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Round 5 - 2022 (In America: An Anthology of Fashion / Gilded Glamour) - Match 2 of 6

Blake Lively (Versace), left

"Lively honored the "Gilded Glamour" dress code — channeling the time period between 1870 to 1890 and asking attendees to "embody the grandeur Gilded Age New York" per Vogue — by wearing a detailed gown that honored New York City. In fact, she told LaLa Anthony during the Vogue livestream that the color choices were to represent the patina aging that copper undergoes over time. "I thought instead of looking to fashion to influence the dress, I looked to New York City architecture and the classic buildings," she also told reporters on the red carpet, adding that she worked closely with jeweler Lorraine Schwartz to help tell her Met style story. "The draping [represents] the Statue of Liberty, plus the crown which has seven tiers, the Statue Liberty has seven rays representing the sun's rays and then also the 7 seas and continents which represents welcomeness, inclusivity, and freedom," she continued. "I sound like a Wikipedia page. — she has 25 windows so Lorraine [Schwartz] put 25 stones at the bottom, so they're all New York City references."" “New York has been a critical part of who I am… So I thought, well, I’d love to arrive in a copper dress, and have that dress patina as I ascend the carpet and turns Verdigris – which is oxidised copper. The Statue of Liberty obviously showed up (from France) shiny, copper, like a penny, and now it’s the green that we have. So, instead of me performing, I wanted, sort of, the dress to perform.” "The long duchesse train features a hand painted, foiled, and embroidered celestial map inspired by the 12 zodiac constellations decorating the ceiling of Grand Central Station."(x)(x)(x)

vs. Danai Gurira (Head of State), right

"The custom design references the voluminous silhouettes of the 18th century. Yet Gurira, who was raised in Zimbabwe, and Abijako, who is Nigerian, also wanted to infuse their African identities into the theme. To do so, Abijako also looked to Festac '77 for inspiration—a historic international arts festival that was hosted in Lagos, Nigeria during the ’70s and brought together thousands of artists, writers, musicians, and activists from the African diaspora. “I referenced the massive silhouettes that performers wore at that festival,” says Abijako. “I wanted to pay homage to them, and the silhouettes translate to the 19th-century.” The designer also paid homage to Festac ’77 in his recentHomecoming collection, but given the Gilded Age dress code on the Met’s red carpet, Abijako wanted to highlight this aspect of African culture once again. “I couldn’t find references [in the Gilded Age] of people that look like us,” says Abijako. “We also know the historical context as to why. The most exciting part was being able to reimagine what these people looked like.” Gurira, who is a fan of Abijako’s work, felt he was the right designer to take this idea and run with it. “That post-colonial intersectionality that he speaks to, in terms of Western influence and finding your own African identity—I was like, ‘Is he reading my mind?’ He has a very rich vision,” she says. Gurira’s Met dress came together rather quickly—in about a week—and was made using Mikado, an Italian silk. “I wanted something that felt luxe,” says Abijako. Gurira was set on the royal blue colorway. “To me, it’s a very striking color,” says Gurira. “I feel it works very well on African, dark skin.” Abijako adds that the electric hue ties into the theme as well. “It’s [a color] that was actually consistent during that time period, especially in paintings.” While the design is rooted in African culture, Abijako and Gurira wanted to capture a sense of Americana given the “Anthology of Fashion” exhibition inside the Met is a celebration of American style. “The shape of the top replicates the wings of an eagle,” says Abijako. “It draws parallels to American symbolism.” That element was one of Gurira’s favorite details. “The dress feels like it’s taking flight,” she says. “It has a beautiful component to it—like you could fly.” Streamlining the bustle-like shape was also a nod to a clean, easy American sensibility. “It feels fresh and different, but playing off something we already know,” says Gurira." "Danai carries a traditional African fly whisk for the occasion. Fly whisks appear in traditional regales of monarchs and nobility on the African continent. It was important to her and Head of State designer Taofeek Abijako to highlight the culture of their shared African heritage." (x)(x)

Round 5 - 2022 (In America: An Anthology of Fashion / Gilded Glamour) - Match 3 of 6

Kiki Layne (Prabal Gurung), left

"Her custom Atelier Prabal Gurung gown plus her afro combined to represent the balance of enslaved African Americans and the elite African Americans of the Gilded Age." (x)

vs. Iris van Herpen (Iris van Herpen), right

"Japanese night-blue liquid-fabric is halfwheel plissed by hand, unfolding a spheroid silhouette. ... "I looked at the evolution of the human shape, its idealization through time and the hybridization of the female forms within mythology. Specially the imagination and the fluidity within identity change in Japanese mythology gave me the inspiration to explore the deeper meaning of identity and how immaterial and mutable it can become within the current coalescence of our digital bodies."" (x)

“I got freaks NINE days out of the week — I CAN GET MORE.”

“….—only seven days in a week.”

…

are explicitly stated

to be cranberries

And you know I had an Olivia Miles mix coming. They say she's the FEMALE Kyrie Irving.