A mythical allure shrouded the Metropolitan Museum of Art as the venue transformed into a continuum of scenic designs from all over the past and inspirations from the future, truly echoing into the theme and exaggerating the elements of a garden since the times. The exhibition which was titled “Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion” held the essence of garments that have become too fragile to even wear or mount on a mannequin, which with just one touch could wither into specks of dust like dried leaves in a Moore.
The exhibition spanned around 400 years of artistic premonition, featuring iconic works from Schiaparelli, Dior, Alexander McQueen, Stella McCartney, and Conner Ives. It displayed 250 curated pieces from their permanent collection— all of which were mounted in glass cases, far too fragile to be ever worn again and too important in this “garden of time” to be sacrificed with experimentation— paying an ode to the poetic nature of fashion since the beginning of time. For the exhibition, “Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion”, Max Hollein, The Met’s French Director and CEO, described that “Sleeping Beauties” will “push the boundaries of our imagination and invite us to experience the multi-sensory facets of a garment”— decay and decomposition, as is abundant in a garden, was one of the main elements around which the exhibition revolved. It envisioned “Sleeping Beauties” waking up and making our souls feel the interaction of these artistic pieces of brilliance—how they moved, smelt, the way the vibrations emanated from the construction of the garment and its interplay with the allure it gave off when worn— and thus evoking a deeper appreciation of the integrity and beauty in the workmanship behind them.
The red carpet theme, ‘The Garden of Time’ was inspired by the short story written by J.G. Ballard in 1962 which narrates about an imperial couple living in a castle that nurtures a garden of crystal flowers. These flowers when plucked, reverse time for the couple and help them survive each day due to the imminent danger to their lives as they are besieged by the village mobs who loom nearer each day— highlighting the rampant difference in the living standards of the commoners and that of the high class. At the same time, they struggle to survive each day, the aristocrats abuse their power without reason. The theme of the story is about the natural passage of time, of how money, power, or beauty cannot hold back decay, death, and destruction as time goes on. It emphasises the fragility of all material and immaterial beings against the righteous passage of time— when the bloom halts in the garden, the couple prepares for an abrupt end to their rich and privileged life— and points out the clash between classes.
The Ballard is a metaphor for an endless and beautiful cycle of creation and destruction, life itself, and this is what one would envision to see on the red carpet— the sheer embodiment of construction, decay, fragmentation, and deterioration, referencing and taking inspiration from the Ballard itself— with twists of own interpretation and embedding that into the pieces. The looks that were expected were those that evoked a feeling of whimsicality much rampant in a garden secluded from all touch, a path down nature’s history, sartorial pieces full of personality, and with a poetic undertone to everything. However, certain looks were just, ‘directly from the cover’, an elementary resonation of a garden— quite surprisingly when the garden in question is a garden of time— with just mere florals.
The foremost reflection that formed in my mind after seeing this interpretation of the theme was what Miranda Priestly in Devil Wears Prada said, "Florals? For spring? Groundbreaking." Motifs of florals all over putrid shades of fabric trying to copy that of flowers that don’t exist were seen on major celebrities.
The looks that personally didn’t make me overcome with a botanical sensation were that of Sydney Sweeney in Miu Miu, Jennifer Lopez in Schiaparelli, Dua Lipa in Marc Jacobs, Anna Wintour in custom Loewe, Kylie Jenner and Sabrina Carpenter in Oscar De La Renta, Stray Kids in Tommy Hilfiger, and well most of the men in their usual pant and suit with a mere brooch representing something or the other in botany. While most of these celebrities looked amazing, I don’t believe they were aptly on theme. Sydney Sweeney wore a custom powder blue tulle gown with crystal floral embroidery on the bodice with sheer, asymmetrical romantic sleeves. She paired it with black leather opera gloves and a black bob. While she looked mesmerising with the silver jewellery complementing the blue in her gown, the floral ensemble was a bit boring and something that directly pops into the mind when you think of a floral gown. The shade of blue used in the gown, powder blue, while very endearing and pretty isn’t a shade that is naturally present in a garden, so the true essence of the theme failed to emanate from what Miu Miu tried to create for Sydney Sweeney.
It’s the Met, a soiree of artistic brilliance and glamour, we expect much more from the brands we love the most. Similarly with Kylie Jenner and Sabrina Carpenter in Oscar De La Renta, I don’t see a clear resonation with ‘The Garden of Time’. Kylie's look— a double-faced satin gown, in a rosewater hue that featured a cone-style bra (which was an imitation of the signature of Jean Paul Gautier), a cinched waist, and a large trumpet skirt with a long tail— was underwhelming to the entirety of the theme and looked like a mere bridal gown. Sabrina Carpenter wore a custom piece that featured a velvet, figure-hugging body, and a billowing blue and white satin skirt. I loved the way her gown's tail was designed with an ombré effect and the construction of its silhouette, which took inspiration from orchid flowers— her gown looked scant and the endeavour to make it resonate with an orchid couldn’t be much visible. As with Sydney Sweeney, the colour choice for the blue to look like an orchid is a shade that’s never seen in any existing species of the flower. More generally, Sabrina's outfit didn’t highlight the brand mark she established in her style, which we are always enthralled to see.
Dua Lipa strutted the stairs in a custom boudoir ensemble by Marc Jacobs which in my opinion closely resembled Gigi Hadid’s 2023 Met look, a sheer Givenchy gown with a corseted bodice and an embellished train. Dua’s outfit consisted of countless separate pieces that one would lose count of, she wore a white corset under a black lace top with a gathered mid-knot sheer skirt. The skirt held so many textures— a quarter of bedazzlement, a cobweb pattern, mesh polka dots, and embellished florals— that I can only describe as a disastrous mismatch of overdoing. To top it off, the outfit was paired with a humongous feather boa and polka dot mesh gloves. As for her accessories, she layered belly chains and a spiky diamond necklace from Tiffany&Co. There was so much happening with her look that one couldn't gather what exactly was going on, there was no highlight on which the gaze could be set, and her outfit gave more of a volcanic hawk than a garden of time— sometimes less is indeed more.
This makes us question, is that what the theme truly meant to the creator of such designs and to the wearer of those too. Is one's soul left so morbid not to comprehend the true poetry and romance behind the essence of a garden of time?
‘With high hopes, we went, with low we return’— these hopes although were recovered when truly inspired and unique looks that aptly amplified the sound and essence behind the theme, ‘The Garden of Time’ walked up the stairs of the met. The theme felt understood in these looks, it could be seen that the designer delved deeper into it with contemplation and nurtured the poetry that surrounds the core of a ‘garden of time’. In what was produced or chosen to be the final look, an imminent harmony with unique voices and individuality could be noticed.
The look that got me the most awestruck was that of Alia Bhatt in couture Sabyasachi. She wore an ethereal custom sari which gave a translucent, glasslike visual thus referencing Ballard’s Garden of crystal flowers. With an exaggerated 23-foot-long train which was all hand embroidered with silk floss, beads, sequins, semi-precious stones, and fringed with glass beads, it took inspiration from the illusive life of Count Axel and his wife. The hand-crafted blouse was studded with emeralds, Basra pearls, tourmalines, and multi-coloured sapphires, thus indicating the mastery and precision of Indian craftsmanship. This is something you can proudly, without a doubt, proclaim belongs in a ‘garden of time’— it spoke a story to the audience, leaving them in contemplative harmony and making them experience surrealism— it displayed not just mere florals but actual poetry with reasoning and inspiration behind its creation. Alia Bhatt looked like a garden fairy roaming botanical grounds once the mist laid over it and intertwined such ethereality with traditionality— she truly represented how much more Indian culture is than the stereotypical notions about it, at such a huge platform of fashion— and we are in awe and proud of that.
Wisdm Kaye, for his Met Gala debut, mesmerised us with the extraordinary interpretation of ‘The Garden of Time’ as not just blooming botany but that of ‘decay and wilting’— something that is naturally found in gardens that have existed for centuries. Wisdm wore a crimson ensemble, crafted by Robert Wun, that appeared to be aged, withered, and decayed. With frayed edges and pecks of darker hues of red peeking through, it built up a visual story on a wilting rose— showcasing the life-death cycle of a rose, as time dawned over its existential cycle in a garden. He wore a long overcoat with fraying and burnt edges, on which an enormous rose cascaded which gave the illusion of decay and complemented the coat with matching millinery.
Robert Wun said, “Inspired by the romantic aspect of the colour red, it's telling a story of decay through time. The full red look, using techniques in burning, hand printing, and painting, encapsulates the natural flaws and emphasises the darkening of the red colour in rose petals as it ages and withers.” Wisdm, with his imminent creativity and Wuns craftsmanship, brought a new approach that not many others think of on note of a garden— we only focus on the beauty of birth, and life, and associate it with vibrancy. But gardens are a sanctuary of cycles of life and death, and even then, not many relate the theme of gardens with nearing death, which is just as glorious but has always been related with mere hues of grey and black— they intertwined these elements and emphasised the vibrancy of death. He embarked upon the sartorial elements of a garden and highlighted in his outfit the impermanence of beauty— how the inevitability of time withers and wilts even the most sumptuous of the blooms like that in Ballard’s crystal garden.
Words are less for how glamourous Kendal Jenner looked in archival Givenchy haute couture by Alexander McQueen. “It’s been sleeping for the last 25 years. It’s literally a ‘sleeping beauty,’” Jenner says. “It’s such a special moment. I feel extremely honoured that they’re allowing me to wear it.” The dress which is constructed of nude and black tulle, and covered with over 100,000 black and brass beads and sequins, all of which were hand-embroidered over 500 hours, plays into the darker edge of the tale of ‘sleeping beauty’ thus resonating with the theme of the exhibition.
Blackpink’s Jennie looked like a water sprite in custom-made Alaia, it was, too, a unique interpretation of the theme, because what is a garden without any element of water? She wore a fluid, cobalt blue minidress— the way her dress moved truly resembled a water stream going through a wavy path of rocks, Alaia laid its mark yet again. Alaia showed what excellence means in intertwining the water-like movements in all silhouettes they constructed— with a one-sided shoulder that extended into a floor-length train that seemed like a flowing river. The dress featured an intricately draped hemline, an asymmetrical abdominal cutout, and a woven-in skirt that intensified the attribute of fluidity in her dress.
The other celebrities who looked ethereal, magnificent, and aptly emphasised the theme included Emma Chamberlain and her gothic representation of a garden— abetted by Maison Jean Paul Gaultier, Lana Del Ray who donned a dark, romantic custom design by Seán McGirr which referenced archival Alexander McQueen, Kim Kardashian who wore custom Maison Margiela and looked absolutely stunning in an all silver, armor-esque bustier look with flower motifs, and Tyla who wore a ‘Sand of Time’ dress, designed by Balmain’s creative director Olivier Rousteing— it was created by encrusting sand and crystals onto the fabric and moulding the dress onto Tyla’s body to perfection— and looked like a majestic dune princess. She held an hourglass in her hand which represented the ever-eternal passing of time.
And the most controversial of all the looks that walked the met was Doja Cat’s, who wore nothing but a wet, white gown— that looked like a maxi T-shirt worn by our grandmas— by Vetements. She perfected her look with her flawless makeup choice— glitter-painted teardrops falling from her smoky eyes— and finished it off with a clean buzzcut. While this look got a lot of hatred and criticism for “not being loyal to the theme” and being described as a ‘wet mop’ by Diet Sabya and plenty of others, I don’t think her outfit was off-theme. "I know that people are going to do flowers, but my flower of choice is the most-used flower. And it's cotton" Doja said, and intriguingly so, she was quite on theme. The wetness-induced sheerness in her gown made her resemble a Romanian statue that we often find in historic, majestic gardens, and hence resonates well with the theme ‘A Garden of Time’. The construction of the gown could have been made better like by choosing a more ethereal, body-hugging silhouette with varying forms of drapery and pairing it with complimenting accessories. Nonetheless, I loved the deepness that emanated from the poetic song that held the essence of her outfit, it showcased her as an individual, who she is, and isn’t that the mere meaning of fashion— to voice a story you want to narrate to the world?
As for the men—who do not very often understand themes and for whom a ‘suit and pant’ suffices— I surely liked Bad Bunny’s outfit who donned Maison Margiela’s Artisanal Collection by John Galliano from head to toe. It consisted of a custom black satin corset, navy barathea wool smoking jacket with black grosgrain lapels, matching pants with red details on the inside of the leg, and a very extravagant, puffy hat made of a royal blue hue foam which gave his outfit an extra edge to create that ‘escaping the reality, going back to the olden days’ environment. He polished the look off with furred-up Tabis, black leather gloves, and diamond-shaped shades. He diffused utter elegance in the air— like a blue poppy, he emanated a streak of mystique and rarity— and made it seem like we were back in the era of the Renaissance. His outfit wasn’t just a work of beauty but also held subtle notes from the theme of the exhibition— he held a floral bouquet, made from the same material as his jacket, and the flora that it held was Flor de Maga, the national flower of Puerto Rico; roses, a symbol of beauty and purity; and the flax plant, which Sleeping Beauty pricked her finger on in the notable fairy tale— thus showing the wide area of artistic interpretation that John Galliano holds and how subtly yet loudly he is voicing the attention to detail.
A question that intrigues me is, “What is a ‘garden of time’ without all the natural elements present in it?” Well, we got an answer from Swarovski who made their debut at the Met Gala. They perfected our ‘garden of time’ by quenching the devoid of elements of nature— air, water, sunlight, flowers, and leaves— and demonstrated the limitless extravagance to the interpretation of the theme and harmony of beauty in nature. Creative director, Giovanna Engelbert said, “Swarovski celebrates the essence of the garden by transforming its elements into couture creations that capture nature’s beauty and joyful spirit.” Irina Shayk accompanied Giovanna who represented the greenery in sprouting leaves as air, Karlie Kloss who embodied a crystal flower- which is the heart of Ballard’s metaphoric garden, Anok Yai as deep, aquamarine water, and Imaan Hammam who encapsulated the sparkle and warmth in sunlight. “Each bespoke creation was envisioned to harmonize — and almost blend — seamlessly with the female body, enhancing and celebrating its form and essence,” Engelbert continued, “And each of the looks is a tribute to the inherent beauty of the women who inspired them and a celebration of the individuality of each muse.” Each of these gowns exhibited sheer craftsmanship and an elite artistic expression on the red carpet— reviving the art of intertwining exquisite artistry with the extraordinary beauty that historical couture pieces inherently embody— magnifying Swarovski’s commitment to the world of connecting haute couture with heritage and innovation.
Not forgetting some of the most prepossessing and alluring looks of the Gala 2024, we have Zendaya who brought not just one but three looks, all worthy and deemed fit to be part of a botanical collection preserved through time, to become a part of the Met’s decorated history. For her first look, she looked like an elusive peacock mistress of a fairy tale in a bewitching ‘Maison Margiela Artisanal by John Galliano’’ creation, which was based on a 1999 Dior dress. This look featured a one-shoulder gown with a trumpet skirt in hues of royal blue and emerald green and held grape-like embellishments on the waist and her arm. She perfected the look with a net mesh and tulle beret with a long feather-like piece.
For her second look, she chose a gothic black gown— another one of John Galliano’s creations from his 1996 Givenchy era— and looked like an evil queen living in solitude midst her flower gardens. We can tell Zendaya was on her A-game with her millinery choices— for this look she chose a bouquet-themed fascinator wrapped up in black tulle, designed by Philip Treacy for Alexander McQueen back in 2006— that splashed her monotonous gown with floral flamboyance. Surprising all of us when she changed into her third look for the night once she was inside a venue, and in contrast to her previous two villainous yet mesmerising looks, she looked like an absolute celestial garden pixie in this choice. She donned a glittery, heavily beaded gown with a plunging V neckline, custom-made by Celia Kritharioti, and emanated a saintly serenity all around. “I like to look at fashion as creativity,” Zendaya said, “Even in press tours, it’s a way to continue the creativity from the film. I like to just create characters. … You get to embody this character for the day, and clothes can do that for you.”
The last on my list of “prepossessing and alluring looks” is Indian entrepreneur and philanthropist, Mona Patel, who made her debut at the Met in couture Iris Van Herpen. Mona Patel devised the vision behind her outfit and many underlying accents to her look herself— she formed a reliable team that could execute her vision and aid in the collaboration with her friend, kinetic motion artist Casey Curran— of which, the inspiration was none other than the beautiful, winged bugs found rampantly in gardens, butterflies. The ‘cherry-on-top’ accent was her gorgeous fluttering armpiece which was an array of animatronic flower petals, a creation of Curran, which encircled her arm and accentuated her custom gown even more. “I wanted my debut look to be something that celebrates my heritage and also combines my love of couture, and when I heard of the theme, Iris Van Herpen seemed like the obvious choice,” Patel said. The Dutch house constructed a stunning nude, floor-grazing sculpted gown with gold and cream accents, a butterfly-shaped bodice, and a dramatic scalloped train that paid homage to the theme ‘Garden of Time’. Her look was hand embroidered in India and took inspiration from nature in quite a unique way and transformed this inspiration into an alluring and exotic aesthetic.
While the Met 2024 certainly had its misses, it also held a vivarium of on-the-mark designs and looks. We experienced mesmerising interpretations of a garden— not just the usual gardens of flowers, but that of an oasis, dark versions of gardens, gardens of all elements and so many more versions— that have been standing since the ‘beginning of time’. Interpretation of the exhibition’s theme was also made prevalent— of sleeping beauties waking up after centuries— in the numerous looks that consisted of vintage archival couture— pieces that have been sleeping in cases for decades— and repurposed vintage looks. The Met Gala 2024 was a true beacon of inspiration for the coming seasons, designers, and fashion enthusiasts. This Met was one of the many pivotal moments in weaving together the threads of history, the present, and the future. It was much more than just a celebration of the endeavours of craftsmanship and artistry in fashion, it showcased the industry's journey, its continual refinement of beauty and elegance, and the ever-changing balance in the intersection of creativity and technology over the years.