In A Massimo Dutti Coat, Kate Middleton Wore Accessories You Can Still Shop Did Victoria Beckham Just Confirm The End Of Skinny Jeans? How To Find Pear-Shaped Jeans That Are Comfortable And Fit Properly All Of The Times Kate Middleton Took Sartorial Inspiration From Princess Diana Kate Middleton Just Wore The Perfect £119 Spring Blouse (And You Can Shop Her Whole Outfit) The Very Best Outfits On Sex And The City That Are Always Worth Remembering Deep Breath – The Corset Is Making A Comeback, All Thanks To Billie Eilish H&M x Brock Collection: The New Designer Collaboration Has Just Been Revealed These Are The Best Summer Dresses Of The Year, So Don't Hang Around by Vic Parsons | “The hallmark of Camp is the spirit of extravagance,” wrote Susan Sontag in her seminal 1964 essay, Notes on “Camp”. “Camp is a woman walking around in a dress made of three million feathers.” Sontag’s essay is the inspiration for this year’s Met Gala theme, Camp: Notes on Fashion, which could give us the most outrageous and over-the-top red carpet yet – though even Rihanna might struggle to wear three million feathers. The Met Gala, held at New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art, is the grand opening of the annual fashion exhibition at the Met Museum’s Costume Institute. It’s one of the biggest fashion fundraisers of the year, and the theme is the starting point for the red-carpet look of those on the exclusive guest list. Last year, the event courted controversy with Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination, as the theme’s exploration of the relationship between fashion and Catholicism came at a time when the Catholic Church was in the spotlight for child sex-abuse scandals. And it wasn’t the first time that the Met Gala’s theme has provoked tension: China: Through the Looking Glass, in 2015, was criticised for condensing a diverse culture into some offensive stereotypes, seen on the red carpet through a proliferation of dragons, chopsticks, braids and kimonos. Rihanna was one of the few people actually dressed by a Chinese designer – she won the red carpet with Guo Pei’s infamous canary-yellow creation, which subsequently inspired thousands of memes. Rihanna at the Met Gala in 2015 wearing a dress designed by Guo Pei When Sontag’s essay was first published, some in the LGBTQ+ community were critical. It was 1964, before the modern gay-rights movement began – pre-Stonewall uprising, when homosexuality was still considered a mental disorder and long before equal marriage was recognised in the UK – and the relationship between camp and marginalised LGBTQ+ people was such that bringing it to public attention and making it mainstream felt, to some, like a violation. Arguably, it doesn’t get more public and mainstream than the Met Gala. So, with camp and queerness being so intrinsically linked, will this year’s theme be as controversial as the last? Harris Reed, the queer designer-turned-model who started attracting attention last year for collaborating with Harry Styles, and who recently walked for Gucci’s 2019 Cruise show, doesn’t think so. “I think the theme this year, and the people hosting [of which Styles is one] , is really going to make a big and impactful change for the LGBTQIA community,” he says. “This year’s theme could not be more relevant, it could not be more important, at a time when we have people like Donald Trump banishing transgender individuals from the US military, when you have the Sultan of Brunei now legally allowing LGBTQIA people to be stoned to death.” Sontag wrote that “homosexuals, by and large, constitute the vanguard -- and the most articulate audience -- of Camp”. And it is the way the Met Gala will highlight this relationship that Reed says is so important. “Camp is a really deep word and I think that’s amazing, because anything that has that kind of subtext to it, that is so multifaceted, can really open people up to have a conversation – what is this year’s theme? What is camp? What is camp culture? Where did this come from? I think camp is a great window to open people up to queerness and queer culture and what that stands for,” he says. While the Met Gala is one night only, the Costume Institute’s exhibition will run all summer. It follows the evolution of the camp aesthetic from queer subculture to important influence on mainstream culture. The exhibition will feature 175 objects and will open with the 17th-century court of Versailles positioned as a “camp Eden”, looking at the concept of se camper, or “to posture boldly”, in the royal courts of Louis XIV and Louis XV. William Dill-Russell – a designer who cites queer history as an inspiration and who used Fanny and Stella, two 18th-century crossdressers, as inspiration for their first collection – has three garments in the exhibition. “As a queer designer who identifies as non-binary, it is seemingly rare to have such incredible opportunities gifted to you,” they say. “To then also be representing a part of the exhibition that reflects on the history of campness and queer culture is such an honour.” This year’s theme presents an opportunity, too: “I’d love to see people really explore the history of camp and queer pioneers, and if that means them wearing an homage to someone – then great! There are so many incredible people who have paved paths, not just for queer folk, but also for creatives. So it would be interesting to see who relates to certain historical figures and stories.” “It’s obviously also very important to show how valid LGBTQ+ identities and history are in a world where LGBTQ+ individuals are still being marginalised by governments and bigoted people.” Camp, Sontag wrote, is the “attempt to do something extraordinary”. And, if it succeeds in having fun while giving a platform to queer designers and showcasing queer history, it looks like this year’s Met Gala could be on to a winner. Camp is joyous, generous and glamorous – a fitting theme for fashion’s biggest fundraiser. The 700-strong guestlist is, though, a closely kept secret – the big names attending will be revealed on Monday’s red carpet, along with their outfits. “I would, however, love it if Cher attended. Vintage Bob Mackie? !” says Dill-Russell. Amen to that Met Gala 2018 Best Dressed - Grazia 2 of 72 Slide 2 of 73 Shutterstock Amal Clooney Gala co-chair Amal Clooney was one of the first to arrive, wearing a rose print design by Richard Quinn (whose LFW show was recently attended by none other than Her Majesty the Queen, FYI) Shutterstock Bee Shaffer Bee Shaffer, perennially plus one to her mother Anna Wintour, wore scarlett Valentino haute couture fashioned from scalloped layers. Shutterstock Anna Wintour Anna Wintour chose a custom beaded Chanel design in white. Perks of the job, hey? Shutterstock Princess Beatrice of York Princess Beatrice made her Met Gala debut in an appropriately regal shade of purple, complete with tiara. Shutterstock Olivia Munn Olivia Munn's gold chainmail dress (and matching net headpiece, naturally) are from high street favourite H&M. Shutterstock Donatella Versace Donatella Versace made a statement in... Versace, of course. Shutterstock Cynthia Erivo Broadway star Cynthia Erivo chose this purple velvet showstopper - complete with bedazzled eyebrows. Shutterstock Amanda Seyfried Amanda Seyfried opted for a whimsically romantic spin on the theme, pairing this marigold yellow Prada number with an understated tiara (which, in this case, is not a contradiction in terms). Shutterstock Jasmine Sanders Model Jasmine Sanders was the Gala's golden girl in H&M. Shutterstock Lili Reinhart For her first Met Gala, Riverdale star Lili shone in silver H&M. Shutterstock Lily Collins Lily Collins embraced the dark side in ethereal Givenchy Haute Couture. Shutterstock Uma Thurman Uma Thurman kept things simple all in white. Shutterstock Bella Hadid Bella Hadid opted for latex and leather. Shutterstock Kate Bosworth Kate Bosworth channelled bridal chic with an embellished veil and a tulle gown complete with awe-inspiring train, by the design duo at Oscar de la Renta. Shutterstock SZA Fully embracing the theme, SZA looked celestial in tulle and serious embellishment. Shutterstock Zoe Kravitz Zoe Kravitz's high-split lace dress is by Anthony Vacarello for Saint Laurent.<doc-sep>The brightest stars in fashion and Hollywood collided Monday at the Met Gala, the biggest party of the year thrown by the venerable Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. As it does every year, the annual extravaganza to raise money for the museum´s Costume Institute kicks off the Met´s annual major fashion exhibition -- look out, because the theme is "camp." And the more outrageous the outfit, the better for the Met Gala red carpet, where the A-listers strut their stuff, usually in the most eye-popping ensemble they can find to match the theme. Last year, Rihanna showed up in full papal-esque regalia, and Madonna wore a regal black gown -- with a see-through cross in the bodice -- to go along with the "Heavenly Bodies" concept. Want a seat? They go for $35,000 a piece. Katy Perry at Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute Gala US actor Jared Leto arrives for the 2019 Met Gala. US actor Jared Leto arrives for the 2019 Met Gala. Sophie Turner, left, and Joe Jonas attend The Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute benefit gala. Attendance is by invitation only, and word has it that Vogue editor extraordinaire Anna Wintour has the final say over each person on the guest list. Wintour co-chairs the event this year with an eclectic mix of boldface names -- Gucci designer Alessandro Michele, pop diva Lady Gaga, British singer Harry Styles and tennis superstar Serena Williams. It seemed like the pink carpet was turned into a Disneyland’s characters. Met Gala 2019 also hosted some Indian celebs who cheered for inclusivity this year with increased 'brown representation'. Global icon Priyanka Chopra slayed in her jaw-dropping attire inspired by Alice in the Wonderland's Red Queen character. She wore a silver-yellow-pink-Dior gown and was accompanied by her husband Nick Jonas who looked dapper in a white suit. Another acclaimed actress from Bollywood Deepika Padukone arrived at the event in a svelte pink gown inspired by Barbie. DP's gown was designed by Zac Posen. Other famous celebrities who arrived the event included Kris Jenner, Kim Kardashian West and others. Kim Kardashian at the Met Gala 2019<doc-sep>Bollywood megastar Ranveeer Singh’s quirky and eccentric fashion sense is no stranger to fans and fashion critics all around but when his superstar wife Deepika Padukone walked the pink carpet at the Met Gala 2019, fans couldn’t help but wonder how the Gully Boy actor could have rocked the event better. It now looks like the 33-year-old starlet is completely onboard with the idea that her husband would have been the perfect candidate to take on the Gala’s theme this year: ‘Camp: Notes on Fashion.’ The Tamasha star in a behind-the-screens footage by Vogue was spotted as saying: “He has this crazy sense of dressing and I think he would be actually a perfect fit for the theme. I think he is one person who will 100% do justice to the theme but I am the one representing him.”<doc-sep>
The first Monday of May is nearly here, which means it's time for the Met Gala! The main question pop culture and fashion connoisseur all have is: What theme will the extravagant looks worn by A-list celebrities be modeled after? Looking back on last year's theme, "Heavenly Bodies," celebrities were tasked with executing a high-fashion look without offending the Roman Catholic Church. This year, however, those in attendance will need to define "studied triviality" as the 2019 Met Gala dress code. Each year the Met Gala aims to raise money for the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute. While the dress code is listed as "studied triviality," the official theme of the event and this year's exhibition is "Camp: Notes on Fashion." This year's theme looks to be an ode to Notes on "Camp", Susan Sontag's essay published in 1964. "The 58-point piece bestowed a useful framework to understand the crumbling wall between high art and pop culture at the time, declaring loosely that 'the essence of Camp is its love of the unnatural: of artifice and exaggeration,'" according to a Vanity Fair report. Whether easily deciphered or not, every year's theme is decided upon by Andrew Bolton, Chief Curator of the Costume Institute. "He can sometimes make that decision up to five years ahead," the event's host Anna Wintour said in a Vogue video interview. "The only advice that I really ever give to Andrew is whatever the title of the exhibition is, make sure that everyone understands it immediately." "Although, to be honest, this [year's themed] exhibition has created a little bit of confusion," she added. "I think this year's exhibition, possibly more than any other, is about self-expression and individuality." She concluded: "We're all, I think, most hoping to see is something that is outrageous, this is fun, tongue in cheek. So my guess is that we're going to see a very large amount of feathers on the red carpet." Tune in for Met Gala red carpet coverage Monday on E! from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. ET.