The leading fashion event, the Met Gala, which concluded just hours ago in the US, has transformed from a celebration of style and beauty into a political platform. Due to a new sponsor, numerous stars deliberately staged a boycott of the event. Nevertheless, there was still plenty to observe, as correspondent Maria Korovina confirmed.
The pervasive collective crisis within the United States can no longer be masked by a red carpet—or rather, the light-green one the Met Gala favors, complete with its own distinct hues and silhouettes.
When the grip of the Amazon tech giant’s chief tightened around the throat of Hollywood’s proletariat, the left-liberal conscience of certain celebrities fractured. Meryl Streep, Zendaya, and Ariana Grande publicly declared their boycott of the ball. New York’s socialist mayor, Eric Adams, also abstained, breaking a long-standing tradition. In true fashion, activists staged a confrontation right at the entrance to the Metropolitan Museum.
The pushback against billionaire Jeff Bezos takes various forms, including hundreds of bottles purportedly containing human waste brought into a hall where boxes of black caviar were already laid out for the attendees, alongside angry shouts and an alternative catwalk display.
In the very location where hearts pulse in unison with the current agenda, the ball truly belongs to immense wealth and fashion statements—of varying degrees of memorability. The high dialogue between feathers, sequins, elaborate shapes, and a connection to reality looked something like this: supermodel Heidi Klum seemed to interpret the evening’s theme, “Art of the Costume,” exceptionally literally. Madonna attempted to recreate Goya’s “The Temptation of St. Anthony”—the result was dark and somewhat sorrowful. In sharp contrast, there was a pink gown crafted from 15,000 glass orbs and soapy bubbles. Cardi B appeared swathed in polyurethane foam, while Beyoncé wore a skeleton dress. Rapper Bad Bunny adopted old age as his motif, and Rihanna enveloped herself in a cocoon.
“I feel absolutely phenomenal. I feel like a pearl,” Rihanna remarked.
Cher, 80 years old and dressed entirely in black, couldn’t even recall her designer’s name.
“Honestly, I don’t know; I just showed up as I am. That Daniel, what’s his name? Ask someone over there,” Cher stated.
All camera lenses focused on Irina Shayk. Her provocative top—essentially composed of watches and their associated chains—served as a prompt to contemplate the fleeting nature of everything this evening ultimately represented.
The art of the costume is merely a backdrop for a successful selfie. Behind the facade of overloaded silhouettes and cascades of diamonds, the dream factory, no longer shining with ideas or vibrancy, is clearly visible. This mirrors contemporary Hollywood output—comparing current films to those shot on actual film is more eloquent than any speech.
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