Style Critic Picks All-Time Finest and Worst Seems to be

Luke Meagher, the founding father of the favored social-media deal with HautLeMode, has been lauded for birnging “style 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 just lately signed with UTA) breaks down every thing from the most recent runway reveals to the largest Hollywood crimson carpets. Just lately for THR, he sat down reverse Jenna Lyons to provide his tackle the 2024 Oscars.

Now, Meagher is sharing his extremely opinionated views on which Met Gala attire ranks as the perfect and worst of all time, forward of style’s greatest night time 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 carrying of the golden Guo Pei scarf cape with such an extravagant practice size will go down as the perfect second the Met Gala crimson carpet has ever seen. Not solely was the look immortalized within the documentary The First Monday in Could, and nonetheless provides me chills after I take into consideration the montage of her ascending the steps to the melodic voice of Frank Sinatra, however it was additionally a real coinciding of style and well-liked tradition,” he says.

Meagher provides that, “The truth that this fantastically embroidered and fur lined cape by a Chinese language haute couturier may be each one of the vital stunning examples of Chinese language craft and clothes design, whereas being meme’d as Rihanna carrying 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 at all times discover a witty jab to deliver everybody again right 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 costume 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 style historical past [and] glamour in such an exquisite means,” says Meagher. “She is persistently one of the vital enthusiastic Met Gala attendees.”

“Her alternative of designer Christopher John Rogers, recognized 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 costume,” continues Meagher.

Claire Danes (BEST)

Claire Danes light-up Cinderella costume is a defining look of the Met Gala crimson 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 at all times a feat, as the power to drape such types appears to be falling away from trendy style, however to mix it with fiber-optic expertise that when the lights are dimmed shone a fantastic blue hue solely additional enhanced the theme of the 12 months about style and expertise.”

Zendaya (BEST)

“Zendaya is one other Met Gala attendee who really 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 carrying of males’s clothes obtained 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 beautiful, however has additionally turn into a style second that evokes to at the present time,” says Meagher.

“Earlier than the appearance of Hollywood stylists and style 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 good friend 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 style kismet.

Kim Kardashian (WORST)

In 2022, says Meagher, “Kim Kardashian’s carrying 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 isn’t any means the costume match correctly, and each seen and unseen injury was brought about to the costume because of the put on. Rhinestones lacking, weaves stretched, and sweat and make-up can have all left everlasting marks on that costume that was made particularly for Marilyn. Whereas many thought it not that large of a deal, I ponder if they might assume the identical of Kardashian portray over a Jackson Pollock or Georgia O’Keefe?” Kardashian and the costume’ proprietor, Ripley’s, each deny stories it was broken.

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 significantly style ahead.”

Madonna (WORST)

“With [2017’s] avant-garde costume code theme, some may assume Madonna’s ‘Fight Barbie’ camouflage
robe by Moschino was proper on the cash,” says Meagher. “However it leaned extra cheesy, relatively than forward of its time prefer it was purported 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 to be like really feel like costume get together couture.”

Jared Leto (WORST)

“Whereas having enjoyable together with your Met Gala outfit is often crucial purpose 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 swimsuit representing Karl Lagerfeld’s cat, Choupette. “It misplaced the side of style design — not like Doja Cat who appeared as Choupette as nicely — and simply felt like one thing rented from a fancy dress store.”

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