Fashion Critic Picks All-Time Best and Worst Looks

Luke Meagher, the founding father of the favored social-media deal with HautLeMode, has been lauded for birnging “vogue criticism to the digital age.” With almost 380,000 followers on Instagram and a YouTube channel with 850,000 subscribers, the content material creator (who not too long ago signed with UTA) breaks down every part from the most recent runway exhibits to the largest Hollywood purple carpets. Lately for THR, he sat down reverse Jenna Lyons to provide his take on the 2024 Oscars.

Now, Meagher is sharing his extremely opinionated views on which Met Gala clothes ranks as one of the best and worst of all time, forward of vogue’s largest evening going down on the Metropolitan Museum of Artwork this coming Monday, Could 6.

Rihanna in Guo Pei (BEST)

Meagher names his favourite Met Gala look of all time as Rihanna’s look in 2015. “Rihanna’s sporting of the golden Guo Pei scarf cape with such an extravagant prepare size will go down as one of the best second the Met Gala purple carpet has ever seen. Not solely was the look immortalized within the documentary The First Monday in Could, and nonetheless provides me chills once I take into consideration the montage of her ascending the steps to the melodic voice of Frank Sinatra, but it surely was additionally a real coinciding of vogue and in style tradition,” he says.

Meagher provides that, “The truth that this fantastically embroidered and fur lined cape by a Chinese language haute couturier could be each one of the lovely examples of Chinese language craft and clothes design, whereas being meme’d as Rihanna sporting a huge breakfast omelet was the right assembly of each the style world and the broader world the place they’re. The style world can present magnificence and beautiful clothes for the planet to ‘ooh and ah’ about, whereas the remainder of the world can all the time discover a witty jab to carry everybody again all the way down to earth.”

Jackie Kennedy (BEST)

For the 1979 gala, showcasing the exhibit Fashions of the Hapsburg Period: Austria-Hungry, Jackie Kennedy “shocked in a strapless black organza Valentino robe with flounces and frills that completely showcased Valentino Garavani’s voluminous works.”

Sarah Jessica Parker (BEST)

Sarah Jessica Parker’s gown in 2022 by Christopher John Rogers — which was an ode to designer Elizabeth Keckler, who had been the dressmaker to Mary Todd Lincoln — “confirmed her dedication to vogue historical past [and] glamour in such a beautiful method,” says Meagher. “She is constantly one of the enthusiastic Met Gala attendees.”

“Her selection of designer Christopher John Rogers, identified for his voluminous robes and graphic motifs completely blended with the theme of Gilded Glamour from that 12 months, that required an understanding of late nineteenth century gown,” continues Meagher.

Claire Danes (BEST)

Claire Danes light-up Cinderella gown is a defining look of the Met Gala purple carpet, because it was one of many earliest factors that technological and electrical developments had been on full show on the Met steps,” says Meagher. “Posen’s sculptural robes are all the time a feat, as the power to drape such types appears to be falling away from fashionable vogue, however to mix it with fiber-optic know-how that when the lights are dimmed shone a lovely blue hue solely additional enhanced the theme of the 12 months about vogue and know-how.”

Zendaya (BEST)

“Zendaya is one other Met Gala attendee who actually lends herself to theme dressing, however her most memorable must be a Joan of Arc-inspired Atelier Versace chainmail robe worn to the [2018] Heavenly Our bodies exhibit,” says Meagher. “Whereas most wore crosses or nods to Catholic symbolism, Zendaya channeled the Patron Saint of France, Joan of Arc, whose sporting of males’s clothes acquired her executed in Fifteenth-century France. Zendaya reworked the battle-ready chainmail into a chilly shoulder traditional with grace and wit, channeling the medium and angle of her inspiration Joan of Arc throughout her heresy trials.”

Cher (BEST)

“Cher’s iconic silver fringe and nude phantasm robe by Bob Mackie worn to the 1974 gala was not solely drop-dead attractive, however has additionally turn into a vogue second that conjures up to at the present time,” says Meagher.

“Earlier than the arrival of Hollywood stylists and vogue designers clamoring to decorate celebrities, it was Hollywood’s costume designers who typically made the wardrobes of well-known celebrities and actors,” he provides. “And seeing the way it was designed by her collaborator and buddy Bob Mackie, and went on to garner a Time Journal cowl in addition to an enormous quantity of publicity for the Met, it’s a good instance of vogue kismet.

Kim Kardashian (WORST)

In 2022, says Meagher, “Kim Kardashian’s sporting of the well-known 1962 Jean Louis-designed and Bob Mackie-sketched robe for Marilyn Monroe was a travesty. A bit of American historical past was ruined that day, as there is no such thing as a method the gown match correctly, and each seen and unseen harm was induced to the gown because of the put on. Rhinestones lacking, weaves stretched, and sweat and make-up could have all left everlasting marks on that gown that was made particularly for Marilyn. Whereas many thought it not that large of a deal, I’m wondering if they might suppose the identical of Kardashian portray over a Jackson Pollock or Georgia O’Keefe?” Kardashian and the gown’ proprietor, Ripley’s, each deny reports it was damaged.

Kylie Jenner (WORST)

“Whereas Kylie Jenner’s ode to the late Virgil Abloh was a pleasant gesture,” says Meagher, “her robe over a sheer T-shirt with the veiled baseball hat didn’t match the [2022] theme of Gilded Glamour. It didn’t really feel notably vogue ahead.”

Madonna (WORST)

“With [2017’s] avant-garde gown code theme, some would possibly suppose Madonna’s ‘Fight Barbie’ camouflage
robe by Moschino was proper on the cash,” says Meagher. “However it leaned extra cheesy, somewhat than forward of its time prefer it was presupposed to. Many celebrities embodied the thrilling and transgressive notion of honored designer Rei Kawakubo, who was the theme of that 12 months, with out making their appears really feel like costume occasion couture.”

Jared Leto (WORST)

“Whereas having enjoyable together with your Met Gala outfit is normally an important objective for attendees, turning your apparel into an precise costume is the place it goes a bit too far,” he says of Leto’s 2023 cat go well with representing Karl Lagerfeld’s cat, Choupette. “It misplaced the facet of vogue design — in contrast to Doja Cat who appeared as Choupette as nicely — and simply felt like one thing rented from a dressing up store.”

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A model of this story first appeared within the April 24 difficulty of The Hollywood Reporter journal. Click here to subscribe.