The Met Gala: 6 Key Trends

Awards season may be over but the occasion wear and bridal sector still have a rich vein of inspiration to mine before the Cannes Film Festival gets under way. Yes, it’s Met Gala time and while that event can be inconveniently ‘themed’, most red carpet stars ignore that (or just pay lip service) so the event is always guaranteed to give us plenty of special occasion style ideas.

And last night? It didn’t disappoint. So, what were the big trends?

Silver takes gold

Jourdan Dunn/Balmain; Lupita Nyong’o/Calvin Klein; Demi Lovato/Moschino; Anna Ewers/Jason Wu; Taylor Swift/Louis Vuitton; Lara Stone/Tom Ford; Naomi Watts/Burberry

There was a hint of the theme (Manus x Machina: Fashion in the age of technology) as celebs chose ‘futuristic’ silver over any other colour/texture statements. But that was about it.

More than underlining the theme, the big vote for silver showed that this is a key trend for Holiday season 2016 and can also make an impact on the bridal market as sequins and embellishment are used to ring the changes on a traditional white dress.

In some cases (especially anything by Balmain) silver felt almost like armour, albeit the kind of armour you might find in a sci-fi series or a comic book rather than on a real battlefield.

Curve ball

Kate Hudson/Versace; Rita Ora/Vera Wang; Jennifer Hudson/H&M; Zoe Saldana/Dolce & Gabbana; Lorde/Valentino; Emma Roberts/Tory Burch; Blake Lively/Burberry

With Beyoncé, the Kardashian-Jenners and the Hadids out in force then curves were always going to be key. Red carpet dresses emphasised a curvy (and toned) body with the rear view key (which is always good news if you’re in the bridal market as that’s as important as the front).

Reveal but conceal

Joan Smalls/Balmain; Aja Naomi King; Kerry Washington/Marc Jacobs; Bella Hadid/Versace; Nicole Kidman/Alexander McQueen; Hailee Steinfled/H&M; Kim Kardashian/Balmain; Madonna/Givenchy; Zendaya/Michael Kors

Celebs sizzled in dresses with skirts slashed to the thigh, bodices slashed horizontally or necklines slashed to waist level. But despite all of that, this wasn’t about nudity. The see-through excesses of some red carpets were kept at bay as slashes concealed as much as they revealed. And this is a trend that works as well for shorter dresses and even pant or skirt combos as it does for full-on gowns.

Flower power

Wendi Murdoch; Elizabeth Debicki; Bee Shaffer/Aexander McQueen; Cynthia Erivo/Coach

A low-key trend but one that made an impact and would work well for warm weather occasion dressing. Mixed florals, largely allover rather than the placements of recent seasons, felt fresh and powerfully on-trend. Celebs kept the dresses slim and ultra-simple - anything too frothy just wouldn’t have worked. There was a hint of retro in there too with a 40s edge and even a slightly boho 70s feel.

Pale-but-powerful

Karlie Kloss; Ann Wintour/Chanel; Misty Copeland/Jason Wu; Sarah Jessica Parker; Fei Fei Sun; Uma Thurman/Tommy Hilfiger; Elle Fanning/Thakoon

Dramatic colour was almost absent as the reds, blues, blacks and pinks took a back seat. Instead, pale was the key direction with a selection of whites, almost-whites and nudes. To add interest, dresses came with thigh slashes, textural effects, gold embellishment or shimmer. But throughout, simplicity was the key message.

Prom Kings

Robert Pattinson; Idris Elba/Tom Ford; Kanye West; Trevor Noah; Tom Hiddleston; Jared Leto; Zayn Malik; Hamish Bowles; Aziz Ansari

The men may not generate as many paparazzi shots but they still made as much effort as the women on the red carpet. the overwhelming trend was formal and some took it very seriously indeed, graduating from tux to tailcoat, although Kanye West could, as always, be relied on to shake things up. His slashed jeans and embellished denim were as much a talking point as wife Kim’s Balmain dress.