Met Gala 2022, held on May 3, celebrated American history and culture with the theme “An Anthology of Fashion in America.” Celebrities embraced the concept enthusiastically, showcasing looks inspired by different eras of American history, from the colonial period to the present day.
Kendall Jenner wore a sheer top with red gloves, making her look like a soccer player from the 1920s lost in time and space. The night was a dazzling display of fashion intertwined with history. Blake Lively stunned in a Versace gown inspired by the Statue of Liberty, while Gigi Hadid’s white column dress paid elegant homage to Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis.
Kim Kardashian restored Marilyn Monroe’s classic look and stole the show to make headlines, and Billie Eilish did big hair and gilded-age crinolines with her ballroom gown.
הצגת פוסט זה באינסטגרם
This surge of revival fashion in old styles is not a new thing, but at present has gone far beyond its previous scale. One reason for this is social media now makes it easy to exchange information with people from all over the world. The other is that contemporary designers often work in ways that owe more to past periods than ever before, drawing on historical influences for inspiration to create their latest work.
Borrowing from the past for fashion inspiration is like a time machine opening up endless new grand odysseys. This kind of style is not only good-looking, but a form of self-expression and a way to present individual creativity.
In addition to superficial attraction, the themes of history in fashion often send out powerful messages on, e.g., social and political issues.
A brief overview
Met Gala 2022 – Challenging the Norms of Beauty
At the 2022 Met Gala, historical themes were not only a celebration of American heritage but also an opportunity to challenge traditional beauty and fashion standards.
For example, in Kim Kardashian’s Marilyn Monroe look, the dress was so tight that it had to be sewn onto her body. This bold and disruptive choice flies in the face of conventional notions that beauty requires women’s bodies to conform with a certain (usually slim or normatively “attractive”) shape.
As we see from the Met Gala and fashion itself, this is a reminder that style transcends the mere putting on of clothes to become a way for people to express themselves and connect with cultural history. It is through such touchstones as well that we can gauge where art may go in future times to come.
