Ever since I was little, I loved to watchv red carpet coverage of the awards shows to see my favorite actresses in their glamorous evening-wear and amazing jewels. This was before the age of the stylist, when red carpet looks focused more on self-expression and personal style than promoting a brand or an image for attention's sake. Many actresses actually bought and owned their gowns. I miss those days! Who can forget when Sharon Stone wore her husband's shirt from The Gap to the Oscars in 1998 with Vera Wang's stunning lilac ball-skirt? Or the iconic bubblegum pink taffeta gown by Ralph Lauren that Gwyneth Paltrow wore in 1999? These are just a couple of immortal fashion moments that truly reflected personal style in a way that we rarely see today.
I don't really follow award show style anymore as I am really not interested in what Kylie Jenner or Bella Hadid are wearing, but I always look somewhat forward to the Met Gala. It is one of the only red carpets where individuality and self-expression are not only encouraged but celebrated and where designers create custom couture pieces that are a little riskier, more inventive and more avant-garde than what we usually see at the more mainstream Oscars or Emmys.
This year's gala celebrated the work of Rei Kawakubo and many attendees wore her pieces for Comme Des Garcons. Below are some of my favourite looks for the year. I've long loved her reconstructed shapes, her unique fabric combinations, her incredible methods of draping and tailoring, and of course her fearless use of the color red.
Tracee Ellis Ross in Comme Des Garcons - my favorite look of the night.
Michele Lamy in Comme Des Garcons.
Katie Holmes in Zac Posen
Emma Roberts paying homage to Comme Des Garcons' signature Red, in Diane Von Furstenburg. Love the pink fur!
Caroline Kennedy in Comme Des Garcons.
Dakota Johnson in Gucci
The exhibition, as curated by Andrew Bolton.
