Inside the Met Gala 2019: An extraordinary Camp affair

It’s not surprising that the Met Gala overshadows all other events on the sartorial calendar. The aim of the New York gathering, organised by its goddess Anna Wintour, is to fetishise and honour couture, so you’d expect the festooning, the fine fabrics, the flouncing fashionistas. But, with this year’s theme “Camp”, we were reminded just how far a little fun goes to lifting both one’s spirits – and clothing game.

The meeting of drag queens and the red carpet was a same-sex marriage made in heaven. And it puts paid to snore-worthy gigs like the Academy Awards (another fishtail dress – how original). Instead, we were treated to a blinding array of sequins, death-defying headgear and false eyelashes that made for much Instagram merriment and post-function chatter.

The Wanted team were thrilled to see Lady Gaga’s four changes of outrageous outfits and imagine that’s the only way she could possibly have upped her game on an eve when everyone else was pretty much sporting items which, for her, would pass for “casual daywear”.

Jared Leto pitched wearing Gucci, obvs, but accessorised with a wax version of his own head. Katy Perry was a chandelier. Celine Dion looked like she’d just stepped off a Vegas stage which, in fact, she had and Kim Kardashian did “wet blow-up doll glam”. Special mention goes to her fella Kanye, who looked like someone’s bored dad. Which, we suppose, he actually is. 

LOOK | WANTED'S FAVOURITE MOMENTS FROM THE MET GALA 2019:

Despite being one of the most-anticipated events of the fashion and cultural calendar, the Met Gala has run into some criticism for being, well, a bit of a bore. According to the New York Post, celebs including Gwyneth Paltrow and funny-woman herself Amy Schumer in the past have branded the event “unfun” and a sort of “punishment”. Clap back! Did someone just say that Anna Wintour’s most exclusive party of the year is unfun? Well, there are so many archaic rules that one must wonder … 

NO CAMERAS, NO SELFIES, NO CELLPHONES

For starters, the event strictly prohibits selfies - and mindless mooning over your cellphone. I mean, if you can’t take a selfie to flaunt on the Gram, what’s the point of having a cellphone there anyway? Sylvana Durrett, former Met ball planner, told the New York Post, “Anna is sort of an old-school traditionalist. She likes a dinner party where people are actually speaking to each other.” 

PLEASE, NO SMOKING

According to Bustle, a donor to the Met explained smoking is disrespectful to the art, which needs to be protected in a 100% smoke-free area. Smoking is also banned in New York office buildings, bars, and theatres. Apparently, there are smoke-sniffers outside the loos at the Met Gala to make sure no one sneaks a quick cig.

WATCH | RED CARPET MOMENTS FROM THE MET GALA 2019:

NO CHILDREN

Pretty self-explanatory but no one under 18 is allowed to attend.

NO UGLY FOOD

We had to laugh at this one because we can totally relate - according to the New York Post, garlic, parsley, onions and any “messy” food does not make the cut. Heaven forbid you get a chunk of green stuck in your teeth or, worse, onion breath, at the Met Gala!

MINGLE, MINGLE, MINGLE

Wintour is unperturbed by whether you have a significant other or not. She is in charge of final seating arrangements, ensuring each year that guests do not sit next to the same person twice. The whole point is to meet new people, duh! As Sylvana Durrett put it in documentary The First Monday in May, "What's the point if you come here to hang out with your husband?"

YOU’RE NOT “TOO COOL” TO DECLINE

If you are one of the fortunate few who scores an invite to the Met Gala, you make sure you get yourself there. Find a babysitter, move your wedding date – Anna don’t care – you make it work, unless you want to risk never being invited again. Unless, of course, if you are Beyoncé, because, well, you’re Beyoncé.