Hummingbirds and hooves take over the red carpet at Met Gala 2024

From Bad Bunnys Tudorinspired hat and shoes resembling cloven hooves to the hummingbird perched delicately on Zendayas neck the hosts set the tone at fashions biggest night the annual Met Gala in New YorkFlorals animals and vintage couture abounded at the socalled Oscars of the East Coast a mammoth fundraiser for the Metropolitan Museum of Arts Costume InstituteThe extravaganzas dress code this year is The Garden of Time which draws inspiration from the 1962 short story of the same name written by English writer JG BallardIn essence it is about the ephemeral nature of beauty perhaps a weighty theme to press on the luminaries attending this years galaFor sheer drama cohost Zendaya dominated the green and cream carpet in her first appearance at the Met Gala since 2019The 27yearold star made a highlyanticipated appearance early on wreathed in jeweltoned lame organza and satin designed by John Galliano with vines crawling up her duchess corset and arms and what appeared to be a hummingbird nestled into her neckHours later she made a surprise second appearance this time in dramatic Mexican Gothicinspired black her two outfits bookending the fashion parade and underscoring the transience of beautyMost attendees chose to evoke awakenings and life and perhaps defied the theme by demonstrating the immortality of fashion through the centuries with many 17th and 18th century flourishesSome such as singer Lana del Rey emphasized decay with stark sculptural twigs rising from her gown to hold a veil of tulle like a canopy over her headSouth African singer Tylas strapless Balmain gown evoking the sands of time right down to the hourglass purse was sculpted so tightly to her body that she had to be carried up the steps at the Metropolitan Museum of ArtPuerto Rican singer Bad Bunny evoked a kind of Tudor matador with a sweeping hat and a black bouquet with the only pop of color his bright red inseam and the patent shine of his cloven shoesCardi B was resplendent in funereal black with a train so expansive it required nine tuxedoed men to lift it up the stairsIts a black rose she told journalistsMysterious and unexpectedCelebrity interpretation of Met Gala themes have been wideranging and often sparked social media debate but attendees this year appeared to shrug off the pressureI dont even think theres pressure at all I think its more of an opportunity actor Colman Domingo who carried a bouquet in a lilycolored caped jacket and wideleg trousers told journalistsThe theme parallels the exhibit Sleeping Beauties Reawakening Fashion which focuses on the most fragile pieces of the Costume Institutes vast collectionThe show which will be on view for the public from May 10 through September 2 features clothing so delicate it cannot be displayed on mannequinsThe Costume Institute relies on the blockbuster Met Gala to fund its work including exhibitions and acquisitionsThe gala was first held in 1948 and for decades was reserved for New York high society Vogue EditorinChief Anna Wintour the high priestess of US fashion took over the show in the 1990s transforming the party into a catwalk for the rich and famousThis year a ticket cost a cool 75000 with tables starting at 350000 The 2023 gala which celebrated the late designer Karl Lagerfeld raised nearly 22 million a record sumBut what exactly goes on inside is an enduring mysterySomething mysterious Im sure and unexpected actor Jeff Goldblum told journalists on the red carpet dressed as a count swathed in Tiffany jewelsGuests are likely to peruse the exhibit and stars such as Rihanna whose command of the red carpet is usually unparalleled but who did not appear at this years gala have performed in the pastSocial media frenzyThe spectacle is social media catnip for celebrity watchers and once again this year both the gala and the exhibit are cosponsored by TikTokThe tech world joined luminaries of music film politics and sports on the carpet with TikTok CEO Shou Chew also an honorary cochair in attendanceOutside the event several hundred protesters against the war in Gaza demonstrated nearby with security tight and several arrests made as stars walked the red carpetAlso Read MET Gala 2024 Natasha Poonawalla reigns supreme in a custom Margiela masterpiece