In early May, one of the biggest celebrity fashion events of the year, the MET Gala, took place. Every year, celebrities of all kinds make the pilgrimage to New York City to walk down the Red Carpet set up by the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute, to launch the new annual exhibit theme.
This year, the exhibit is entitled Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination, so the expectation for the MET Gala guests was to wear outfits inspired by Catholic fashions.
Many celebrities took big risks, but the best dressed celebrities were the ones who were still able to find their own voice and maintained true to their personal brand, and still integrated the theme into their outfits.
For instance, Rihanna, a co-chair for this year’s Gala, chose to inspire her outfit based on the traditional attire of the Pope, but she made it her own with plenty of jewels and intricate beading.
Other notable celebrity looks included: Lena Waithe, a comedy writer and LGBT activist, wore a rainbow flag jacket as a statement calling for the Catholic church to be more inclusive, angelic R&B singer SZA’s look was inspired by the angels, and Black Panther star Chadwick Boseman, known for wearing risk taking looks on the red carpet, wore a white suit and cape adorned with gold crosses and proved yet again that Men’s fashion is more than a simple black suit.
With the help of designers and stylists, celebrities can find their voice within their clothing choices, which ultimately promotes their work. Branding and marketing is very similar. When a company is able to brand itself and its products uniquely in the marketplace, their sales will flourish.