Met Gala 2011 – Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty

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2011 marks an anniversary I wish we would never had (at least not so early): 1 year has passed since Alexander McQueen’s death. Consequently, events have been rolled to commemorate the designer and his amazing sartorial work.

One of the most important celebrations is graced by the Metropolitan Museum of Art through the Costume Institute Exhibition: Alexander Mcqueen – Savage Beauty. Traditionally, every year, a Met Gala occurs, to mark the debut of the said exhibition. Every name and major personality in fashion is there on the big Met Ball night. And this is my view on the Met Gala 2011. (click through to discover the rest)

We already discussed some of the good and the bad appearances of the soiree, now this comes to conclude the events and to add even more sparkle and glam through the notorious participants whom I will include in my modest coverage.

The event was hosted by Anna Wintour (Vogue editor-in-chief), Stella McCartney and Colin Firth (if anyone has any ideas about why Colin Firth was hosting the soiree, please help me out because I can’t see further than his Oscar!) and, as honorary hosts Francois Henri Pinault (CEO of Gucci Group, the mother company to the Alexander McQueen house) and his wife, Salma Hayek. Already a star studded event, from the head down, the Andrew Bolton – curated exhibition Gala would have had to bring together fashion people and fashion loving people in an effort to commemorate the great Alexander McQueen.

However, we are not without understanding and grant that not everyone was a fan of McQueen’s admirable work. How would other designers pay homage to one of their colleagues who was obviously very loved and appreciated? Not by wearing something he created, biensur but by fitting into the night’s theme. Savage Beauty has also a wide array of implications, not restraining the fashion choices to a time, moment or space. After all, one man’s artistic vision of beauty may just as well be another’s man ugly.

Fashion is many things and also very restrictive in its vast nature. Thus I was not necessarily expecting people to wear vines and bamboo sticks as to prove how untamed and rough their fashion was, but I was expecting them to wear something McQueen. McQueen related. McQueen reminding. As always, I was disappointed in the Red Carpet. But we’re rapidly adapting individuals so for next year’s Met Gala I will cut my expectancies to zero. Just in case.

However, some really paid attention to the theme and chose to wear McQueen. Leading the Savage Beauty pack was the Savage undisputed Queen Daphne Guinness. Previously warming up in a live changing session in the Barneys window (details about the experience you can find here). It would appear Alexander McQueen was the designer loved by eccentrics for the second amazing choice of the night was Anna Dello Russo who was wearing a tux from the label and an egg hat. Crazy enough to be called Savage, if you ask me!

Counting on, the gorgeous Raquel Zimmerman in a black feathered dress with the trademark skull headed clutch. She and Coco Rocha turned some heads and received warm applauses from this chica following their dress choices, honoring McQueen’s legacy! Gisele Bundchen wowed the crowd and the critics with her red gown and Chloe Sevigny was modest and posed in her classic black dress, also signed McQueen.

Sarah Jessica Parker looked lovely and put together, also in McQueen while Salma Hayek was ravishingly peachy in yes, McQueen! Glittery, lovely and precious Karen Elson wore the exact same dress she had on the Spring Summer 2004 catwalk, when she danced for McQueen. (Liu Wen and Constance Jablonski were also reportedly wearing McQueen).

The white McQueen pack was led by Naomi Campbell, followed closely by Hilary Rhoda and Leelee Sobieski as for the big white finale: Sarah Burton herself! Two men also chose McQueen for the 2011 Met Gala: one of my favorite singers, John Legend, and the extravagant Hamish Bowles. And this, my dahhlings, was the McQueen pack! Unbelievably thin, eh?

Moving on, the Stella girls! Stella McCartney was one of the chairs of this edition of the Met Gala. So, naturally, many joined the Stella parade, as if they were honoring McQueen himself by doing so! The classic pack: Gwyneth Paltrow and Kate Hudson was joined by the ever so gorgeous Iman and Rihanna.

Madonna was also wearing a blue stellar (literally) Stella McCartney dress, the same blue Stella was appealing to Eva Mendes and Maggie Gyllenhaal. Lovely dresses, lovely ladies, less savage, but beautiful nonetheless!

Other than Liv Tyler, an usual Stella, Mary Kate Olsen and Alicia Keys opted for Givenchy at this edition of the Met Ball. Liv was stunning, one of my favorite appearances, a true Savage Beauty!

The Chanel pack as led by Anna Wintour counts Kirsten Dunst and Freida Pinto, not to mention Blake Lively accompanied by Der Kaiser himself!

Gucci was the night’s choice for Jennifer Lopez’s flamboyant fuchsia dress, Evan Rachel Wood’s burgundy gown and Mary J. Blige’s soft beige dress.

The charming Zoe Saldana was wearing a yellow Calvin Klein dress and also the beautiful. Claire Danes was sparkling lovely in Calvin Klein too as for Lara Stone, she was impeccably red in Calvin Klein dress.

Carolina Herrera’s dresses were worn by the lovely, curvy Christina Hendricks and the amazing Sofia Vergara with her pretty flowery skirt, as well as by the ever shrinking Renee Zellweger who opted for a peachy beige Herrera dress.

Lea Michelle was dressed in a red Escada dress. Isabelli Fontana was also wearing Escada. Kerry Washington’s dress was also from Escada.

Tommy Hilfiger dressed the beautiful Elizabeth Banks, the sweet Jessica Stam (I loved her prom – like styling and ball peachy dress).

Isla Fisher was wearing a blue Tory Burch dress, Kristen Bell had a metallic one shouldered Tory Burch gown. Also the one and only Kanye was dressed in a Tory Burch suit.

Fergie was sparkling in Marchesa and Miranda Kerr was the white Marchesa ballerina. Another Marchesa sensation was Shalom Harlow. Lily Aldridge, lovely as always was wearing Ralph Lauren, the same label chosen by Jessica Alba for her metallic dress. Serena Williams was bridal white in Oscar de la Renta while Penelope Cruz opted for a black Oscar de la Renta dress.

Jourdan Dunn’s yellow dress was Burberry, Rosie Huntington – Whiteley pink gown was also Burberry, the same label as Julianne Hough’s printed dress.. Ciara and Demi Moore were gorgeous in Prabal Gurung. Let’s not forget the Louis Vuitton girls: Leighton Meester in black LV dress and Isabel Lucas in coral LV pleated dress.

Kristen Stewart had a red dress with black motifs from Proenza Schouler, Jennifer Hudson was princess-ish in Vera Wang, Milla Jovovich was lovely, as usual, in a black dress from Marni.

A black dress was also the choice for Mia Wasikovska, her Thakoon gown reminding me of Carey Mulligan’s Prada dress. Joan Smalls was amazing in Tom Ford, Diane Kruger, accompanied by her boyfriend and Jason Wu was, as usual, impeccably gorgeous. Christina Ricci, on the other hand, raised some serious brows with her spider-esque Zac Posen dress. Not the same reaction as Crystal Renn, also wearing a black gown by Zac Posen.

The lovely Amy Poehler had a navy J. Mendel dress, an impressive neckpiece and an astounding haido. Also in J. Mendel was Taylor Swift. Ashley Greene was precious in a beige dress adorned with shiny crystals from Donna Karan. Ginnifer Goodwin’s emerald green dress was from Topshop (yes, you’re reading that right). Maggie Grace and Jessica Szohr also opted for Topshop Unique, their black dresses being really lovely!

Lucy Liu’s black dress came from Vionnet, Emma Stone’s flowery gown was signed by Alber Elbaz. Chanel Iman was retro gorgeous in Dolce & Gabbana white lace while Michelle Williams had a black dress from Miu Miu with birds on (you could say she fitted the theme). Let’s not forget the gorgeous models Natasha Poly in a stunning soft peachy Alexander Wang, the joyful Karlie Kloss in Christian Dior (as was Ashley Olsen), Natalia Vodianova in Valentino, Doutzen Kroes in Giambattista Valli.

These were the few dresses I saw gracing the Metropolitan Museum’s Costume Institute 2011 Gala’s Red Carpet. Undeniable proof that the guests (or some of them) respected the Savage Beauty theme were the feathers and fabric pieces that the various couture dresses shed on the Red Carpet, tribute to the fashion Gods. And so the 2011 edition of the Met Gala is already behind us. What’s the aftertaste? (photos via 1, 2, 3, 4)