mock-neck top and a metallic silver skirt. She paired it with riding boots to represent equestrianism, but the effort was too simple to make an impact. 

     The 2022 Met Gala will take place on May 2. and will continue the American fashion exhibit with the theme “An Anthology of Fashion.” Hopefully the next gala will produce more exceptional looks and inspire the celebrities who missed the mark, to achieve those same standards.