What is gilded glamour? Gilded glamour is an aesthetic that was inspired by The Gilded Ages also known as the turn of the twentieth century. The gilded glamour aesthetic was more about the “upper-class” society women that wore jewel-toned gowns with many fine fabrics like silk, velvet and satin. The word gilded is directly translated to covered thinly with gold which left a wide space for inspiration to take its course. 

Once the invitations to one of the most prestigious events were sent out, the Met Gala, every guest started working and brainstorming ideas with their designers on what Gilded glamour looked like for them. Famous designers like Versace, Louis Vuitton and Gucci make frequent appearances with exquisite designs. 

With this many celebrities and designers at the Met, they have had their support to help be able to maintain the overall goal of the gala. The Met Gala is an annual fundraising gala held for the benefit of the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute in New York City. Celebrities are invited to help raise money with the iconic looks that they bring to the floor. 

Many were inspired by using old icons like Marilyn Monroe to help their “gilded” inspiration. American socialite Kim Kardashian wore Marilyn Monroe’s “Happy Birthday, Mr. President” dress which is the most expensive dress ever sold at an auction, to capture her ideal look. Although Kardashian is facing heavy backlash due to her “abusing” the garment as she posted a video of her fitting into the dress while using zip ties to keep it close since it did not fit all the way. Many fans were appalled at the fact that any designer would take such a classic piece and treat it as just another piece of fabric. 

Another celebrity who focused on the gilded part of the theme was American rapper Cardi B, who was inspired by Gustav Klimt’s unforgettable Woman in Gold portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer.

Many artists blew away the gilded theme but one particular celebrity, the queen of the Met Gala, Blake Lively, took another route wearing a Versace gown inspired by New York’s Gilded Age architecture. When Lively was describing her dress she mentioned each area of her dress including, the constellation from Grand Central Terminal, the Empire State Building and even the Statue of Liberty telling the world just how much thought and work went into her color-changing masterpiece. Every artist taking a different take on the theme made this Met Gala one to remember. 

With many artists using art pieces from the Gilded Age to help inspire their looks, some teams didn’t capture the true essence of the meaning behind the artwork. A lot of fans noticed that some of our most anticipated celebrities gave us some unexpected disappointments. 

Other teams took an approach that didn’t showcase what gilded glamour was. By choosing a color palette of neon and strong colors that took our eyes away from the true art pieces. Although they looked fabulous, the entire meaning of the Met Gala is to showcase your style around the theme, not to put together an outfit that has nothing to do with it. 

With many stunning pieces come very underwhelming ones too but this didn’t stop anyone from enjoying the iconic Met Gala after having a long break without it. This one will truly be one to remember and one for the books. A huge thank you to the woman who has organized this honorable event Vogue’s Anna Wintour. 

Each year is always a surprise, see you next year.