Gilded Glamour? The Best and Worst of The Met Gala 2022

Big event, bad execution.

Before we get into it, how about we go over this year's Met Gala theme? The Gilded Age was a time in US history roughly between the 1870s to the early 1900s. During this time there was a rapid increase of economic growth which saw American wages rise (for the wealthy) and European immigrants arrive due to the high industrial work demand. So Gilded plus Glamour equals opulent people of the time period, which you think the elites of our celebrity world would understand as they too live a life of opulence... but apparently, they didn't get the memo.

Now I won't say that they all didn't get the memo because some did pull up dressed to the theme-appropriate nines. Let's start with the attendees who nailed Gilded Glamour.

Blake Lively

All hail the Queen of the Met Gala. It is no secret that Blake Lively serves looks every Met Gala and this year was no exception with this Versace gown. Inspired by Lady Liberty and other New York architecture, her blue train reveal was beautiful, on theme, and nothing short of what we mere mortals need when we tune into the Met Gala. If my eye spies correctly, it seems that Blake matches the carpet and this isn't the first time either. Coincidence?

David Harbour

Stranger Things daddy David Harbour completely understood the theme. Top hat, tick. Cane, tick. Cigar in mouth, tick. I just wish his beautiful wife, Lily Allen accessorised as well as he. I am absolutely gagged that in his red-carpet interview, he said he would've been "such an asshole" in the Gilded Age, which proves that he really understood the memo.

Amber Valletta

This Azzaro gown is easily one of my favourite looks of the night. Amber Valletta's outfit screamed "Rich, single, and I'll steal your husband". It felt like I was reliving Season 1 of Revenge all over again. She was sporting gold and black, with every single attention to detail met. She looked so amazing, I am going to be thinking about this for the rest of the year.

Evan Mock

Cheeky Gossip Girl actor Evan Mock ate this look up. I love a good corset as much as the next person, but this is up there. Designed by the Head of State, this outfit shows that Gen Z designers know how to dress the best. The feminine detailing with Mock's masculine features completely tied the whole look into one.

Billie Eilish

Thank you Billie for taking the theme so literally because this is the kind of frock I was dying to see. Custom-made Gucci with your boobs up to your chin is everything that Gilded Glamour should be. The juxtaposition of the baby-coloured gown and black hair and choker was a bold move, but it paid off.

Kid Cudi

Now this look is Gilded Glamour. Cudi's giving 1900's bad boy that you know isn't good for you but you just keep going back for more! Nigo, thank you for dressing this man in blue, I hope you dress Kid Cudi for the next one hundred Met Galas.

Bella Hadid

Miss BELLA! I am obsessed with this look, it's giving burlesque Madame working at the Brothel ready for the turn of the century. And then the after-party look to match! Her Burberry gown and lingerie by Dilara Findikoglu really embodied sex workers of the Gilded Age, she absolutely perfected this one.

Lizzo

Lizzo literally came in looking like royalty, and playing the flute down the carpet? I love performance art. The entire look is polished from head to toe, I hope she works with Thom Browne again for more red-carpet looks because he had her dripping in opulence. Someone show her to her throne!

Hate to leave this on a bad note but here are the Met Gala looks that missed the mark:

Kim Kardashian

Now I love Marilyn Monroe and this is such a beautiful dress. I don't understand why everyone is getting their panties in such a twist about her wearing it. I don't think it is disrespectful, it's actually fitting for her in a social aspect sort of way. BUT, this is not Gilded Glamour! I'm sorry Kim but you should've worn this to last year's Met for the American theme instead of your Dementor robes.

Getty Images & The Marilyn Monroe Collection

Kris Jenner

Ugh, ONCE AGAIN! Jackie Kennedy is the same era as Marilyn Monroe. I love the concept but this is not Gilded Glamour either. I wonder how Kris and Kim landed on these looks because it is just nowhere near the theme.

Kylie Jenner & Nicki Minaj

You two can sit here in time out together and think about what you have done. I absolutely have no idea what the concept is here. The dresses with the baseball caps? Anybody who is defending these looks should've gone to Specsavers. Now I can give a little bit of leeway to Kylie for honouring the late Off White designer Virgil Abloh, but I'll be waiting here for Nicki's excuse.

Kourtney Kardashian

Oh Kourt, you can tell this was your first time. I'm still trying to figure out if she left to get there in a hurry because that outfit looked like an unfinished mess. I had way higher expectations than what was delivered. She even admitted that she didn't take the theme into account. Disappointing.

Addison Rae

C'mon, Addison! I literally know nothing about you besides the fact that you do not know how to dress on theme. They asked for Gilded Glamour, not Senior Prom, I wish you turned a look like your after-party Dilara Findikoglu frock because I rated it way more!

Bradley Cooper

Bradley, I'm going to pick on you here. I am sick to death of seeing the same old suits on the Met Gala steps and the majority of the men invited are serial offenders of this. Just praying for you all to step it up, just once!

Amy Schumer

Hey Amy, remember when you said the Met Gala was "more like a punishment" than a fun night? Well, this outfit was a punishment to look at, maybe spend the next one at home if you hate going so much.

Sebastian Stan

I love this colour, but that's about all I love about this outfit. Mr. Stan, this is not Gilded Glamour and I think you know it isn't either! I wish he kept this colour but just went 100% Gilded, it could've been absolutely iconic... what a missed opportunity.

Honourable mention: Riz Ahmed

The Gilded Age was not a time of wealth and opulence for everyone and Riz Ahmed shed some light on the matter. Ahmed stated his look was "a homage to the immigrant workers who kept the Gilded Age going.” I always think it is nice to remind the rich and powerful that wealth is usually built off the back of exploitation and he captured this perfectly. Bravo!

It's always a shame not to see the Met Gala attendees on theme and I understand it isn't entirely their fault. Whoever the celebs get dressed by is usually a designer who just wants to get their latest designs out there which is fair... I guess. I wish that they would more frequently show their talents by creating something new and on theme, that would be more respectable than just shoving out their latest season's ensemble. Imagine if you had a birthday party and you themed it to something extravagant and people started showing up in jeans, I would riot. Let's just hope that next year's Met Gala is more on theme for all of our sakes.