MET Costume Institute Gala 2016: "Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology"

[agee]

Who's Wearing What:

Adriana Lima - Giambattista Valli
Agyness Deyn - Kenzo
Aja Naomi King - Prabal Gurung
Alessandra Ambrosio - Balmain
Alexa Chung - Thakoon
Alexander Skarsgard - Louis Vuitton
Allison Williams - Peter Pilotto
Amandla Stenberg - Calvin Klein Collection
Amber Heard - Ralph Lauren
Amber Valletta - H&M
Amy Schumer - Alexander Wang
Alicia Vikander - Louis Vuitton
Anna Ewers - Jason Wu
Anna Kendrick - Derek Lam
Anna Wintour - Chanel
Bee Shaffer - Alexander McQueen
Bella Hadid - Givenchy
Bette Midler - Marc Jacobs
Beyonce - Givenchy
Blake Lively - Burberry
Bobby Cannavale - Ralph Lauren Purple Label
Brie Larson - Proenza Schouler
Catt Sadler - Hamel
Charlotte Casiraghi - Gucci
Chloe Grace Moretz - Coach 1941
Chloe Sevigny - Simone Rocha
Ciara - H&M
Cindy Crawford - Balmain
Claire Danes - Zac Posen
Colin Farrell - Dolce & Gabbana
Dakota Fanning - Nina Ricci
Dakota Johnson - Gucci
Danai Gurira - Giambattista Valli
Demi Lovato - Moschino
Diane von Furstenberg - Diane von Furstenberg
Doutzen Kroes - Balmain
Dylan Penn - Diane von Furstenberg
Elizabeth Debicki - Prada
Elle Fanning - Thakoon
Ellie Bamber - Giles Deacon
Emily Blunt - Michael Kors Collection
Emily Ratajkowski - Prabal Gurung
Emma Roberts - Tory Burch
Emma Stone - Prada
Emma Watson - Calvin Klein
Fei Fei Sun - Chanel
FKA Twigs - Atelier Versace
Florence Welch - Gucci
Freida Pinto - Tory Burch
Gigi Hadid - Tommy Hilfiger
Grimes - Louis Vuitton
Hailee Steinfeld - H&M
Hailey Baldwin - Louis Vuitton
The Haim Sisters - Rodarte
Hannah Davis - Zuhair Murad
Herizen F. Guardiola - Monique Lhuillier
Idris Elba - Tom Ford
Imaam Hamaam - Diane von Furstenberg
Irina Shayk - Givenchy
Ivanka Trump - Ralph Lauren
Jack Huston - Alexander McQueen
Jaden Smith - Louis Vuitton
Jared Leto - Gucci
Jason Statham - Ralph Lauren Purple Label
Jemima Kirke - Chanel
Jenna Lyons - J. Crew
Jenni Konner - J. Crew
Jennifer Connelly - Louis Vuitton
Jennifer Hudson - H&M
Jessica Chastain - Prada
Jessica Hart - Azzedine Alaia
Jourdan Dunn - Balmain
Julie Macklowe - Philipp Plein
Juno Temple - Erdem
Kanye West - Balmain
Karlie Kloss - Brandon Maxwell
Karolina Kurkova - Marchesa
Kate Bosworth - Dolce & Gabbana
Kate Hudson - Versace
Kate Mara - Julien Dossena for Paco Rabanne
Kate Upton - Topshop
Katie Holmes - Zac Posen
Katy Perry - Prada
Kendall Jenner - Atelier Versace
Kerry Washington - Marc Jacobs
Kim Kardashian - Balmain
Kris Jenner - Balmain
Kristen Stewart - Chanel
Kylie Jenner - Balmain
Lady Gaga - Versace
LaLa Anthony - Public School
Lara Stone - Tom Ford
Lauren Santo Domingo - Giambattista Valli
Léa Seydoux - Louis Vuitton
Lena Dunham - J. Crew
Liberty Ross - vintage Galliano
Lily Aldridge - Michael Kors Collection
Lily Collins in Valentino
Lily-Rose Depp - Chanel
Liu Wen - Iris Van Herpen
Lorde - Valentino
Louise Parker - Chanel
Lupita Nyong’o - Calvin Klein
Mackenzie Davis - Altuzarra
Madonna - Givenchy
Margot Robbie - Calvin Klein Collection
Maria Sharapova - Juan Carlos Obando
Maryna Linchuk - Topshop
Megyn Kelly - Badgley Mischka
Mia Goth - Prada
Mia Wasikowska - Prada
Michelle Monaghan - Rosie Assoulin
Michelle Williams - Louis Vuitton
Mindy Kaling - Tory Burch
Miranda Kerr - Louis Vuitton
Misty Copeland - Jason Wu
Naomi Campbell - Roberto Cavalli
Naomi Watts - Burberry
Naomie Harris - Burberry
Nate Parker - Calvin Klein Collection
Nick Jonas - Topman
Nicki Minaj - Moschino
Nicole Kidman - Alexander McQueen
Nina Dobrev - Marchesa
Olivia Culpo - Emanuel Ungaro
Olivia Wilde - Michael Kors Collection
Poppy Delevingne - Marchesa
Rachel McAdams - Valentino
Rachel Smith - Sophie Theallet
Riley Keough - Diane von Furstenberg
Rita Ora - Vera Wang
Rose Byrne - Ralph Lauren Collection
Rosie Huntington-Whiteley - Ralph Lauren Collection
Saoirse Ronan - Christopher Kane
Sarah Jessica Parker - Monse
Selena Gomez - Louis Vuitton
Sienna Miller - Gucci
Sofia Richie - Topshop
Solange Knowles - David LaPort
Stacy Martin - Prada
Stella Maxwell - Topshop
Tavi Gevinson - Coach
Taylor Hill - Topshop
Taylor Swift - Louis Vuitton
Tom Hiddleston - Ralph Lauren Purple Label
Uma Thurman - Tommy Hilfiger
Wendi Deng - Christopher Kane
will.i.am - Gucci
Willow Smith - Chanel
Wiz Khalifa - rag & bone
Zayn Malik - Versace
Zendaya - Michael Kors
Zoe Kravitz - Valentino
Zoe Saldana - Dolce & Gabbana
Zoey Deutch - Dolce & Gabbana

 

[agee]

From racked.com:

Met Gala 2016: Start Time, How to Watch, and Everything to Know
Rebecca Jennings Apr 29, 2016, 2:00p


The easiest way to explain to someone what the function of the Met Gala is is that it's fashion's Super Bowl. So, its famous people in pretty dresses playing football? No, but that would be fun, and someone should invent that! Instead, the Met Gala is an occasion in which celebrities converge in honor of the Costume Institute's annual fashion exhibit — or because Anna Wintour told them to.

Part–red carpet, part–really fancy dinner party, the Met Gala acts as a fundraiser for the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute. Though the celebs on the guest list don't have to pay to attend, the rest of the attendees have forked over $25,000 each to eat among the stars.

Every year, the stars dress up in accordance with the theme of the exhibit, which in the past have included an Alexander McQueen retrospective, an exploration of Chinese fashion, and how punk style became incorporated into couture fashion.

Below, everything else know before the red carpet to end all red carpets begins tonight.


The Theme

The Costume Institute's new exhibit is entitled Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology (sigh), and will explore the blurring line between man- and machine-made fashion. It's traditional for guests to wear garments that reflect the theme, which means that we can likely expect to see plenty of futuristic (and hopefully plenty of retro-futuristic, too) looks on the red carpet. Keep an eye out for outfits that employ both handmade and technologically produced designs, like embroidery or lasercutting.

As always, however, there'll be a handful of celebs who completely ignore the theme altogether, and another handful who go completely bonkers with it. That's part of the fun!


The Hosts

Vogue editor in chief Anna Wintour has been the event's official chair and host since 1995, but each year, she selects an honorary chair to preside over the event. This year's choice? Newly bleach blonde Vogue cover girl Taylor Swift.

Her co-hosts for the evening are Idris Elba, and Apple's chief design officer Jonathan Ive. Honorary chairs include Louis Vuitton designer Nicolas Ghesquière, Karl Lagerfeld, and Miuccia Prada. Apple is also sponsoring the event, fittingly.


The Attendees

Wintour and the Costume Institute have been oddly secretive about this year's guest list, but celebrities and designers often come paired up, with designers on the arm of the celebrity they've dressed for the evening. Since Anna Wintour and Vogue staffers select each of the 650 to 700 people on the guest list, expect standby A-listers like Sarah Jessica Parker, Rihanna, and Kim and Kanye to be there.

There's also always a performer, and it's always a big one. (For context, last year's was Rihanna.) Speculation of this year's is falling squarely on the shoulders of perhaps the only pop star who could top her, Beyoncé, who hasn't missed a Met Gala in years. Because Taylor Swift is the honorary chair of this year's event, she will likely not perform.


How to Watch

In years past, the Met Gala red carpet was not televised, and the only way to see the celebrities was to either be there or find photos of them online. But for the first time ever, E! will cover the event via its special, Live from the Red Carpet, which will be similar to their coverage for awards shows like the Oscars. A red carpet pre-show will air at 7 p.m., followed by red carpet fashion at 7:30 p.m.

In another new development this year, Instagram will also be highlighting the best videos from within the Met Ball via a dedicated video channel. It'll be accessible on the Explore page until Tuesday at 5 p.m., according to WWD.

The actual gala will not be televised, and guests are forbidden to use social media during the event, but you can keep up with all of our up-to-date coverage right here.

From nytimes.com:

What Is the Met Gala, and Who Gets to Go?
Vanessa Friedman
ON THE RUNWAY MAY 2, 2016

Officially, it’s the Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute Benefit, a black-tie extravaganza held the first Monday in May to raise money for the Costume Institute (a.k.a. the fashion department), the only one of the Met’s curatorial departments that has to fund itself. Unofficially, Monday night’s festivities in New York have been called many things, including “the party of the year,” “the Oscars of the East Coast” (mostly because of the star quotient and the elaborate red carpet, in which guests pose on the grand entrance stairs to the museum) and, somewhat pointedly, “an A.T.M. for the Met,” by the publicist Paul Wilmot.

The party signals the opening of the Costume Institute’s annual blockbuster show, and it is known for its celebrity and fashion hosts. This year, the exhibit is “Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology,” and the hosts are Anna Wintour, chairwoman of the gala; Jonathan Ive, chief design officer of Apple; Taylor Swift; and the actor Idris Elba. The honorary chairs are the Chanel designer Karl Lagerfeld; Miuccia Prada; and Nicolas Ghesquière, Louis Vuitton’s artistic director. All will be in attendance except for Mr. Lagerfeld, who will be in Cuba because the Chanel Cruise show is in Havana the day after the gala.


Why is it called the party of the year?

Ms. Wintour, the editor of American Vogue and the artistic director of Condé Nast, took over as chairwoman of the gala in 1999. Since then, she has been instrumental in transforming a local philanthropic event into the ultimate global celebrity/power cocktail: Take a jigger of famous names from fashion, add film, politics and business, and mix. It is among the hardest party tickets of the year to get — and thus intensely coveted.


How much does it cost?

Tickets this year are $30,000 apiece, and tables are $275,000. The party and exhibit are sponsored (this year Apple is the main underwriter), so all the money raised from ticket sales goes to the Costume Institute. Last year, more than $12.5 million was raised. Of course, not everyone pays for a ticket. Brands often invite celebrities to be their guests and sit at their table, and Ms. Wintour also often invites up-and-coming designers who might not be able to afford a ticket and scatters them around the event.


How many people attend?

Last year, there were about 600 attendees.


So if I can afford a ticket, can I go?

Dream on. Unlike other cultural fund-raisers, like the New York City Ballet gala or the Frick Collection’s Young Fellows Ball, the Met gala is invitation-only, and there is a waiting list to get on the invitation list. Qualifications for inclusion have to do with buzz and achievement (and beauty) more than money. Ms. Wintour has final say over every invitation and attendee, which means that even if a brand buys a table, it cannot choose everyone who sits at its table: The brand must clear it with her, and Vogue.


O.K., you’re saying I can’t go. So why should I care?

It’s reality TV at its most glamorous. Watch Justin Bieber schmooze with Rihanna! See Gisele Bündchen and Tom Brady greet Donatella Versace! Check out Chelsea Clinton kissing Diane von Furstenberg! Judge whether you approve of their outfits! You get the idea.


Speaking of outfits, do attendees have to dress in theme?

It isn’t explicitly stated that attendees have to dress like the exhibition, but it is encouraged. This can sometimes backfire. In 2013, for example, the theme was “Punk,” and the red carpet, which featured Sarah Jessica Parker in a Philip Treacy fauxhawk hat and graffiti gown, and Madonna in fishnet shorts and a studded plaid jacket, was widely panned.

Last year, the exhibit was “China: Through the Looking Glass,” and it created some politically incorrect moments when celebrities and the designers who dressed them got their Asian references muddled. (Lady Gaga, for example, wore a Balenciaga kimonolike look, which seemed to lean toward the Japanese; ditto Georgia May Jagger in Gucci.) Generally, it is advisable to play it safe and just get really, really dressed up.

That said, what is not negotiable is that if celebrities are invited to the gala by a brand, they have to wear clothes from that brand. This encourages brands to get the best celebrities because they can act as something of an advertisement for a house. It is also why, whenever designers are photographed on the red carpet, their “dates” are almost always famous people. Last year, for example, Marc Jacobs took Cher; Christopher Kane, FKA Twigs; Alexander Wang, Taraji P. Henson; and Jeremy Scott, Katy Perry.

This year, you can expect guests to be wearing a lot of Prada, Louis Vuitton and Chanel, given the honorary chairs, though the technology component could yield some interesting results. Beyoncé usually makes the final entrance, so it’s worth watching until the bitter end.


How long has this been going on?

The publicist Eleanor Lambert started the gala in 1948 as a typical philanthropic endeavor for the great and good of New York society. Pat Buckley, the wife of the conservative pundit William F. Buckley Jr., took over as chairwoman in 1979, but it has morphed into its current form only since the turn of the millennium. Ms. Wintour now oversees every detail, down to timed entrances for guests.


What happens when guests get inside?

It’s a secret! Since last year, posting on social media has been banned after the red carpet. What I can tell you is this: There is a receiving line inside with all the hosts, and guests have to file by and air-kiss them; then they tour the exhibit on their way to the cocktail party, so they are at least theoretically forced to see the culture. After cocktails, they are called in to dinner, and there is always some form of entertainment (last year, it was Rihanna; the year before, Frank Ocean). This is good, because as the red carpet part of the evening has become a giant marketing event — live streamed on a variety of sites, and shown on E!, just like the Oscars — the fact that the main part of the event is private allows guests to relax and have fun.

Or so they tell me.

 

[SallyAlbright]

Can't wait! Since there's been no real guest list, I hope to see the following: Rose Byrne, Margot Robbie, Rachel Weisz, Lupita Nyong'o, Diane Kruger, Emma Watson, Marion Cotillard, Saoirse Ronan, and of course SJP. What I don't want is a Swift "squad"/Kardashian show.

 

[SallyAlbright]

Burberry is posting some previews of gowns they've designed for tonight. I wonder who will be wearing each of them!

Additionally, both Mindy Kaling and Freida Pinto have tagged Tory Burch in their Met Gala instagrams. Looks like Mindy's dress is yellow.

 

[SallyAlbright]

Others who seem to be attending based on instagram: Lily Collins, Doutzen Kroes, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Taylor Hill, Kate Hudson, Ivanka Trump, Selena Gomez, and Alicia Vikander (last two most likely in LV)

 

[dodencebt]

From the video with the sketches that Burberry has posted, I can identify Edie Campbell in the flower suit for sure. Anyone have ideas for the rest? Could that be Jourdan Dunn in the orange dress and James Corden in the suit afterwards?

 

[dodencebt]

Also, what do we think Taylor Swift is going to wear? I assume it's going to be one of the co-chairs, so - Vuitton?

 

[SallyAlbright]

Yep, definitely could be Jourdan Dunn in that Burberry sketch, and the other guy resembles Ben Whishaw?

 

[MDNA]

Jolin Tsai in Marc Jacobs.

 

[dodencebt]

Karolina Kurkova is also attending.

Just an idea, maybe a mod could make a list and keep updating it as we add new names?

 

[dodencebt]

Also, Kim Kardashian is definitely attending.

 

[zacatecas570]

The event will have livestream?

 

[Aizanara]

What I don't want is a Swift "squad"/Kardashian show.

Kim, Kris, Kendall and apparently Kylie are attending, sorry for you
Bella Hadid is rumoured to attend and wear Givenchy

 

[TREVOFASHIONISTO]

Maryna Linchuk, Vanessa Axente, and Imaan Hammam are going. I saw Kristen Stewart this AM with 2 other people (maybe her stylist) going to a building that I believe is an agency representing make up artists. I assume she'll be there as well.

 

[dodencebt]

Kim, Kris, Kendall and apparently Kylie are attending, sorry for you
Bella Hadid is rumoured to attend and wear Givenchy

Bella attended a pre-Met gala party so she is most likely going. Same with Alexa Chung.

 

[andypolanco]

I believe Joan and Jourdan will be wearing Balmain

 

[just me]

Diane Kruger is not attending.

Dakota Johnson apparently in Gucci.

Naomie Harris in Burberry.

 

[dodencebt]

Jennifer Hudson and Dakota Johnson are also attending according to social media.

Also, that yellow Roberto Cavalli dress from Beyonce's Hold up music video is hanging in someone's dressing room tonight so chances are high that someone is going to wear it

 

[Yohji]

Kim, Kris, Kendall and apparently Kylie are attending, sorry for you
Bella Hadid is rumoured to attend and wear Givenchy

Christ, the number of Kardashians allowed to attend seems to be increasing by one per year. Good call Anna inviting vagina lips. Next year, look out for Kim's infant children on the red carpet. Because that's the direction we're heading for.

 

[dodencebt]

Kristen Stewart is apparently going dressed in Chanel. And Kim Kardashian had a fitting with Riccardo according to her Snapchat, so it's safe to say that she'll be in Givenchy.