Camp: Notes on Fashion - A Flashback to the 2019 Met Gala

The Met Gala is one of the most famous and highly anticipated events in the fashion calendar. Each year the red carpet is filled with an abundance of famous faces from the worlds of fashion, acting, music and more. Whilst red carpets throughout the year are followed eagerly, the Met Gala, with its yearly themes and statement garments, always provides some of the standout outfits of the year.

Due to the ongoing pandemic, this year’s gala has had to be put on hold and thus there was no star-studded red carpet when the first Monday in May, May 4th arrived. There were no diamond encrusted bodices or velvet trains, there was no silk or satin, nor a ruffle or feather in sight. But whilst we may have to wait a while before the return of the red carpet and, indeed, the Met Gala, the occasion of ‘what might have been’ offers us the chance to take a look back at some of our favourite outfits from years gone by.

Each week we are going to take a look at our favourite looks throughout the years, starting with 2019 and working our way back through those stunning gowns that we fell in love with first time round and are sure to again.

Here is a look at some of our favourite dresses from the 2019 Met Gala, Camp: Notes on Fashion.

Hailey Bieber (Alexander Wang)

Hailey Bieber's custom Alexander Wang gown in 'cotton candy' pink is the kind of dress that little girls would dream of, something which can be emphasised through its comparison in the media to a 'modern day Barbie'. The addition of the backless silhouette and the pooling material makes the gown look effortlessly elegant, the addition of the black bow completing the look and pairing together two classic colour combinations.

Emily Blunt

The Michael Kor's gown worn by British actress Emily Blunt was the epitome of the Met Gala. Made of 510,000 sequins and over 1,000 gold crystals, the garment certainly embraced the theme of 'camp', the gloriously sparkly ensemble being inspired by 'camp' style icons such as Elton John and Diana Ross. It was over the top, it was gold and it was undoubtedly in line with Met Gala fashion.

Gisele Bündchen (Dior)

Gisele Bündchen's joined many of her fellow Gala attendees by opting for pink to relate to 2019's 'camp' theme. The Dior gown was simple in design, but the pleating throughout and the effortless way in which Bündchen pulled off the dress made her shine on the red carpet. The length, cut and flow of the skirt of the gown gave the outfit that extra pop.

Gemma Chan (Tom Ford)

Gemma Chan attended the 2019 Met Gala wearing a crystal embroidered gown and cape designed by Tom Ford, arriving with the man himself to walk the red carpet. Whilst simple in shape, the dress and cape ensemble turned heads with over a thousand crystals creating a powerful, sophisticated design, her Elizabeth Taylor inspired custom-made headdress added that extra wow-factor to the outfit.

Lily-Rose Depp (Chanel)

Lily-Rose Depp proved at the 2019 Met Gala that you can never go wrong with a little black dress. The figure hugging gown designed by Chanel was, in design, reminiscent of the infamous Givenchy dress Audrey Hepburn wore in Breakfast at Tiffany's, albeit with added chain detail to provide a modern twist.

Taylor Hill (Ralph Lauren)

Taylor Hill was among a number of stars at the 2019 Met Gala who opted to draw inspiration from 'Old Hollywood'. The model opted for a strapless silk gown by Ralph Lauren paired with a light pink feathered bolero and a Butani diamond necklace. The outfit was reminiscent of stars such as Marilyn Monroe, the addition of the bolero striking similarities to the outfit Monroe wore to the Some Like it Hot premiere.

Katie Holmes (Zac Posen)

Katie Holmes custom Zac Posen gown was both elegant and powerful, its tones of purple weaving together to create shades of dark and light throughout the outfit. Throughout Posen's 2019 Met Gala creations he used the innovation of 3D printing to add a unique twist to each outfit and Holmes' ensemble was no different, the metallic purple-pink palm leaf sculpture that rested atop Holmes' shoulders, tying the tule gown together and adding that powerful side of the dress and enhancing its elegance.

Rosie Huntington-Whitely (Oscar de la Renta)

Rosie Huntington-Whitely always looks effortlessly glamorous and her appearance at the 2019 Met Gala was no different, wearing a custom Oscar de la Renta pearl-studded halter-neck gown with a blush pink ostrich feather cape. The elegant ensemble, with its hours of detailed work, served as a prefect homage to some of the classic gowns of Hollywood's past. The simple, but effortlessly elegant gown paired with the more lavish ostrich feather cape made Huntington-Whitely's outfit one of the star performers of the 2019 Met Gala.

Alicia Keys (Carolina Herrera)

Alicia Keys looked stunning an elegant yet powerful in a mint green Carolina Herrera gown with a hood and cape. The singer paired the gown with a Tiffany and co. diamond necklace and went for minimal 'bare-faced' make-up look which has become a signature of hers over the past couple of years.

Regina King

2019 was Regina King's year, following unprecedented success from her stellar performance in If Beale Street Could Talk, King was always amongst the best dressed on the red carpet last year. Her Met Gala outfit was no different, wearing a custom Oscar de la Renta gown, the sequining and crystals forming a gold to rose-gold ombre effect, with the added accordion pleating over her left shoulder making the ensemble more in line with what we have come to expect from the Met Gala.

Jennifer Lopez (Versace)

J-Lo is always one of the best dressed on the red carpet and throughout the years she has worn some memorable Met Gala outfits. Her 2019 Met Gala outfit was a show-stopper, wearing a silver beaded Versace gown with a thigh-high split and plunging neck-line. To add an extra sparkle, J-Lo paired the gown with iridescent heels, a silver Judith Leiber clutch and diamond jewellery. Each year Lopez's Met Ball dresses get more and more extravagant and it will be exciting to see what she has in store for when the Met Gala can finally return.

Irina Shayk (Burberry)

Irina Shayk oozed class in a bespoke midnight blue velvet Burberry gown. Riccardo Tisci's design featuring statement-making draped sleeves, a plunging neckline and a crystal and chain pendant was classic and simple in one breath, whilst being elegant and show-stopping in the next. Paired with matching gloves, her natural make-up and simple hairstyle made Shayk look effortlessly glamorous.

Fran Summers

The British-model made her debut appearance on the Met Gala red carpet in a custom black silk Burberry dress. Summers, who was accompanied by Riccardo Tisci alongside Irina Shayk and Mariacarla Boscono; looked in equal parts glamorous and youthful in the elegant high-neck, high-split dress.

Zendaya

Zendaya lived many little girl's dreams at the 2019 Met Gala by arriving dressed as a princess in a custom-made Tommy Hilfiger gown that paid homage to Disney's interpretation of Cinderella. Her arrival on the red carpet was paired with a theatrical appearance by her stylist, Law Roach, who appeared to light-up the star's dress. The detail that went into Zendaya's ensemble is quite phenomenal, the gown's similarity to its animated counterpart, paired with a bag that was equally as accurate in its resemblance to the coach Cinderella rides in to attend the ball. Zendaya's arrival on the red carpet in 2019 was certainly one of the most memorable.