Sasha Pivavora striking in Giambattista Valli with the designer himself.
We at VagaBondnyc aren't usually ones to point fingers at red-carpet events because they are usually so controlled these days that they are beyond boring, however with this year's latest Met gala, devoted to the "Model as Muse," we felt like we were finally given some material to go hog-wild with! First off, the crew in charge of photographing the event should be dismissed, everyone looks like they just exited Popeye's(fried chicken face), nobody's legs look good from the angles they shot from(look at Anne Hathaway's) and in general, these people look all too much like common folk(look at Topshop's Sir Phillip Green & family looking as if they were diverted on their way to Atlantic City). Overall, thanks to this crew and their detrimental coverage and quite a few detrimental fashion choices, we wanted to take a moment and celebrate not only the good, but the really ugly as well! We find it especially enthralling since over this past decade we have seen fashion watered down by celebrity and their so-called know-it-all stylist's, and finally for once, we get to see that many of these people actually
don't know whats good.
The Good:
Lou Doillon in Nina Ricci with the house's last designer, Olivier Thyskens, proves just how important and forward thinking of a designer this still "young" talent really is.
Anna Jagodzinska, in Altuzarra, perfectly reflecting fashion's current moods in one of our favorite new labels.
Vanessa Traina in Phi, the hair, the dress, the ease...this look maybe more bar ready, but yet it also hits fashions current mood dead-on.
Kristen McMenamy in Givenchy Haute Couture with Julien D'Ys, two very enigmatic, rarely seen icons looking great.
The Bad:
Leighton Meester in Louis Vuitton has appropriately been referred to as "court jester" & "jack-in-the-box" and we agree! This Vuitton collection was so Lacroix, and we did actually like it, yet on Meester and many of the others that night, it needs to be worn in pieces, because this is just way too much Baroque-ness for today. And besides having that smug look, that "I look so darn cute look," what's up with her awful skin-toned hair???
Madonna in Louis Vuitton, in heavy thigh-high witch boots topped off by a big mangled scrunchy on her head. At her age, it would have been smarter for her to go Sasha Pivavora's polished route, rather than the sloppy back-up dancer she showed up as.
Anna Hathaway in Marc Jacobs sporting one of the fakest updo's ever, and by fake we mean that Hathaway has probably never worn her hair like this, and has never even thought of it, she looks like she's channeling Wonder Woman more than Bridgette Bardot. We just imagine a team of stylists telling her how "old Hollywood" she looked before the event when in reality she looks like she is ready for a Tresseme ad shoot. And note how the bad photography just kills her body, those thighs & knees.
Michael Jackson is that you? No it's Lisa Airan in Balmain... Does she ever look good? Everything on this "society darling" is almost always soooo wrong, and is always lacking sincerity! And besides picking on her, who is
NOT tired of Balmain now?
Victoria Beckham in Marc Jacobs, enough is enough! Something about Beckham, whether she is in Couture or jeans, just looks so cheap. She to us, is
NOT fashion, instead she is just another new-money footballer's wife with a big mouth and a grotesque ego to match. And those shoes? Whatever Marc Jacobs has been doing at his own namesake label and at Vuitton, this event seems to be proof that this designer is fresh out of
Good ideas.
This year's Met Gala may have been a night dedicated to the world of the late Alexander McQueen and his unmistakable talent, but what we find odd was Gucci Group's Stella McCartney coup. After all, we were thinking the event would shine a glorious light on McQueen's career & legacy. But with only a handful of red-carpet goers clad in his namesake designs, the celebratory spirit we were hoping for felt like watching a candle that will never be lit. Besides the boatload of guests in McCartney, even more numbing was the number of those in labels that tend to mimic McQueen's wizardry. That being said, our hand's down favorite of the night was Ashley Olsen in a simple yet coquettish vintage Christian Dior Haute Couture dress, once again making a strong case for minimal elegance. 
One must also remember that while Alexander McQueen was a genius in the world of women's wear, he was also a notable figure in men's fashion. It's a shame that only Vogue's forever-dapper Hamish Bowles took it upon himself to demonstrate McQueen's vision for men as well.
Vogue's Andrea Leon Talley, in Balenciaga , above.
Actress Toni Collette looked unpredictably modern in Valentino amidst a sea of banality at the 62nd Annual Emmy Awards this past Sunday. Even with all the "celebrity stylists" out there, Collette proves there's nothing more dynamic than a little individuality. One shouldered or strapless, many of the actresses on the red carpet that night seemed to be wearing variations on the same dress, and it's sad to see all of that energy & effort squandered on monotony. In fact, where is Diane Kruger when you need her?
Rachel Zoe in Marc Jacobs
Amber Valleta in R.M by Roland Mouret
Karolina Kurkova in Joseph Altuzarra with the designer himself
Jamie Bochert in Rodarte for Gap
Alexa Chung in 3.1 Phillip Lim with the designer himself
Last night at the Oscar's Zoe Saldana wowed us in her sculptural purple Givenchy Haute Couture gown making her the night's best dressed hands-down. Catching a wrap around glimpse of Saldana presenting an award made said gown look trippy, almost sci-fi with it's bulbous hem. And while others looked about as dry and amateur as a girl on her way to the prom or akin to a mother-of-the-bride, we liked that Saldana took a chance with the end result being beautiful.
Sasha Pivavora striking in Giambattista Valli with the designer himself.
Lou Doillon in Nina Ricci with the house's last designer, Olivier Thyskens, proves just how important and forward thinking of a designer this still "young" talent really is.
Anna Jagodzinska, in Altuzarra, perfectly reflecting fashion's current moods in one of our favorite new labels.
Vanessa Traina in Phi, the hair, the dress, the ease...this look maybe more bar ready, but yet it also hits fashions current mood dead-on.
Kristen McMenamy in Givenchy Haute Couture with Julien D'Ys, two very enigmatic, rarely seen icons looking great.
Leighton Meester in Louis Vuitton has appropriately been referred to as "court jester" & "jack-in-the-box" and we agree! This Vuitton collection was so Lacroix, and we did actually like it, yet on Meester and many of the others that night, it needs to be worn in pieces, because this is just way too much Baroque-ness for today. And besides having that smug look, that "I look so darn cute look," what's up with her awful skin-toned hair???
Madonna in Louis Vuitton, in heavy thigh-high witch boots topped off by a big mangled scrunchy on her head. At her age, it would have been smarter for her to go Sasha Pivavora's polished route, rather than the sloppy back-up dancer she showed up as.
Anna Hathaway in Marc Jacobs sporting one of the fakest updo's ever, and by fake we mean that Hathaway has probably never worn her hair like this, and has never even thought of it, she looks like she's channeling Wonder Woman more than Bridgette Bardot. We just imagine a team of stylists telling her how "old Hollywood" she looked before the event when in reality she looks like she is ready for a Tresseme ad shoot. And note how the bad photography just kills her body, those thighs & knees.
Michael Jackson is that you? No it's Lisa Airan in Balmain... Does she ever look good? Everything on this "society darling" is almost always soooo wrong, and is always lacking sincerity! And besides picking on her, who is NOT tired of Balmain now?
Victoria Beckham in Marc Jacobs, enough is enough! Something about Beckham, whether she is in Couture or jeans, just looks so cheap. She to us, is NOT fashion, instead she is just another new-money footballer's wife with a big mouth and a grotesque ego to match. And those shoes? Whatever Marc Jacobs has been doing at his own namesake label and at Vuitton, this event seems to be proof that this designer is fresh out of Good ideas.
