Credit: Melina Barris

Join WSPN’s reporters Melina Barris, Elyssa Grillo and Carolina Sdoia as they discuss their thoughts and opinions on celebrities’ looks at the 2024 Met Gala.

This year’s Met Gala had a combination of stars who understood the theme, as well as celebrities who dressed as if they didn’t even know about the theme. The theme for the 2024 Met Gala was the “Garden of Time,” and it was exciting to see everyone take their own spin on what this theme meant to them.

Zendaya
Zendaya’s look for the Met Gala was spot on. Since the theme for 2024 is “Garden of Time,” a majority of the celebrities’ attire included garden-related aspects and designs just like Zendaya’s. However, Zendaya perfected it. The shiny midnight blue and forest green colors complement each other, which ties perfectly together with the grape vines around her waist, arms and shoulder. We think the dress itself was exactly what the theme was asking for, however the make up wasn’t our favorite. The eyeshadow along with the dark lipstick goes along with the “dark” colors shown, but we think that the eyeshadow color should’ve been different instead of red and pink, possibly colors like green and blue that match her dress. This is mainly because we don’t think that bright pink and red necessarily match with the dark color theme her dress had. Overall, this look was one of our favorites.

Odell Buckham Jr.
Odell Beckham Jr.’s look for the Met Gala differentiated from the basic black tuxedo men usually wear. Beckham Jr. dressed according to the theme while still managing to dress classy. Even though his outfit was a black tuxedo, the flowers and stems embroidery detail was a perfect touch to the entire look. Beckham Jr. dressed in Bode which is a one of a kind handcrafted clothing. Choosing Bode was clearly the right decision because overall his look was a mix of simple yet sophisticated.

Karlie Kloss
Karlie Kloss wore a light pink dress with silver gems bedazzling the fabric from the top to the bottom. She had beaded flowers connected by gem covered vines that were draped all along her dress. Kloss pulled together a classy and on theme look. The glass-looking flowers began at her neck and then slowly spread out until her waist. Kloss’s earrings and rings were gold with pink which matched with the dress perfectly. Ultimately, we think that Kloss truly matched the theme, as she added her own take on “Garden of Time.”

Nicki Minaj

We know the beloved Nicki Minaj always dresses to impress by wearing over-dramatic and attention grabbing looks when it comes to big events. This year for the Met Gala, Minaj didn’t only leave people shocked, but she portrayed “Garden of Time” flawlessly. Minaj wore a short yellow dress covered in a variety of colorful flowers to convey the “garden” aspect of the theme. The flowers were a certain material that made them stand up on their own. To match the yellow theme Minaj displayed, she paired her dress with yellow shoes which complemented the outfit as a whole.

Michelle Yeoh

Michelle Yeoh, the star of “Everything Everywhere All at Once,” walked the Met Gala carpet looking like an aluminum foil wrapped burrito. We’re not sure if she didn’t get the memo with the theme, but there are surely no garden or time inspired pieces to her look. In prior years, she played it safe wearing simple gowns, so seeing this eyesore of a dress on her was really disappointing. She looks stunning, but the Balenciaga couture custom gown does not.

Emily Ratajkowski
It seems like Emily Ratajkowski simply forgot her clothes on the carpet this year. She showed up wearing a beaded Atelier Versace Haute Couture dress with nothing underneath. On the bright side, at least there was some effort to keep on theme with the flower design going throughout the piece. Still, it would’ve been better for Ratajkowski to engage with the theme more, especially since in prior years she has shown that she is capable of being on theme.

Sydney Sweeney
Is that Billie Ellish? No, it’s “Anyone But You” actress Sydney Sweeney wearing a gorgeous Mui Mui gown. People were thrown off by how similar she looked to singer Billie Ellish, especially since Ellish is rocking a jet black bob, just like Sweeney’s wig. We were happy to see that she stayed on the Garden theme with the floral details on her dress. She looks like a fairy tale princess, with an edgy twist. The Met Gala is the place to switch things up, so her choice to try a new look is respectable.

Elle Fanning
Actress Elle Fanning showed up to the Met Gala in an elegant Balmain and Cartier gown that appeared to be made of glass. Fanning starred in “Maleficent” in 2014 as Aurora, so since the theme of the Met Gala that year was “Sleeping Beauties,” she was a highly anticipated guest this year. As expected, her look did not disappoint. We were stunned by every detail of this ancient glass garden statue from the magically sheer fabric to the songbirds on her shoulders. The design is unique while matching the theme to a tee, and her Disney Princess smile tops it off perfectly.

Lana Del Rey
Lana Del Rey is always seen in ethereal outfits on the red carpet that matches her ethereal music. At the Met Gala, she encapsulated Maleficent energy in her Alexander McQueen look with the black vines spiraling up her dress. Under Del Rey’s veil, the vines reach her head to create deer antlers, another similarity to the horns of Maleficent, entwining the “Sleeping Beauties” and “Garden of Time” themes together, but with a dark twist. We love the vines and rose of Del Rey’s gown as well as her veil which we find very creative and Met Gala-esque. Although it doesn’t have a lot of color like what we imagined for a garden theme, it is artistic and the neutrality of the gown matches well with the Maleficent inspiration.

Tyla
Another dress designed by Balmain on the Met Gala runway was worn by the new pop artist, Tyla, and she looked like a goddess from the desert. At first glance, the look didn’t seem to match the time theme until we recognized the hourglass in her hand. Just like Lana Del Rey, Tyla exemplifies a look that doesn’t need vibrant colors to stand out and blow viewers away. This is once again a deeply thought out look that fits in with the “Garden of Time” in a niche way.

Teyana Taylor
18th century fashion meets red rose in this breathtaking look on Teyana Taylor designed by The Blonds. The big bleached hair and the skirt tiers of her gown calls back to the Rococo style that the monarchs of France popularized in the 1700s. Meanwhile, the flower applications represent the garden inspiration. Taylor’s look is less unique than other looks, but is one of the most beautiful, for she looks like a fairy queen in an old folktale.

Overall, the Met Gala was full of looks that we either loved or completely disliked. We do wish some of our favorite celebrities dressed more to the theme, but a lot of looks displayed were exceptional and creative. However, all the stars did impress us with their creativity and uniqueness despite some of the off-theme looks.