“Fashion’s Biggest Night,” the Met Gala, unfolded once again, and this year’s theme, “The Garden of Time,” promised a blossoming of sartorial interpretations. While the green carpet (a departure from the traditional red) presented a mix of predictable florals and head-scratching ensembles, certain attendees sparked conversations that extended beyond the night itself. Among them, Doja Cat’s Met Gala 2024 appearance immediately went viral, not for elaborate embellishments or historical references, but for its stark simplicity: an oversized, seemingly wet, cotton t-shirt. This bold choice, interpreted by some as a commentary on the theme and by others as a fashion misstep, became a central talking point, overshadowing even some of the more meticulously crafted gowns. Was Doja Cat’s Met Gala 2024 look a stroke of genius, a deliberate deconstruction of high fashion, or simply a swing and a miss? Let’s delve into the highlights and lowlights of the 2024 Met Gala, examining how celebrities interpreted “The Garden of Time” and whether Doja Cat’s unconventional approach truly blossomed or withered under scrutiny.
Met Gala 2024: Winners, Runners-Up, and Theme Interpretations
Despite initial impressions of an “underwhelming” green carpet, as many commentators noted, some guests successfully navigated the complexities of “The Garden of Time” theme. A few indeed bloomed, offering thoughtful and visually arresting interpretations.
The Best Dressed: A Triumph of Thematic Understanding
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Lewis Hamilton in Burberry: Hamilton’s Burberry ensemble stood out for its profound connection to the theme and its powerful message. He not only understood the assignment but also ensured his outfit eloquently communicated his vision.
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Tyla and Olivier Rousteing in Balmain: The Balmain duo’s sand-inspired outfits were undeniably linked to J.G. Ballard’s short story, symbolizing the ephemeral nature of time through a truly unique material.
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Lana Del Rey in Alexander McQueen: Del Rey’s custom McQueen design, referencing a 2006 archival look, captured a darker, more romantic aspect of the theme, resonating with many for its dramatic flair.
Image: Met Gala 2024 Best Dressed: Lewis Hamilton in Burberry, Tyla and Olivier Rousteing in Balmain, and Lana del Rey in Alexander McQueen, showcasing their winning outfits inspired by the “Garden of Time” theme.
Runner-Ups: Time-Conscious Details
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Barry Keoghan in Burberry: Keoghan’s moss green velvet Burberry suit, complete with a pocket watch, subtly nodded to the theme’s temporal element.
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Ben Simmons in Thom Browne: Simmons’ Thom Browne look evoked an English garden aesthetic and included a suitcase with a clock, further emphasizing the “time” aspect of the theme.
Image: Met Gala 2024 Runner-Ups: Barry Keoghan in Burberry with a pocket watch detail and Ben Simmons in Thom Browne carrying a clock suitcase, highlighting their subtle yet effective theme interpretations.
Theme Interpretations: Flowers, Time, and Replicas
The “Garden of Time” theme, while seemingly broad, offered diverse avenues for interpretation. From literal floral motifs to metaphorical representations of fleeting time, guests explored various facets of the prompt. Anna Wintour herself acknowledged the theme’s potential ambiguity, yet many argued that the source material – Ballard’s short story, the exhibition, and vast fashion archives – provided ample inspiration.
Common interpretations included:
- Obvious Florals: Direct and sometimes predictable floral designs.
- “Time is Fleeting” References: Outfits referencing the short story, often with darker, gothic undertones.
- Replicas, Reinterpretations, and Vintage: Building on the “Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion” exhibition, many opted for vintage garments or archival recreations.
Naomi Watts and Nicole Kidman, for instance, donned replicas or reinterpretations of Balenciaga gowns, with Kidman revisiting a flamenco dress from 1951 previously discussed in relation to Carey Mulligan’s Oscars Balenciaga moment. Lana del Rey’s McQueen dress also fell into this category.
Image: Met Gala 2024 Archival Recreations: Naomi Watts and Nicole Kidman wearing Balenciaga replica gowns, showcasing the trend of reinterpreting fashion history for the event.
Vintage pieces also made a significant appearance, adding another layer to the theme. Kendall Jenner wore a Givenchy by Alexander McQueen gown from 1999, never before worn publicly, while Emily Ratajkowski opted for a Versace Haute Couture “Naked Dress” from 2001. Bee Carozzini further validated the vintage trend with an Alexander McQueen Spring/Summer 2016 gown.
Image: Met Gala 2024 Vintage Fashion: Emily Ratajkowski in Atelier Versace 2001, Kendall Jenner in Givenchy 1999, and Bee Carozzini in Alexander McQueen 2016, demonstrating the prominent vintage trend on the green carpet.
Fast Fashion and Sustainability: A Met Gala Contradiction
A recurring critique of the Met Gala, and fashion in general, surfaced this year with the juxtaposition of promoting sustainability while simultaneously featuring fast fashion brands. H&M was notably present on several guests, a choice that clashes with the event’s increasingly eco-conscious messaging and Vogue’s partnership with eBay to promote vintage fashion. The emphasis on vintage accessories and sustainable practices felt dissonant against the backdrop of fast fashion representation, raising questions about the gala’s commitment to environmental responsibility versus brand sponsorships. This tension left a somewhat sour taste for observers concerned about the industry’s broader impact.
Decoding the Details: Winning and Disappointing Outfits, Including Doja Cat’s “Statue”
Winning Outfits: Thematic Mastery
Lewis Hamilton in Burberry: Message and Meaning
Lewis Hamilton’s Burberry look earned accolades for its deep thematic resonance. In a night where many seemed to overlook the brief, Hamilton’s dedication to understanding and embodying “The Garden of Time” was commendable. He articulated in interviews that engaging with the theme was paramount, a sentiment seemingly lost on many attendees.
Image: Met Gala 2024 Thematic Excellence: Lewis Hamilton in a Burberry embroidered coat featuring Alex Wharton’s poem “The Gardener”, showcasing his thoughtful and deeply researched interpretation of the theme.
Hamilton’s embroidered coat was the result of extensive research into the theme. He and his team discovered John Ystumllyn, an 18th-century gardener brought from Africa to Wales as a slave who became the first Black gardener in Wales. Ystumllyn’s story of hardship and triumph, culminating in an interracial marriage, was woven into the outfit’s narrative. The coat’s lining featured Alex Wharton’s poem “The Gardener,” further referencing Ystumllyn. Styled by Eric Mcneal and crafted by Daniel Lee at Burberry, the ensemble was a powerful statement. Hamilton explicitly linked the thorn necklace to the pain of the slave trade, ensuring his message was clearly conveyed. This outfit transcended mere fashion; it became a poignant political statement, injecting much-needed substance into the evening.
Tyla and Olivier Rousteing in Balmain: Sands of Time Embodied
Tyla’s sculpted sand dress by Balmain initially sparked confusion, bordering on “naked dress” territory. However, closer inspection revealed its ingenious concept: crafted entirely from sand, it symbolized the “sands of time.” Her hourglass silhouette and hourglass-shaped accessory reinforced this interpretation.
Image: Met Gala 2024 Innovative Design: Tyla in a Balmain sand dress and Olivier Rousteing in a sand-sculpted suit, representing the “sands of time” with remarkable material innovation and thematic relevance.
Olivier Rousteing, Balmain’s creative director, complemented Tyla in a sand-sculpted suit featuring a face, likely his own, referencing the characters turning to stone in “The Garden of Time.” These Balmain creations, demanding deeper engagement and background knowledge, proved to be among the most successful thematic interpretations.
Lana Del Rey in Alexander McQueen: Dark Romanticism
Lana Del Rey’s Alexander McQueen reinterpretation of a 2006 design divided opinions. Her corseted silk dress, adorned with hawthorn branches, directly referenced the conclusion of Ballard’s short story, evoking a sense of thorny, melancholic beauty.
Image: Met Gala 2024 Thematic Reinterpretation: Lana del Rey in Alexander McQueen, featuring hawthorn branches and a veiled headpiece, embodying the dark romanticism of “The Garden of Time” and Ballard’s narrative.
The hawthorn branches extended into her headpiece, complete with a tulle veil. She carried a clock-detailed metal bag and a single rose, mirroring the figures in Ballard’s story: “Beside him was a woman in an elaborate full-skirted dress, her slim serene face unmarked by the wind and rain. In her left hand she lightly clasped a single rose…” Seán McGirr, McQueen’s creative director, cited Swiss sculptor Alberto Giacometti as an additional inspiration for the branches.
The original 2006 McQueen design was notably more dramatic, with a masked face and deer antlers. While retaining a dark, unsettling quality, Del Rey’s interpretation felt lighter, more youthful, and arguably more beautiful, successfully translating the essence of the original while making it her own.
Image: Met Gala 2024 Underrated Looks: Mona Patel in Iris van Herpen with kinetic butterfly arm detail and Elle Fanning in Balmain, showcasing fairytale-like interpretations that deserved more recognition.
Mona Patel in Iris van Herpen, with moving butterflies on her arm, and Elle Fanning in a fairytale-esque Balmain gown also deserved more recognition than they received on best-dressed lists, showcasing creative and thematic commitment.
Disappointments: Missed Opportunities and Misinterpretations, Including Doja Cat’s Controversial Look
Margiela: Runway to Red Carpet Misfire
The Margiela presence, while anticipated, proved somewhat disappointing. Despite the recent John Galliano collection’s dramatic runway show, the Met Gala translation fell flat. The immersive atmosphere Galliano cultivated on the runway was absent on the green carpet. While individual Margiela pieces retained their cool factor, their thematic connection felt tenuous. The sheer volume of Margiela looks diluted their impact; fewer, more strategically placed appearances might have been more effective.
Gwendoline Christie’s blood orange gown, referencing blood oranges as a garden element, and Bad Bunny’s intriguing Margiela creation with sunglasses and a headpiece, felt thematically weak. Kim Kardashian’s Margiela look, referencing the runway show’s styling, lost its intended impact due to different styling and setting. Even Zendaya’s initial Margiela reinterpretation of Dior, while referencing Galliano’s history, seemed underwhelming for her typically high style standards. Her subsequent vintage Givenchy and Alexander McQueen hat combination was more thoughtful but still not a standout, and her final Celia Kritharioti dress was forgettable.
Image: Met Gala 2024 Margiela Disappointments: Gwendoline Christie, Bad Bunny, and Kim Kardashian in Margiela, illustrating how the brand’s runway drama didn’t fully translate to a successful Met Gala interpretation of “The Garden of Time”.
Image: Met Gala 2024 Zendaya’s Multiple Looks: Zendaya in Margiela, Givenchy with an Alexander McQueen hat, and Celia Kritharioti, showcasing her multiple outfit changes throughout the evening, with mixed reception regarding thematic relevance.
Doja Cat: Garden Statue or Fashion Faux Pas?
And then there was Doja Cat’s Met Gala 2024 look. Her oversized white t-shirt dress initially resembled a wet t-shirt contest entry, prompting immediate confusion regarding its connection to “The Garden of Time.” Posing statuesquely on the green carpet fueled speculation that she was embodying a garden statue. Indeed, this interpretation gained traction, with some arguing her cotton t-shirt, a garment material derived from a plant, subtly linked to the “garden” aspect of the theme.
Image: Met Gala 2024 Polarizing Outfits: Doja Cat in a simple white t-shirt dress and Gigi Hadid in Thom Browne, highlighting the range of reactions from confusion to appreciation for their thematic interpretations.
While this explanation provides a conceptual link, Doja Cat’s Met Gala 2024 outfit remained highly divisive. Some lauded its subversive nature, a deliberate rejection of Met Gala extravagance and a commentary on the absurdity of high fashion itself. Others deemed it utterly inappropriate, lacking the effort and artistry expected at such a prestigious event. The simplicity, while conceptually justifiable, bordered on seeming dismissive of the occasion. Whether Doja Cat’s Met Gala 2024 look was a brilliant deconstruction or a fashion fumble remains a subject of heated debate, solidifying its place as one of the most talked-about – and controversial – looks of the night.
Further Disappointments: Themes Overlooked
Gigi Hadid in Thom Browne, despite the dress’s 13,500-hour craftsmanship celebrating artistry, was also polarizing. While the top half was praised, the shirt-pile bottom was less favorably received, with some interpreting it as referencing “The Bear” TV show, a connection seemingly irrelevant to the Met Gala.
Rita Ora’s dress made of ancient beads from Europe and Africa, intended to transform something old into something new, backfired. Instead of aligning with the exhibition’s preservation theme, it arguably contradicted it by repurposing potentially historically significant artifacts into a garment.
Da’Vine Joy Randolph in Zac Posen for The Gap, while flattering and featuring blossom-like details, felt thematically disconnected due to the denim fabric. Posen’s attempt to link denim to plants and “The Garden of Time” felt like a forced justification for promoting a Gap bestseller.
Sarah Jessica Parker’s Richard Quinn and Philip Treacy ensemble, with its boxy bag, felt overwhelming and lacked thematic clarity, despite Parker’s history of Met Gala extravagance. Penelope Cruz in Chanel, crafted from vintage 1940s and 1950s fabric, evoked funeral vibes rather than a garden, while Dior’s black dress for Rosalía, described as a “black tulip,” was a missed opportunity for archival floral Dior designs. Jordan Roth’s Valentino floral mountain, though visually striking, felt like a random floral explosion lacking deeper thematic grounding.
Image: Met Gala 2024 Thematic Missteps: Da’Vine in Zac Posen for The Gap and Rita Ora in a dress made of ancient beads, highlighting outfits that missed the mark in interpreting “The Garden of Time”.
Image: Met Gala 2024 Further Disappointments: Sarah Jessica Parker in Richard Quinn, Penelope Cruz in Chanel, Rosalía in Dior, and Jordan Dunn in Valentino, illustrating a range of outfits that failed to effectively connect with the “Garden of Time” theme.
Did They Even Read the Theme? The Case of Thematically Lost Looks
Numerous outfits prompted the question: did some guests even consider the theme? Serena Williams and Michelle Yeoh, while elegant, showed no discernible connection to “The Garden of Time.” Cardi B’s enormous black creation, claiming to be a flower growing from asphalt, felt tenuously linked at best. Jennie Kim’s Alaia ensemble seemed more suited for a beach party, and Eva Chen’s Robert Wun design, while cool, was thematically misplaced.
Image: Met Gala 2024 Thematically Disconnected: Serena Williams, Michelle Yeoh, Cardi B, and Jennie Kim, representing outfits that seemed to disregard the “Garden of Time” theme altogether.
Wisdom Kane in Robert Wun, however, offered a more nuanced take. While initially appearing as a typical Met Gala attention-grabber, its decaying, burned aesthetic subtly referenced time and the ephemeral nature of both flowers and fashion, demonstrating a deeper thematic engagement.
Image: Met Gala 2024 Thematic Nuance: Eva Chen in Robert Wun and Wisdom Kane in Robert Wun, contrasting Chen’s thematically misplaced look with Kane’s more thoughtful interpretation of time and decay.
Pretty but Forgettable: A Sea of “Safe” Choices
Many outfits, while aesthetically pleasing, lacked lasting impact. JLo in Schiaparelli, despite a compelling narrative of butterfly wings symbolizing decay and Schiaparelli’s insect motifs, failed to resonate on the green carpet. Anna Wintour’s Loewe floral coat, referencing a House of Worth ensemble in the exhibition, was conceptually interesting but stylistically underwhelming. Alia Bhat’s sari by Sabyasachi Mukherjee, while celebrating Indian craftsmanship and timelessness, felt somewhat predictable and lacked visual novelty. Mindy Kaling’s Gaurav Gupta melting flower dress, unfortunately overshadowed by Cardi B’s previous Gaurav Gupta moment, also fell into the forgettable category.
Image: Met Gala 2024 Pretty but Forgettable: JLo in Schiaparelli, showcasing an outfit with thematic intent but lacking red carpet impact.
Image: Met Gala 2024 Referencing Fashion History: Anna Wintour in a Loewe coat referencing a 19th-century House of Worth ensemble, illustrating a subtle nod to the exhibition despite a less memorable overall look.
Image: Met Gala 2024 Timeless Elegance: Alia Bhat in Sabyasachi Mukherjee, highlighting the sari’s timeless appeal but noting its lack of groundbreaking impact on the green carpet.
Image: Met Gala 2024 Deja Vu: Mindy Kaling in Gaurav Gupta alongside Cardi B in a similar Gaurav Gupta design from the previous year, demonstrating how Kaling’s look suffered from comparison and lack of originality.
Conclusion: A Garden of Mixed Blooms, Highlighted by Doja Cat’s Audacity
The Met Gala 2024 green carpet proved to be a mixed bag. While some guests, like Lewis Hamilton, Tyla, and Lana Del Rey, blossomed with thoughtful and thematically resonant outfits, many others seemed to miss the mark, offering either predictable florals or thematically disconnected ensembles. Doja Cat’s Met Gala 2024 look, while divisive, undeniably sparked conversation and challenged conventional Met Gala expectations. Whether considered a fashion triumph or a misstep, it underscored the event’s inherent tension between artistic expression and spectacle. A greater diversity of designers, including independent labels, would be a welcome addition in future years, potentially injecting fresh perspectives and creativity into fashion’s biggest night. Despite its shortcomings, the Met Gala continues to be a fascinating reflection of contemporary fashion and celebrity culture, leaving us to ponder the boundaries of thematic interpretation and red carpet risk-taking, as exemplified by the unforgettable Doja Cat Met Gala 2024 moment.
Footnotes
[1] Press release by Givenchy shared on the Instagram Account of Kendall Jenner.
[2] Vogue Met Gala 2024 Livestream, Who What Wear 2024.
[3] Vogue Met Gala 2024 Livestream.
[4] Ballard 1962.
[5] Ballard 1962.
[6] Vogue 2024.
Sources
J.G. Ballard, The Garden of Time, 1962, via Culture Injection, last accessed on 10 May 2024.
Vogue, Met Gala 2024 Livestream, last accessed on 10 May 2024.
Vogue, Zendaya Brought the Drama—In Two Different Looks!—At the 2024 Met Gala, last accessed on 10 May 2024.
Who, What, Wear, Lewis Hamilton Understood the Assignment at This Year’s Met Gala, last accessed on 10 May 2024.
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Disclaimer
This article is based on the personal, views, experiences and research of the author, no fees were received by the organisations and people mentioned above. All information as of the date of publishing/updating.
