The 2019 Met Gala went on without a hitch Monday evening, but that doesn’t mean there weren’t any show-stopping moments that had fans talking.
Attendees at the annual fundraiser to benefit New York City’s Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute followed the theme of “Camp: Notes on Fashion,” and the looks varied from the classic to the outrageous.
Rihanna Mysteriously Absent
Rihanna is known to shut down the Met Gala year after year. From the pearl-encrusted robe and papal mitre designed by Margiela at the 2018 event to the yellow fox-fur trimmed gown designed by Chinese creator Guo Pei at 2015’s gathering, the singer can do no wrong in her fans’ eyes.
However, they were upset to see that the star did not appear at this year’s gathering.
“rihanna not coming to met gala means that met gala 2019 doesn’t exist!! #MetGala”
“Rihanna at home playing with that f–kin makeup” someone tweeted.
That post caught the star’s attention, and she posted a screenshot alongside a photo of her Fenty Beauty lip glosses as a result.
“Met Ball 2019 😩🤷🏿♀️” Rihanna responded.
Janelle Monáe’s Bust-Clad Blinking Eye
A blink-and-you’ll-miss-it moment came to the Met Gala courtesy of singer Janelle Monáe. The star walked the carpet in a custom Christian Siriano dress that was accentuated by exaggerated balloon-like hips and a motor-operated blinking-eye over her left breast. The other eye served as the performer’s purse for the evening.
“I am camp. It’s embedded in my DNA,” she told Vanity Fair.
As for how the mechanical eye came to be, it was Monáe’s adoration of tech that drove the decision.
“We also incorporated her love for technology and performance art into the look with the addition of the blinking eye,” Alexandra Mandelkorn, the stylist behind the singer’s look, which also drew from artists Pablo Picasso and Salvador Dali, told Variety.
Tiffany Haddish’s Pink Carpet Snack
Not every eye-catching thing that occurred on the pink carpet had to do with the fashion. Comedian Tiffany Haddish stepped out at her second Met Gala in a curled blond wig and black-and-silver Michael Kors Collection pantsuit, which she paired with a small black glittery fedora by Stephen Jones. She described the look as “a throwback pimperella.” Yet it was an item in her matching black-and-silver purse that made waves.
“Last year I came… it was not enough food. I was hungry, and when I’m hungry my attitude is not good. So I said, ‘I’m gonna be prepared this year.’ So I brought chicken,” she told People magazine Monday, even mentioning she fried it herself.
Zendaya Brings Cinderella to Life
Former Disney Channel star Zendaya was the bell of the Met Ball in a custom Tommy Hilfiger-designed Cinderella dress. When she initially walked the carpet, the gown appeared silver but with a wave of the wand from her stylist and fairy godmother Law Roach, billows of smoke changed the dress to a blue hue that lit up for all to see.
Not fearing losing the magic of the transformation, Zendaya revealed how her team managed to pull off the look on Twitter.
“Underneath the magic. Thank you to all the very very smart people who somehow built and made this dress work💙” she captioned a series of tweets, which revealed a mechanical bodysuit that helped the dress to come alive.
Cardi B’s $250K Ruby-Encrusted Gown
One of the fan favorite looks from the Met Gala was Cardi B’s custom Thom Browne creation. The ruby-red look was even complete with hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of the jewel — $250,000 worth of them, to be exact — were encrusted on the feathered, high-necked gown that enveloped her head, according to Vogue. Additionally, 44 carats of rubies covered the star’s bust and 30,000 coque feathers adorned the gown, which took 2,000 hours and 35 people to complete.
The dress also included a lengthy train — ten feet long — that required five suited men to carry.
“I designed this dress for Cardi specifically because she has the ultimate beauty in a woman’s body, and that is what the dress is about for me: taking advantage of that beauty,” Browne told Vogue.
While the dress was a hit, Cardi was itching to get it off by the end of the night. She tweeted at husband Offset, “Come take the dress off me .I want you to see what I’m wearing under ;$.”
Solange Slithers Up the Pink Carpet — Almost Literally!
Solange hit the pink carpet in a custom Salvatore Ferragamo head-to-toe python print outfit designed by creative director Paul Andrew. The look, which was complete with matching thigh-high wedge boots, wowed on the carpet.
But what not everyone caught was that she also had a live python that was wrapped around her wrist and perfectly matched her ensemble and her manicure.
Fans gushed over the risky accessory.
“🔥🔥Yesssssssssss, love it🔥🔥”
“It’s all about the details 😍”
“We live Queen 👸🏾”
