The Glittering Galas Taking Place in the Month of May
By: Hope Wilkos, Writer
May 2019 seems to be synonymous with ‘over the top extravagance’, perhaps more so than in years past. The captivating style of dressing for the occasion takes on a whole new meaning, a world of elegance and imagination that we all long to be a part of, if only for a matter of hours.
The month began with fireworks and finesse as the most talked about event of the year was held in New York City on Monday, May 6th, 2019. The Met Gala is the one avenue used to raise much needed funding to benefit the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute. It has, without fail, become an annual event taking place the first Monday in May. This year’s theme was “CAMP: NOTES ON FASHION†and the stars were out in full force, creating their own special look within their minds, transforming it to reality on the Red Carpet with the assistance of some of the greatest designers of all time. Serving as one of the hosts of the gala was Lady Gaga who knows exactly how to make heads turn. In just a matter of minutes, she went from overdressed to slightly provocative and minimally dressed. Her co-chairs, Harry Styles and Serena Williams, brought their own interpretation of the theme to life, equally as dramatic and exaggerated. We knew that we were in for a real treat from this point forward. Billy Porter, star of FX’s returning show, POSE, solicited the help of the design world’s power couple, THE BLONDS, to leave the crowd gasping at his glorious look. Dressed as a gilded, winged Egyptian pharaoh and barely recognizable, Porter was carried on to the Red Carpet by some very tantalizing and attentive attendants. Now the party was taken up a notch. Katy Perry was a real-life chandelier, giving the term ‘lit up’ a whole new meaning. Little girls would swoon if they were able to see Zendaya make her entrance. At the wave of a wand, she became Cinderella, her gown turning from grey to glowing pale blue, completed with the glass slipper. A popular rapper with a rap sheet of drama wherever she goes, Cardi B could not be ignored in a gown made of 30,000 fire red feathers, a Thom Browne original with over 2,000 hours of work put into the gown. Michael Kors chose Gigi Hadid as his muse for the evening, an ice queen whose beauty could freeze anyone in their tracks. He served as her escort for the evening.
The ‘fashion party of the year’ draws a voguish “invitation only†crowd of guests unrivaled by any other event. They come from the big screen, the fashion houses across the globe, the musical stage, all kinds of award-winning publications and high-society icons. It all starts on the Red Carpet and ends up in the most talked about after-parties that New York City has ever witnessed. Legendary performer, Cher, took to the stage as the guests were seated in the Met’s makeshift ballroom to socialize and enjoy an appetizing meal. Months later, we will still be talking about the 2019 Met Gala, one of the best and most memorable so far. Keep the memories alive with the accompanying exhibition, currently on display at The Met Fifth Avenue from May 9th through September 8th, 2019. This is definitely an exhibition not to be missed.
Perhaps one of the only real competitors of the Met Gala is the amfAR Gala that is part of the entertainment industry’s finest, the Cannes Film Festival. The Gala attracts some of the most beautiful people east and west and in between the French Riviera, all uniting for a most worthy cause, raising funds for AIDS Research. On May 23rd, the 26th Annual amfAR Gala was held in Cannes, France, raising $15 million to support finding a cure for HIV. Not only was the Red Carpet overwhelmed by some of the most stunning looks to ever be seen, but guests raved about the range of performances for all generations, from Sir Tom Jones to ‘Songbird Supreme’ Mariah Carey. Topping off the evening was a superlative fashion show curated by the famous Carine Roitfeld. The Red Carpet was filled with feathers that went to the extreme, svelte slits which dominated gowns on the gorgeous women and elegance was surely in abundance with fitted silk and diamonds and trains of tulle. This was the one event that surely gave the Met Gala a run for its money. Some of these very same guests jetted off to Cannes following their evening at the Met.
This only goes to show that fashion has a very alluring tale to tell in a most splendid sort of way but it all depends on the occasion at hand. Take note all you fashion aficionados.
