What is 'Camp'? See celebrities define style at the Met Gala
Getting campy at the Met Gala is nothing new but this year it was practically required, and the stars complied at Monday night’s A-List event, celebrating the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s new Costume Institute exhibit, “Camp: Notes on Fashion.”
We’re not talking camp as in camping—not even glamping—but the kind of outrageous, so-bad-it’s-good style worn by attention-getters, from Liberace to Lady Gaga, who was a gala co-chair and arrived in a massive hot-pink Brandon Maxwell parachute gown—which unzipped to reveal a black gown, then a slinky pink one, then a sequin bikini underneath.
“Gaga slayed me,” Laverne Cox told E! TV. The “Orange Is the New Black” star, in her Gala debut, wore a black beaded Christian Siriano gown with massive shoulder that seemed almost tame compared to Broadway’s Billy Porter (who arrived like a spray-painted Cleopatra, carried on a chaise) or Katy Perry in a Moschino, er, chandelier. That’s literally lit.
Not everyone went cray-cray—Rachel Brosnahan, aka “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel,” looked gothic (in Erdem), Serena Williams kept it sporty (Nikes underneath her Versace), and Yara Shahidi rocked a 1950s-bathing-beauty look with crystal-y leggings.
“The Catholic school girl in me—always wearing tights,” she said.
Dudes were daring, too—deep-diving into blue eyeshadow (Darren Criss), or reincarnating Gatsby (Benedict Cumberbatch).
The exhibit, which runs through September 8, with scores of designer gear, is inspired by the famed author Susan Sontag’s 1964 essay “Notes on ‘Camp.’” Sontag was prescient about camp’s appeal, but could she have predicted Jared Leto, who entered carrying a replica of his own head?
Jimmy Fallon, in a regular tux, seemed grim by comparison.
“I can’t get too camp—I’m a comedian,” he said. “I’m supposed to be making fun of all this.”
Katy Perry
Credit: Charles Sykes/Invision/AP/Charles Sykes
Katy Perry went for Baroque in a Moschino chandelier gown at the Met Gala.
Zendaya
Credit: Getty Images for The Met Museum//Dimitrios Kambouris
Stylist Law Roach and Zendaya, wearing a light-up Tommy Hilfiger gown, attend the Met Gala.
Jared Leto
Credit: Getty Images for The Met Museum//Dimitrios Kambouris
Jared Leto wore Gucci on the Met Gala's pink carpet.
Janelle Monáe
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Janelle Monáe, wearing a gown by Christian Siriano, attends the Met Gala.
Billy Porter
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Tony winner and "Pose" star Billy Porter attends the Met Gala on Monday in an ensemble by The Blonds.
Billy Porter
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Tony winner and "Pose" star Billy Porter attends the Met Gala on Monday in an ensemble by The Blonds.
Cardi B
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Rapper Cardi B wears a gown by Thom Browne at the Met Gala.
Hailee Steinfeld
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Actress and singer Hailee Steinfeld attends the Met Gala wearing a Victor & Rolf gown.
Kris Jenner
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Kris Jenner, in Tommy Hilfiger and a blond wig, attends the Met Gala.
Miley Cyrus
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Miley Cyrus in Yves Saint Laurent at the Met Gala.
Darren Criss
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Emmy winner Darren Criss rocks the pink carpet of the Met Gala on Monday.
Kylie Jenner and Kendall Jenner
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Kylie Jenner and Kendall Jenner, both in Versace, attend the Met Gala.
Priyanka Chopra and Nick Jonas
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Priyanka Chopra and Nick Jonas, both in Dior, attend the Met Gala.
Joe Jonas and Sophie Turner
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Newlyweds Joe Jonas and Sophie Turner both wore Louis Vuitton to the Met Gala.
Ezra Miller
Credit: Getty Images for The Met Museum//Dimitrios Kambouris
Ezra Miller attends the Met Gala.
Jennifer Lopez and Alex Rodriguez
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Jennifer Lopez, in a silver fringe beaded Versace dress and matching head piece, and Alex Rodriguez at the Met Gala.
Celine Dion
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Celine Dion wore an Oscar de la Renta gown to the Met Gala.
Cara Delevingne
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Model/actress Cara Delevingne attends the Met Gala.
Sophie Von Haselberg and Bette Midler
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Sophie Von Haselberg and Bette Midler attend the Met Gala.
Serena Williams
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Co-chair of the Met Gala Serena Williams in Atelier Versace on the pink carpet.
Nicki Minaj
Credit: Getty Images for The Met Museum//Dimitrios Kambouris
Nicki Minaj in custom Prabal Gurung at the Met Gala.
Kacey Musgraves
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Kacey Musgraves attends the Met Gala giving off Barbie vibes in custom Moschino.
Kanye West and Kim Kardashian West
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Kanye West and Kim Kardashian West, wearing a beaded latex Thierry Mugler dress, attend the Met Gala.
RuPaul
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RuPaul attends the Met Gala.
Lady Gaga
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Met Gala co-chair Lady Gaga shows off her first look by Brandon Maxwell on the pink carpet.
Lady Gaga
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Lady Gaga in her second of four Brandon Maxwell looks at the Met Gala.
Lady Gaga
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Met Gala co-chair Lady Gaga shows off her third look by Brandon Maxwell on Monday.
Lady Gaga
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Lady Gaga in her final Brandon Maxwell look on the Met Gala carpet.
Dua Lipa
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Singer/songwriter Dua Lipa attends the Met Gala.
Caroline Trentini
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Model Caroline Trentini attends the Met Gala wearing Thom Browne.
Credit: Getty Images/Jamie McCarthy
Gucci's Alessandro Michele and Harry Styles walk the pink carpet of the 2019 Met Gala.
Laverne Cox
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"Orange Is the New Black" star Laverne Cox, wearing a gown by Christian Siriano, attends the Met Gala.
Harry Styles
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Met Gala co-chair Harry Styles walks the pink carpet in Gucci on Monday.
Anna Wintour
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Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour wore a crystal-embellished Chanel gown to the Met Gala.
Liza Koshy
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YouTuber Liza Koshy attends the Met Gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in Manhattan.
Solange Knowles
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Singer Solange Knowles attends the Met Gala.
Ciara
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Ciara attends the Met Gala wearing a gown by Peter Dundas.
Chloe Grace Moretz
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Actress Chloe Grace Moretz attends the Met Gala.
Dakota Johnson
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Actress Dakota Johnson attends the Met Gala.
Mary Kate Olsen and Ashley Olsen
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Mary Kate Olsen and Ashley Olsen wore matching looks to attend the Met Gala.
Dwayne Wade and Gabrielle Union
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Basketball star Dwayne Wade and actress Gabrielle Union, both in Dundas, attend the Met Gala.
Salma Hayek
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Salma Hayek attends the Met Gala.
Abbey Lee Kershaw
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Model and "Mad Max: Fury Road" star Abbey Lee Kershaw walks the pink carpet of the Met Gala on Monday.
Jordan Roth
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Jordan Roth, head of Jujamcyn Theaters, takes a spin at the Met Gala on Monday.
Saoirse Ronan
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Actress Saoirse Ronan sparkles in Gucci on the pink carpet at the Met Gala.
Jemima Kirke and Lena Dunham
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"Girls" co-stars Jemima Kirke and Lena Dunham flank designer Christopher Kane at the Met Gala.
Thalia
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Singer and designer Thalia attends the Met Gala.
Natasha Lyonne
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"Russian Doll" actress Natasha Lyonne arrives on the pink carpet at the Met Gala.
Credit: Getty Images/Roy Rochlin
The "Camp: Notes on Fashion" exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum of Art opens May 9.
Credit: Getty Images/Roy Rochlin
Ariel Adkin attends the press preview for "Camp: Notes on Fashion" event at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Credit: Getty Images/Roy Rochlin
Anna Wintour attends the press preview for the "Camp: Notes on Fashion" exhibit on Monday.
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The "Camp: Notes on Fashion" exhibit, kicked off by the Met Gala, runs until Sept. 8.
Credit: Getty Images/Roy Rochlin
Some of the outfits shown highlighted in the "Camp: Notes on Fashion" exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on Monday.
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