As I expected, many of the guests at tonight’s Costume Institute Gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art wore beautiful evening gowns, rather than anything related to the “Punk: Chaos to Couture” exhibit that is being celebrated. Some of the gowns are very striking, but they’d be suitable for practically any red-carpet occasion. Actress Hailee Steinfeld had safety pins on her dress, but so what? It just looked like a pretty frock; I thought the pins were embroidery at first.
Original punk designer Vivienne Westwood is a Hall of Fame punk, so I didn’t count her when I picked my two winners of the evening. The first winner is Miley Cyrus. I had high hopes for Miley because she’s been working a punk-inspired style in real life. I would have been thrilled if she did something that created a scandal — can’t anyone carry a chainsaw these days? — but I can’t complain about what she did do. The hair is perfect, the dark blush is exactly right and black fishnet over a nude look (by Marc Jacobs) is classic punk. Also, the expression! The pose! Well done, Miley.
Twenty-year-old Miley is tied for my Met Gala first prize with Linda Fargo, the 50-something fashion director of Bergdorf Goodman. Goes to show you how punk can work for any age! According to the Bergdorfs Twitter feed, Linda was wearing a rubber dress custom made by The Baroness (I wonder if that’s the same Baroness I met in the early ’90s!) and a jeweled harness by Hiro Hosomizu. Love the fingerless gloves and how perfect Linda’s natural white hair color is for the occasion. Very Daphne Guinness.
Click to follow Bergdorfs on Twitter.
Here’s a great shot of the back.
Advanced Style!
I was reading exciting things about Nicole Richie’s hair on Twitter, so I was let down when I saw her complete look. The effect is more modern Marie Antoinette than punk.
Nicole Richie. Click for photo source.
Some other attendees threw on a little dark lipstick or spikes or added a streak of hair color. That didn’t excite me, but I thought some safety-pinned hair was quite beautiful. Madonna gets an honorary mention for going for a Wendy Brandes-approved costume effect rather than “pretty” and Sarah Jessica Parker wore a good mohawk-inspired headpiece. Meanwhile, Vogue editor and gala host Anna Wintour didn’t even try in her unflattering floral Chanel. Apparently, she explained, “‘[Met curator] Andrew Bolton told me the color of punk is pink, so I’m in pink by Chanel.” DAFUQ?! Anna is not 20 like Miley. She was AROUND for the punk years. She shouldn’t need a museum curator to tell her about what she saw with her own eyes.
In a class of his own was Vogue contributing editor Andre Leon Talley, whose photo was tweeted by Cathy Horyn of the New York Times. Behold!
Andre Leon Talley. Click for source.
Now I’ve got “The Hills Are Alive” from The Sound of Music stuck in my head. Seriously, doesn’t ALT look like the Alps in the spring when they’re covered in wildflowers? I haven’t actually been to the Alps in the spring to see any wildflowers that might grow there, but now I don’t have to, because I feel in my heart that it couldn’t be any better than this. Thanks, Andre!
Read about what I would have worn: A tribute to punk goddess Wendy O. Williams.
OMG! Linda is killin’ it!! And Ken is looking beautifully svelte as always. I knew Miley would werk it! Good girl.
Ken is skinny skinny! I’m starting want Miley to wear my jewelry. I’m liking her style and attitude. Oh, let’s face it, I’m in love with her nude pictures.
Miley needed a big stud belt or one of Audi and Mark’s fabulous harness belts.
I thought Katie Holmes looked good, even if she didn’t fit the theme. It was the best I’ve seen her in several years.
Linda is rocking full out goth! And I love it.
Gosh what I could have done with my teenage wardrobe.
I agree, Katie did look good, just nothing to do with the theme, so I wasn’t interested in her for the purposes of this post 🙂
Linda is fabulous – heck, yeah! I love her outrageous outfit, and the chutzpah she has to wear that. I’m sure there were a lot of “at her age” shocked looks. Bah! She would be the person *I* would want to talk to!
Love Miley’s outfit, but I agree with Megan – maybe some rips in it??
I prefer rips to belts! 🙂
Just not a big belt person here.
Linda could have stepped out of a 80s punk band photo. Miley is close as well. Both very “80s/early 90s Siouxsie Sioux” in the glam department.
Everyone else was a bit fail in the punk department…but like I tweeted:
It is not like it is Rocky Horror or cosplaying…most probably just wanted to dress up nice.
I am a former Goth/punk who had her head shaved except for bangs and did Siouxsie Sioux make-up back in the late 80s/early 90s so can say this with a little authority. 🙂
I say if you get an opportunity to act like something is Rocky Horror or cosplay you are lame if you don’t take it!
Bunch of lame asses! Smh
I didn’t even catch Linda Fargo until you showed it! They weren’t giving her any press. I actually also think Miley did a fantastic job channeling the look! Everyone else looked so boring!! Isn’t this the event and theme where you CAN go a little crazy?! I mean, GOOP wore an ugly pink dress but a crazy see thru side dress for the Iron Man premiere, CMON!!! I was sad to not see a little more Jean Paul Gaultier in there too!
Back in the day, I met Gwyneth and thought she was great but I can’t take her anymore. First of all, who calls herself Goop? WTF. And you’re so right about the dresses.
Miley needed some holes and tatters to really bring that up to level, while she still looked good. Linda nailed it. If its the Baroness I’m thinking of, she’s a dominatrix who also flogs rubber clothing. Very into the whole rubber scene. I wish my old rubber stuff didn’t disintegrate, it was so awesome — way better than wearing spanx for smoothing, plus you shed pounds from sweating! Haha! XXX
Yes, it is that Baroness!
Aha, so she’s still around. She used to put on fetish balls, that were so ho-hum. I just realised my choice of word “flogs” HAHA didn’t do it on purpose! XXX
LOL!
I was pretty sure (since I’m such an expert :P) that there would be very few who could carry off “punk” and even fewer who should try. I LOVED Linda Fargo’s look.
Miley Cyrus is just young enough for me to consider her a child, and therefore, as a mother, I’d be proud of her for doing punk so well but still being an idiot. Sorry, nude photos? Boooring.
ALT can do no wrong in my eyes. But now I’ll be singing that damn song all day…
Christine xo
Linda was the best by a long shot. And she went with the right dress. Of course, you get custom-made latex. Fuck all the high-end designers!
Miley is doing punk to her fingertips!It is incredibly acuurate
I’m liking her more and more.
Miley is surprising me! The rest…well, look at Anna Wintour’s version of punk. Ha!
I just saw that Anne Hathaway was flaunting four letter rings…that weren’t mine of course. Bummer. I would have loved to have been on this red carpet. Pretty much my whole line would have worked.
WTF? Is Rachel Zoe still styling her?
After that “raisin face” incident? Probably not!
Linda looks great! Punk never goes out of style.
I wish I could have seen her in person, because I’m sure it was even better than what photos convey.
Miley looks fabulous. Ever since she lopped off that hair, she’s been bloody amazing.
Yes! Who knew that it was going to be SO amazing as a style influence for her.