The annual Costume Institute Gala, hosted by the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, has been known to create social media buzz with its celebrity attendees, fashion statements and intriguing themes. As we prepare for the big night at the MET in May 2022, let’s talk about what we can expect from this year’s event: The theme of MET Gala 2022 was In Bloom. It was inspired by Claude Monet’s series of paintings Nymphéas (1914–17), which are currently being exhibited at the MET Museum in New York City until August 2019.
Theme: In Bloom
In a world where everything is moving so fast, it's important to take a moment to appreciate all the beauty that surrounds us. And when it comes to flowers, there are few as inspirational as the blooming gardenia; symbolizing renewal and victory in many cultures across the globe. That's why Gardenia will be our guiding flower this year - marking this moment with roses, wildflowers, primroses and other gentle blossoms in celebration of In Bloom. Continuing the tradition established by Karl Lagerfeld in 2018, 2020's In Bloom look book will feature twelve looks designed by twelve artists who embody the spirit of inspiration. Including Spring 2016 designer nominee Gigi Hadid and S/S 2019 designer nominee Rosie Huntington-Whiteley.
The new Rose Gold Collection from Flower bomb also makes its debut for this special occasion. Introducing five beautiful new scents for both women and men: Sunflower, Cherry Blossom, Magnolia, Amaryllis and Lily-of-the-Valley. Celebrating lightness without sacrificing potency: a gentle breeze over sweet pastries at an outdoor café to awaken you fully from your winter slumber.
Runway Inspired By Marie Antoinette
The theme for MET Gala 2022 was In Bloom. When you think about flowers in bloom, one of the first things that come to mind is queen Marie Antoinette's Rose Gardens at Versailles. My runway looks were inspired by this famous and important woman in history who led a rich and extravagant life with many lovers and created the first couture industry for women. While MET Fashion has always had men as well as women presenting, I wanted to take a break from the masculine this year and focus on flower prints in feminine silhouettes while staying true to my personal style because I am so grateful to have been invited again!
Jewelry That Helped Tell the Story
There were multiple tables that showed a variety of diamonds and rubies. It was House of Gucci, showing off their latest collection with pieces like: The Serpentine necklace, covered in large gold crystal cabochons - $1400; The Astrid cuffs with crystals at the cuff's curved edges for $860 and Diamonds set in gold bars on serpent cufflinks for $950 each. House of Gucci also designed some rings to compliment these pieces as well.
Pink Narcissus Dress by Fendi
Fashion is always at the heart of the Met Gala, but this year's in particular invited designers to draw inspiration from a specific time period: Elizabeth Taylor and Rome in the 1960s. House of Gucci ambassador Alessandro Michele tapped his friend, fashion historian and journalist Clare Waight Keller to be creative director for this fashion-filled evening, one that attracted some Hollywood royalty including Carey Mulligan and Amy Adams, who wore custom designs by Oscar de la Renta; Jennifer Lopez who donned a Roberto Cavalli outfit; Julia Roberts who dazzled in Ralph Lauren Couture; Zoe Saldana and Jane Fonda who stunned in all black gowns.
Trompe l'Oeil Hairstyle by Ammon Carver
This hairstyle is a great way to embrace the classic look but with a new twist on it! The look consisted of curls, which I pinned back to bring out the edginess, but without feeling too off-putting for the event. It used an orange-y copper shade, reminiscent of the blooming flowers that usually mark this time of year in New York City's botanical gardens. Met Gala 2022 French painter Paul Cezanne's portraits were central to the inspiration for Met Gala 2022. From their formal arrangement and expressionistic brushstrokes to the intense colors he favored, his paintings were central to a discussion about how art can capture different times of day or moments from history. And at Met 2019, we saw Cezanne's influence play out across some of the best dressed looks of the night as well: Givenchy haute couture and Maison Margiela Creative Director John Galliano both drew on his paintings' use of color and form, while Moncler Gamme Rouge borrowed Cezanne’s distinctive light palette to give its first dress design an avant-garde feel.
Sparkling Swarovski Crystals on a Gown
Tom Ford knows how to do glamour and with his newest collection, he's going into full bloom! The designer showcased over 5,000 Swarovski crystals that fell delicately from a cocktail dress in a show-stopping flurry of light and color. His women waltzed down the runway as if they were fairies. True to the themed couture show, roses adorned many of the dresses while other pieces incorporated pale pink tulle or cream georgette with layers upon layers of ruffles paired with dramatic gold detailing. The finale gown was a sea foam green satin custom creation for Victoria Beckham that draped her curvaceous frame like liquid silk.
Reflective Pumps by Sophia Webster
Sophia Webster's Spring 2020 runway show kicked off the early spring season at last month's London Fashion Week with a string of decadent flower-filled shapes, where colorful petals and blooms made their way onto everything from skin to skirts in preparation for the upcoming warmer months. Now, the revered designer has unveiled the theme of next year's hotly anticipated annual Costume Institute Benefit: In Bloom.
The event will take place on May 7th, when six different designers, including Louis Vuitton creative director Nicolas Ghesquière and Ralph Lauren's new womenswear artistic director Raf Simons, will showcase creations that are sure to be instant classics—making it one of fashion's most highly anticipated evenings this year.
An Oversized Jacket With Bat Wing Sleeves
The Metropolitan Museum's Met Gala and Costume Institute celebration, known as the Oscars of fashion, is one of the most prestigious red carpets in entertainment and society. This year's theme was In Bloom – a nod to flower power's pivotal importance in the 1970s and ‘80s when everyone from clothes designers to rock bands wore flowers on their dresses, stage outfits, shoes, hair and all over their bodies. Co-chairs Karlie Kloss and Anna Wintour celebrated this sentiment with floral installations by floral designer Ronny Joice.
A focal point of the evening were two full-sized cherry blossom trees created by Takashi Murakami – he used these trees to illustrate his interpretation of Japanese artist Isamu Noguchi’s theory that every object should be given its own unique shape.
In addition, guests were also able to purchase limited edition pieces by artist Marina Abramović during the evening.