Met Gala 2013 : Сара Дж. Паркер, Мадонна и другие
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METROPOLITAN MUSEUM GALA BALL 2013
THE MOST GLAMOROUS DRESSES AND THE BEST THEME INTERPRETATIONS !!
Wow - what a night !! The Metropolitan Museum's Gala Ball to launch their annual fashion exhibition was held last Monday evening, and the theme was "Punk : From Chaos to Couture" - the emphasis here being the deliciously subversive Punk influence on mainstream and couture fashion trends, from the safety-pinned Versace dress, famously worn by Elizabeth Hurley, all the way down to the latest spiky earrings sold in Top Shop.
The best thing is that although quite a few stars didn't bother with the theme at all, and stuck to their usual couture dresses, many more stars went for it with gusto and abandon, casting caution to the winds, with mostly fabulous results...and even the ones that didn't have the guts to go all out for it, still chose little details that went with the theme anyway - even a pair of spiky black shoes and a darker lipstick gave most outfits that slightly punky edge !!
What the photos from this event portrayed was the sheer amount of influence Punk has had on mainstream fashion over the last few decades...
THE 12 BEST THEME INTERPRETATIONS
There have been a few Met Balls in the past, where the stars haven't gone with the theme at all, but this wasn't one of those years !! The best interpretations of the theme, in my view, were one of two things - either they were still very Couture looks, but with punky styling in hair, jewellery and make-up, or they were stars that went the whole hog with safety-pins, zips and studs, and lots of attitude !! So, it was either very subtle and edgy, or completely over the top, but in a very Couture way. To illustrate this, and to gauge how much Punk influence each outfit is showing, I have invented my Punk-ometer, which will give each star a rating from 1 to 10, where 1 is very glamorous Couture and 10 is completely over-the-top Punk...
So here are my own choices for the top 12 best theme interpretations - what fun !!
ANNE HATHAWAY
I really loved Anne's look - she went with a vintage Valentino Couture dress, in sheer black with feathery sleeves and slicked-back bleached blonde hair - her style was very subtle, and more importantly, what she usually goes for - in other words, the new bleached hairdo notwithstanding, she still looks like Anne Hathaway...
On my Punk-to-Couture scale, Anne scores a subtly Punk-influenced, but still edgy 3...
CARA DELAVINGNE
Model of the Year Cara went with a fantastically punky Burberry dress laced with brass spikes, and worn with side-swept slightly grungy hair, and spiky jewellery galore - fabulous stuff !!
She posed for several pics with her pal Sienna Miller who also looks great - you can see her ear jewellery better here, and the tiny plaited details in her hair. Plaits and plaited sections of hair woven in, were very popular at this event, as a good way of introducing a little edgy detail to your look.
On my Punk-ometer, Cara scores much higher than Anne, but not as high as some other stars we'll see further down - a score of 7 for Cara !!
CHRISTINA RICCI
Now Christine isn't afraid of a theme or two, and so when the Punk theme was revealed for this year's Met Ball, I could imagine her rubbing her hands together in glee !! She didn't leave anything to chance and went right to source for her interpretation of the theme - a tartan dress from the Queen of Punk herself, Dame Viv of course, who practically invented the term...and she looks great in it too - and more importantly, she doesn't look like a Hollywood star trying to be a spiky-looking Punk, which was, I'm afraid the downfall of a few others !!
Yes - some stars forgot that the theme was actually 'Punk : Chaos to Couture'...luckily, Christina Ricci wasn't one of them, with this beautifully structured couture dress from Vivienne Westwood - all layers, complex pleats and bunched up sections of fabric, with underpinning so secure that it could probably stand up on its own - and not forgetting the general rise and fall shape of the dress...typical Dame Viv !!
She left her hair styled in a rather conventional way, considering the theme, but went with bright red lipstick and black eye-liner, so she is far more glam than punk, but because her dress is a Westwood creation, the Punk credentials are there for all to see...
All things considered, Christine scores a 6 on my Punk-meter...
DEE HILFIGER
Dee is, of course, the wife of Tommy, and is also a designer in her own right - here she is, rocking a Stuart tartan rise and fall gown, in the style and tradition of Alexander McQueen's own Punk collection from years ago...I suspect that they designed their own ensembles here - I love Dee's get-up - the teased up hair, the strapless dress with kilt detailing, and the double studded leather belt...fabulous attention to detail and she looks the part without going completely over the top - in other words, no shaved heads, pierced noses or face tattoos...
This looks like a really good interpretation of the evening's theme - a great Punk to Couture look !! She gets a respectable 10 on my Punk-meter !! Just like Julie Macklowe further down, she has given the theme a good deal of thought and done it justice...
DOUTZEN KROES
International runway model Doutzen Kroes went with this fabulous black leather-look dress designed by Olivier Theyskens for his Theyskens Theory label. With the open front, sheer underskirts, and big train, and the general rise and fall shape, this strapless dress was one of the best Punky ball-gowns there...
She scraped her hair back off her face, but didn't particularly go overboard with her make-up or jewellery, keeping everything to an understated minimum, and therefore she gets a rather safe Punk-ometer score of 3, like Anne Hathaway !!
FLORENCE WELCH
Our Flo lived up to her usual trademark slightly Gothic look, combined with a definitely glamorous Punk feel with this floor-length fringed dress by her favourite designer, Riccardo Tisci at Givenchy...
This was a custom design from him, for her to wear, specially for this event, so I wonder how he reacted to the fact that she managed to get the floor-length fringes tangled up in a chair leg and had to be cut free with scissors !! Hey-ho...the floor-length fringing is a really spectacular feature of this dress, so I do hope he can repair the damage easily !!
I love the heavily embroidered front to this dress, and the way it looks with her amazing red hair !! Is it Punk ? Not really - it's a good deal more Goth than Punk, but it isn't just a glamorous evening look either, and she carries it off well, so she gets a Punk-Goth score of 5...
GIOVANNA BATTAGLIA
Giovanna Battista is the editor of L'Uomo Vogue over there in Italy, and she is famous for her amazing fashion choices - here she carried the theme off with great style and wit - I love her gold safety-pinned updo, and the dress is beautifully and heavily embellished, giving her a really strong Couture-Punk look. The dress is from the Dolce & Gabbana label, but actually isn't from their recent Autumn 2013 Collection of religious iconography-inspired, mosaic-print dresses, even though it looks like it is...her amazing crucifix is from that collection and fits the Punk to Couture theme well, along with her truly amazing safety-pinned hairstyle...
Black fishnets and huge gold platforms complete her look, which scores a healthy 7 on my Punk-ometer !!
JULIE MACKLOWE
Julie looks a little like a singer with a punk band, doesn't she !! Actually, she is a former hedge-fund manager who is now a retail-business woman - she really went for this in a big way, interpreting the theme rather more literally than most stars at this event, but crucially, she doesn't look stupid with it - she looks like she was a Punk herself in past years, but I suspect she isn't old enough even to remember it first-hand, as it's a good thirty-five years since we all looked like this on the King's Road...(crikey - was it really that long ago ?!!)
She has really embraced this theme with gusto and searched out the right make-up and jewellery etc, etc, while still essentially being dressed in a floor-length ball gown - for which, I reckon, she should be rewarded with the full Punk-ometer score of 10 !!
KATY PERRY
Now then, when I looked at this amazing collection back in March, I said then that I would be ecstatic if anyone wore any of these designs on a red carpet, and so, it is with greatest pleasure that I acknowledge Katy Perry's status as a red carpet queen for this ensemble - she has the crown, and the crucifix earrings - the works !! Dolce & Gabbana of course, as you will all recognise, and this is about as Punky, in the subversive sense that designer fashion gets, being as it takes such revered Christian icons - Roman Catholic ones at that, and creates fashion designs from them. How anti-establishment is that ?!!
Katy has chosen a dress and the crown and earrings that I chose too, so she gets a Zebra Star in addition to a Punk-ometer score of 7...not as much as Julie above, but certainly more than anyone else so far, besides Giovanna Battaglia who had similar ideas !!
PALOMA FAITH
Paloma looks simply fabulous here, as she always does at these events - I have a lot of time for her and her incredibly individual fashion style, especially when it comes to interpreting a theme like this !! The dress is fantastic, and the fact that it ends in gloves is a big plus !! I love her head-gear - it's so spiky and punky - a real piece of head-turning millinery...
The dress was designed by Michael Cinco, and really gets to grips with the essence of the theme at this event - it's a couture fashion evening gown with a punky attitude - covered in beads and toned from red to black, figure-hugging and also backless to show off Paloma's impressive collection of bird tattoos...
Her hairdo is just amazing, and so polished, so not at all Punky in that respect, but this theme is all about how Punk has influenced Couture Fashion, so she gets away with it being beautifully styled, and adorned with a black spiky sculpture !!
In my book, she has fulfilled the theme of the ball in grand style, but isn't quite as far in the direction of true Punk as Dee or Julie, and so she gets a score of 9...
SARAH JESSICA PARKER
If you were to believe some websites, Sarah Jessica Parker knocked it right out of the ball-park with her amazing headgear, designed by Philip Treacy - I loved it too, and thought it was a brave step in the direction of interpretation...I mean - just look at it !! It's incredible...
I must admit, I didn't like the thigh-length boots under the ball-gown, but that's a quibble really, as you can't really see them most of the time !! I loved the huge ball-gown - designed by Giles Deacon, and one to really make an entrance in...
Her dress gets a Punk-ometer score of around 5, I guess, but her Mohican feathered headgear really pulls her whole outfit in the Punk direction, and so she scores a 8...
SIENNA MILLER
Sienna looked the part as much as Cara Delavingne did - they were very much alike, Cara in Burberry, and Sienna in Gucci, and both sporting metal studs of one kind or another. Sienna did it with a leather jacket covered in silver studs, over a draped white evening dress by Gucci, worn with a side-swept hairdo adorned with a spiked hair-band, which I really covet !!
Just like Cara than, Sienna scores a punky 7...
THE 10 MOST GLAMOROUS !!
Well - how about the rest of the hundreds of guests there last Monday evening then ?!! Not everyone embraced the Punk to Couture theme with quite as much gusto as the top 12 above, but there were plenty of fabulously glamorous outfits on show which were really too good to ignore !! Many of them were dresses that I chose from the Autumn 2013 RTW Collections already, and therefore there are plenty of Zebra Stars to give out !!
ALEXA CHUNG
My first choice was Alexa Chung in her beautiful little black dress from British designer Erdem - I loved this dress on the runway and I love Alexa in it too...It fools you into thinking it's really quite demure until you realise it's also pretty much see-through with all that lace going on !!
Alexa didn't go for the evening's Punk to Couture theme at all really, unless you count her gold-studded black clutch...
AMBER HEARD
Amber chose this red lacy dress from the Emilio Pucci brand, and I understand that Peter Dundas created this especially for her for this event !! Made from Chantilly lace and adorned with red crystal beads and with inset sheer panels, it is truly a gown to be really envious of !!
I love the fact that it has zig-zag panels inset down the side-seams, and around the top of her rear end. I also love the fact that she gave a nod to the theme of the ball with her amazing gold-spiked red clutch, also from the Emilio Pucci label...
ASHLEY GREENE
Ashley really wowed me in this amazing gold-embroidered black satin gown from Marchesa's Autumn 2013 RTW Collection recently shown at New York Fashion Week - I certainly picked up on this truly stunning dress, and thought it looked much like an Alexander McQueen dress designed by Sarah Burton. All that gorgeous gold satin-stitch embroidery that looks rather Royal crest-like, you see...
The back of this dress is just as stunning as the front, and I love the fact that it was just floating above Jordan Dunn's ankles on the runway, but is definitely on the floor when Ashley wears it - I like it better sweeping the floor actually - what do you reckon ?
BEE SHAFFER
Here's Bee Shaffer, daughter of Anna Wintour, and a fashion maven in her own right, as far as her own choices go - here, she looks a million dollars in a Christian Dior gown from the Spring 2013 Couture Collection.
On the runway, the dress was white with white beading, fading into the palest peachy orange down the bottom half of the dress, but in Bee's version, it is pale pink up top, fading to grey down the bottom...I like both versions actually, but maybe Bee's version is better for the theme of this ball !!
GWYNETH PALTROW
There is very much divided opinion on this shocking pink dress worn by Gwyneth Paltrow - designed by them at Valentino, especially for her, some love it, including me, but others couldn't get past the fact that it makes her look slightly thicker round the waist than she actually is - some websites have called this downright unflattering, but I tend to take a pragmatic view - why don't we just judge the dress on what it does do rather than what it doesn't ?
It doesn't fit tight round her slender waist - no, but on the other hand, it skims down to the floor in a smooth flowing line, flaring out into a spectacular wide hem and long train, and it also has an interesting sheer panel round her shoulders - what an unusual design !!...
HEIDI KLUM
This is the best I've seen Heidi in recent months, and so for once, she has avoided my Worst Dressed list !! This ivory satin embroidered gown was designed by Marchesa, from their Autumn 2013 Collection, and chosen by me at New York Fashion Week...
This dress is what balcony bras were designed for, but it does occur to me that a bra just isn't needed here - this dress is cantilevered beautifully, and supports everything nicely on its own, thank you very much !! I love the back view too, and thankfully Heidi wore her hair up, which is what is needed with a strapless gown as good as this !!
JENNIFER LAWRENCE
I love this little black dress worn by Jennifer Lawrence, and even though it isn't quite as dressy as some of the other designs on parade here, I think she really wears it well, especially because of the demure little black veil !! This was from the Christian Dior Autumn 2013 RTW Collection, shown in New York Fashion Week too, and would be just another pretty little dress if it didn't have that addition across her face !!
Here she is meeting Sarah Jessica Parker on the red carpet stairs - I love the ankle length 50s styling of this actually, and I really, really covet her amazing studded and spiked shoes !!
JESSICA PARÉ
Here's another design that I picked out at New York Fashion Week - this is 'Mad Men' star Jessica Paré, sporting a cobalt blue and black version of Jason Wu's trousers and train outfit, with probably the heaviest charcoal eye make-up possible. She's not the only one who gave a nod to the evening's theme only with her eye make-up, but I kinda wish she hadn't !! Unless you wear eye make-up like this all the time, or are wearing a more Punky outfit to go with it, the black-eye look doesn't necessarily work that well. What do you think - do you like the heavy black make-up when the outfit isn't really that out there ? Is this enough of a nod to the theme, when you are wearing an ordinary designer outfit as well ?
LINDA EVANGELISTA
Here's Linda Evangelista, doing her 'angel on a Christmas tree' impression, wafting round in a Marchesa design from their Spring 2012 Collection !! This is a really different look altogether from the mainstream of other stars here, and one which I think works really well, especially with her amazing chestnut hair...
I love this dress for her, and I'm pretty convinced that other people couldn't wear this as well as she does here, especially as she is model height...anyone less than six feet tall is going to look a teensy little bit tent-like in this - don't you think ?
NORA ZEHETNER
Another Marchesa design - they are doing rather well, aren't they ? - this one is from their Indian-inspired Collection for this Spring, shown at New York Fashion Week last September !! This was one of the sari-like gold brocade dresses that I really loved at the time, and still do - so I'm really happy to see this out there for the first time !!
I liked her braided hair up like this, and her make-up is pretty and well-defined without going over the top at all...
ROSIE HUNTINGDON WHITELEY
Rosie went for one of those Gucci sheer mesh top and satin skirt combinations, featuring a little bolero-shaped wing-like motif made out of feathers, appliquéd all over the bodice...I wondered who would choose this for a red carpet event, as I knew someone would sooner or later !! From their Autumn 2013 Collections too, this is an acquired taste, definitely, but I like it !!
UMA THURMAN
Uma Thurman really knocked me out with this amazing little satin number from Zac Posen, of course - who else ?!! This really is a work of Art - I think anyway, but others may well not agree !! It's certainly unusual to see Uma with bright red lipstick like this, and perhaps not the best choice for her, but it's one which certainly suits the evening's theme...
I love Zac's work, and this dress does him proud - he is the King of the wiggle-dress, is he not ?!! I reckon this yet another self-supporting gown methinks !! I love the off-the-shoulder shape of it, as it's beautifully flattering for every shape, from curvy and round to beanpole slim...
THE MOST INTERESTINGLY DRESSED GUYS
This year's theme, of course, had the knock-on effect of inspiring the men, and meant that they didn't necessarily have to opt for their normal boring black tux - the Punk to Couture theme brought out the fun element in a lot of men there...here are the seven guys who really impressed me with their choices...
ALASDHAIR WILLIS
Alasdhair is the husband of fashion designer Stella McCartney, and has accompanied her to events like this frequently - he went for a really fun black and white leopard print jacket, black trousers, and amazing black and leopard print lace-up shoes - animal prints were often a great feature of Punk style, and I remember having more than one leopard-print T-shirt, in various colours !!
I think this looks great, in view of the theme, it's not too over-the-top, but still shouts out about his obvious fashion refernences from the past !!
HAMISH BOWLES
Hamish Bowles is a high profile fashion journalist, working primarily for Vogue in his capacity as International Editor at Large, and he has also curated several important exhibitions at the Costume Institute, housed at the Met, and other fashion musuems too, and therefore he is a regular guest at these events .
I usually love what he wearing, as he is one of those men who always goes overboard with his outfits, but never looks anything other then fabulous !! He is very stylish, and it comes as no surprise whatsoever to learn that has has an extensive private collection of historical couture...
Here, he wore a conventional black tux, customised with really big selection of silver safety pins, crystal buttons and pins all over the lapels, covering them completely - oh and black nail varnish - of course !!
HARRY & PETER BRANT
The young teenage model brothers went to this event in co-ordinating black jackets, heavily embroidered with gold, with plain black trousers and shoes - not sure who designed these, but I suspect Dolce & Gabbana myself !!
They had immaculate hair and a touch of smokey eye make-up to finish off their rather effeminate styling...they looked good though !!
MARC JACOBS
Marc fulfilled his reputation for going against everyone else's trends, and persuing his own ideas of what men should and shouldn't be wearing - there's nothing like a fashion rebel and after all, that is what Punk's main subversive thinking was all about !! Whether for political ends or simply a fashion statement, Punk was always about doing what other people wouldn't do, and hopefully what they would disapprove of !! Marc is one of those people who likes to cause a stir !!
Here he is accompanied by Sophia Coppola, wearing one of his pyjama trousers suits featured in his latest collection, and he himself is wearing a truly striking polka-dot suit...I'm surprised he isn't wearing a skirt !!
TYSON BECKFORD
Tyson went for this rather delightful dinner jacket in a camouflage print in shades of pink and black - what a fun idea !! For an event like this, it's perfect, as it's quite a surreal design, being a self-contradicting idea - a print that is supposed to conceal you, but done in the brightest colours possible !!
I like it...
ZACHARY QUINTO
Oh my - what would Spock say...here's Star Trek actor, Zachary Quinto, wearing a really smart mandarin-collared waistcoat with dinner-suit trousers, and sporting a blue quiff - how very Punk of him !!
THE WORST COCK-UPS
It was expected that there was bound to be more truly horrendous get-ups at this evening's bash than probably any year that's gone before, given the theme - however, there weren't that many really awful cock-ups !!
However, the stars that I have picked up on here, were the few that really got the theme wrong on so many levels, for reasons that ranged from trying far too hard - Punk was never about doing anything that didn't come naturally anyway - to getting the whole thing wrong from the start,and wearing something that looked completely ridiculous !!
BEYONCÉ
Beyoncé, sadly, was one of the hosts this year, but she went completely overboard with her flame-enhanced gown and matching thigh-length boots - she didn't do anything Punkish with her hair, and so ended up looking like a particularly demented fairy on top of the Christmas tree...
This was really was tinsel overload - she bore more than a passing resemblance to the local hookers down Las Vegas way...this had nothing to do with Punk styling and everything to do with Beyoncé showing off her bountiful bosom...simply too much of everything, I'm afraid !! The reviewer, at the Guardian, amusingly, described this as looking "...like the bedlinen from some corrupt regime dictator's pad." and sadly, I know exactly what they meant !!
Sorry Beyoncé, but the solution to these things isn't always Givenchy...
CARINE ROITFELD
Of course, there is the school of thought, expressed several times round the Internet, that if you look like you might have just rolled out of bed after a particularly heavy night before, involving various dubious drugs and a lot of alcohol, and pitch up to an event like this in a sheer nightie and an oversized sweatshirt with a cartoon on the front, there is really no better way to put your two fingers up to the establishment that you could possibly think of, and that therefore Carine Roitfeld actually nailed the evening's theme better than anyone else there !!
However, I'm sorry but this is what she always looks like, so no thought about the theme required there then...Hmmm, Givenchy again - I sense a theme !!
KIM KARDASHIAN
Oh no - what in God's name possessed Kim to choose this awful get-up ? She has ended up on everyone's Worst Dressed list for this event, and as she is heavily pregnant, that can't be good for her ego - however, there's no getting around the fact that a loud floral print in a full length dress, with a high neckline and long sleeves, is probably not a great idea if you are rounder than a beach-ball and really not that tall...and what's worse is that the sleeves end in glove fingers, which means that her arms effectively disappear into the print !!
Givenchy again - what a gaffe !!
LISA-MARIE FALCONE
Lisa-Marie Falcone is the wife of billionaire hedge-fund manager Phillip Falcone, but that couldn't save her from making a total fool of herself with this weird yellow and black get-up...Lord knows who designed this, but I really wish they hadn't !! Forgive me, but to me, there's also something rather strange about the wives of billionaires playing with what they think is Punk styling and getting it totally wrong like this - and they 're not fooling anyone, I'm afraid !! This bright acidic yellow dress is absolutely horrendous, and the shiny black bra on show doesn't make it Punk - it just makes it a bit weird...
MADONNA
Here's Madonna - yes, you knew she would be showing up in this bit of the post didn't you ?!! Well, it's Madge, so really, it's only right and proper that she makes a total arse of herself here, with a complete hodgepodge of ripped tartan, hanging crucifixes, and fishnets with gigantic holes in them !! I'm sorry, but Our Madge is the only person who thinks that wearing a jacket without either trousers or skirt is a good and desirable state of affairs - however, contrary to this persistent belief, it isn't even edgy - it just looks like you've forgotten to put them on !!
And don't even get me started on the pink shoes...
That's it then - so what have we learned from this uber-stylish Ball ? Is it possible to do Punk in a Couture way, or is it really an actual total contradiction of terms ?
And how about your own experiences of the punk movement and the fashions...Were you a Punk back in the day ? What memories do you have of the late 70s, when this was all kicking off in London and New York ?
METROPOLITAN MUSEUM GALA BALL 2013
THE MOST GLAMOROUS DRESSES AND THE BEST THEME INTERPRETATIONS !!
Wow - what a night !! The Metropolitan Museum's Gala Ball to launch their annual fashion exhibition was held last Monday evening, and the theme was "Punk : From Chaos to Couture" - the emphasis here being the deliciously subversive Punk influence on mainstream and couture fashion trends, from the safety-pinned Versace dress, famously worn by Elizabeth Hurley, all the way down to the latest spiky earrings sold in Top Shop.
The best thing is that although quite a few stars didn't bother with the theme at all, and stuck to their usual couture dresses, many more stars went for it with gusto and abandon, casting caution to the winds, with mostly fabulous results...and even the ones that didn't have the guts to go all out for it, still chose little details that went with the theme anyway - even a pair of spiky black shoes and a darker lipstick gave most outfits that slightly punky edge !!
What the photos from this event portrayed was the sheer amount of influence Punk has had on mainstream fashion over the last few decades...
THE 12 BEST THEME INTERPRETATIONS
There have been a few Met Balls in the past, where the stars haven't gone with the theme at all, but this wasn't one of those years !! The best interpretations of the theme, in my view, were one of two things - either they were still very Couture looks, but with punky styling in hair, jewellery and make-up, or they were stars that went the whole hog with safety-pins, zips and studs, and lots of attitude !! So, it was either very subtle and edgy, or completely over the top, but in a very Couture way. To illustrate this, and to gauge how much Punk influence each outfit is showing, I have invented my Punk-ometer, which will give each star a rating from 1 to 10, where 1 is very glamorous Couture and 10 is completely over-the-top Punk...
So here are my own choices for the top 12 best theme interpretations - what fun !!
ANNE HATHAWAY
I really loved Anne's look - she went with a vintage Valentino Couture dress, in sheer black with feathery sleeves and slicked-back bleached blonde hair - her style was very subtle, and more importantly, what she usually goes for - in other words, the new bleached hairdo notwithstanding, she still looks like Anne Hathaway...
On my Punk-to-Couture scale, Anne scores a subtly Punk-influenced, but still edgy 3...
CARA DELAVINGNE
Model of the Year Cara went with a fantastically punky Burberry dress laced with brass spikes, and worn with side-swept slightly grungy hair, and spiky jewellery galore - fabulous stuff !!
She posed for several pics with her pal Sienna Miller who also looks great - you can see her ear jewellery better here, and the tiny plaited details in her hair. Plaits and plaited sections of hair woven in, were very popular at this event, as a good way of introducing a little edgy detail to your look.
On my Punk-ometer, Cara scores much higher than Anne, but not as high as some other stars we'll see further down - a score of 7 for Cara !!
CHRISTINA RICCI
Now Christine isn't afraid of a theme or two, and so when the Punk theme was revealed for this year's Met Ball, I could imagine her rubbing her hands together in glee !! She didn't leave anything to chance and went right to source for her interpretation of the theme - a tartan dress from the Queen of Punk herself, Dame Viv of course, who practically invented the term...and she looks great in it too - and more importantly, she doesn't look like a Hollywood star trying to be a spiky-looking Punk, which was, I'm afraid the downfall of a few others !!
Yes - some stars forgot that the theme was actually 'Punk : Chaos to Couture'...luckily, Christina Ricci wasn't one of them, with this beautifully structured couture dress from Vivienne Westwood - all layers, complex pleats and bunched up sections of fabric, with underpinning so secure that it could probably stand up on its own - and not forgetting the general rise and fall shape of the dress...typical Dame Viv !!
She left her hair styled in a rather conventional way, considering the theme, but went with bright red lipstick and black eye-liner, so she is far more glam than punk, but because her dress is a Westwood creation, the Punk credentials are there for all to see...
All things considered, Christine scores a 6 on my Punk-meter...
DEE HILFIGER
Dee is, of course, the wife of Tommy, and is also a designer in her own right - here she is, rocking a Stuart tartan rise and fall gown, in the style and tradition of Alexander McQueen's own Punk collection from years ago...I suspect that they designed their own ensembles here - I love Dee's get-up - the teased up hair, the strapless dress with kilt detailing, and the double studded leather belt...fabulous attention to detail and she looks the part without going completely over the top - in other words, no shaved heads, pierced noses or face tattoos...
This looks like a really good interpretation of the evening's theme - a great Punk to Couture look !! She gets a respectable 10 on my Punk-meter !! Just like Julie Macklowe further down, she has given the theme a good deal of thought and done it justice...
DOUTZEN KROES
International runway model Doutzen Kroes went with this fabulous black leather-look dress designed by Olivier Theyskens for his Theyskens Theory label. With the open front, sheer underskirts, and big train, and the general rise and fall shape, this strapless dress was one of the best Punky ball-gowns there...
She scraped her hair back off her face, but didn't particularly go overboard with her make-up or jewellery, keeping everything to an understated minimum, and therefore she gets a rather safe Punk-ometer score of 3, like Anne Hathaway !!
FLORENCE WELCH
Our Flo lived up to her usual trademark slightly Gothic look, combined with a definitely glamorous Punk feel with this floor-length fringed dress by her favourite designer, Riccardo Tisci at Givenchy...
This was a custom design from him, for her to wear, specially for this event, so I wonder how he reacted to the fact that she managed to get the floor-length fringes tangled up in a chair leg and had to be cut free with scissors !! Hey-ho...the floor-length fringing is a really spectacular feature of this dress, so I do hope he can repair the damage easily !!
I love the heavily embroidered front to this dress, and the way it looks with her amazing red hair !! Is it Punk ? Not really - it's a good deal more Goth than Punk, but it isn't just a glamorous evening look either, and she carries it off well, so she gets a Punk-Goth score of 5...
GIOVANNA BATTAGLIA
Giovanna Battista is the editor of L'Uomo Vogue over there in Italy, and she is famous for her amazing fashion choices - here she carried the theme off with great style and wit - I love her gold safety-pinned updo, and the dress is beautifully and heavily embellished, giving her a really strong Couture-Punk look. The dress is from the Dolce & Gabbana label, but actually isn't from their recent Autumn 2013 Collection of religious iconography-inspired, mosaic-print dresses, even though it looks like it is...her amazing crucifix is from that collection and fits the Punk to Couture theme well, along with her truly amazing safety-pinned hairstyle...
Black fishnets and huge gold platforms complete her look, which scores a healthy 7 on my Punk-ometer !!
JULIE MACKLOWE
Julie looks a little like a singer with a punk band, doesn't she !! Actually, she is a former hedge-fund manager who is now a retail-business woman - she really went for this in a big way, interpreting the theme rather more literally than most stars at this event, but crucially, she doesn't look stupid with it - she looks like she was a Punk herself in past years, but I suspect she isn't old enough even to remember it first-hand, as it's a good thirty-five years since we all looked like this on the King's Road...(crikey - was it really that long ago ?!!)
She has really embraced this theme with gusto and searched out the right make-up and jewellery etc, etc, while still essentially being dressed in a floor-length ball gown - for which, I reckon, she should be rewarded with the full Punk-ometer score of 10 !!
KATY PERRY
Now then, when I looked at this amazing collection back in March, I said then that I would be ecstatic if anyone wore any of these designs on a red carpet, and so, it is with greatest pleasure that I acknowledge Katy Perry's status as a red carpet queen for this ensemble - she has the crown, and the crucifix earrings - the works !! Dolce & Gabbana of course, as you will all recognise, and this is about as Punky, in the subversive sense that designer fashion gets, being as it takes such revered Christian icons - Roman Catholic ones at that, and creates fashion designs from them. How anti-establishment is that ?!!
Katy has chosen a dress and the crown and earrings that I chose too, so she gets a Zebra Star in addition to a Punk-ometer score of 7...not as much as Julie above, but certainly more than anyone else so far, besides Giovanna Battaglia who had similar ideas !!
PALOMA FAITH
Paloma looks simply fabulous here, as she always does at these events - I have a lot of time for her and her incredibly individual fashion style, especially when it comes to interpreting a theme like this !! The dress is fantastic, and the fact that it ends in gloves is a big plus !! I love her head-gear - it's so spiky and punky - a real piece of head-turning millinery...
The dress was designed by Michael Cinco, and really gets to grips with the essence of the theme at this event - it's a couture fashion evening gown with a punky attitude - covered in beads and toned from red to black, figure-hugging and also backless to show off Paloma's impressive collection of bird tattoos...
Her hairdo is just amazing, and so polished, so not at all Punky in that respect, but this theme is all about how Punk has influenced Couture Fashion, so she gets away with it being beautifully styled, and adorned with a black spiky sculpture !!
In my book, she has fulfilled the theme of the ball in grand style, but isn't quite as far in the direction of true Punk as Dee or Julie, and so she gets a score of 9...
SARAH JESSICA PARKER
If you were to believe some websites, Sarah Jessica Parker knocked it right out of the ball-park with her amazing headgear, designed by Philip Treacy - I loved it too, and thought it was a brave step in the direction of interpretation...I mean - just look at it !! It's incredible...
I must admit, I didn't like the thigh-length boots under the ball-gown, but that's a quibble really, as you can't really see them most of the time !! I loved the huge ball-gown - designed by Giles Deacon, and one to really make an entrance in...
Her dress gets a Punk-ometer score of around 5, I guess, but her Mohican feathered headgear really pulls her whole outfit in the Punk direction, and so she scores a 8...
SIENNA MILLER
Sienna looked the part as much as Cara Delavingne did - they were very much alike, Cara in Burberry, and Sienna in Gucci, and both sporting metal studs of one kind or another. Sienna did it with a leather jacket covered in silver studs, over a draped white evening dress by Gucci, worn with a side-swept hairdo adorned with a spiked hair-band, which I really covet !!
Just like Cara than, Sienna scores a punky 7...
THE 10 MOST GLAMOROUS !!
Well - how about the rest of the hundreds of guests there last Monday evening then ?!! Not everyone embraced the Punk to Couture theme with quite as much gusto as the top 12 above, but there were plenty of fabulously glamorous outfits on show which were really too good to ignore !! Many of them were dresses that I chose from the Autumn 2013 RTW Collections already, and therefore there are plenty of Zebra Stars to give out !!
ALEXA CHUNG
My first choice was Alexa Chung in her beautiful little black dress from British designer Erdem - I loved this dress on the runway and I love Alexa in it too...It fools you into thinking it's really quite demure until you realise it's also pretty much see-through with all that lace going on !!
Alexa didn't go for the evening's Punk to Couture theme at all really, unless you count her gold-studded black clutch...
AMBER HEARD
Amber chose this red lacy dress from the Emilio Pucci brand, and I understand that Peter Dundas created this especially for her for this event !! Made from Chantilly lace and adorned with red crystal beads and with inset sheer panels, it is truly a gown to be really envious of !!
I love the fact that it has zig-zag panels inset down the side-seams, and around the top of her rear end. I also love the fact that she gave a nod to the theme of the ball with her amazing gold-spiked red clutch, also from the Emilio Pucci label...
ASHLEY GREENE
Ashley really wowed me in this amazing gold-embroidered black satin gown from Marchesa's Autumn 2013 RTW Collection recently shown at New York Fashion Week - I certainly picked up on this truly stunning dress, and thought it looked much like an Alexander McQueen dress designed by Sarah Burton. All that gorgeous gold satin-stitch embroidery that looks rather Royal crest-like, you see...
The back of this dress is just as stunning as the front, and I love the fact that it was just floating above Jordan Dunn's ankles on the runway, but is definitely on the floor when Ashley wears it - I like it better sweeping the floor actually - what do you reckon ?
BEE SHAFFER
Here's Bee Shaffer, daughter of Anna Wintour, and a fashion maven in her own right, as far as her own choices go - here, she looks a million dollars in a Christian Dior gown from the Spring 2013 Couture Collection.
On the runway, the dress was white with white beading, fading into the palest peachy orange down the bottom half of the dress, but in Bee's version, it is pale pink up top, fading to grey down the bottom...I like both versions actually, but maybe Bee's version is better for the theme of this ball !!
GWYNETH PALTROW
There is very much divided opinion on this shocking pink dress worn by Gwyneth Paltrow - designed by them at Valentino, especially for her, some love it, including me, but others couldn't get past the fact that it makes her look slightly thicker round the waist than she actually is - some websites have called this downright unflattering, but I tend to take a pragmatic view - why don't we just judge the dress on what it does do rather than what it doesn't ?
It doesn't fit tight round her slender waist - no, but on the other hand, it skims down to the floor in a smooth flowing line, flaring out into a spectacular wide hem and long train, and it also has an interesting sheer panel round her shoulders - what an unusual design !!...
HEIDI KLUM
This is the best I've seen Heidi in recent months, and so for once, she has avoided my Worst Dressed list !! This ivory satin embroidered gown was designed by Marchesa, from their Autumn 2013 Collection, and chosen by me at New York Fashion Week...
This dress is what balcony bras were designed for, but it does occur to me that a bra just isn't needed here - this dress is cantilevered beautifully, and supports everything nicely on its own, thank you very much !! I love the back view too, and thankfully Heidi wore her hair up, which is what is needed with a strapless gown as good as this !!
JENNIFER LAWRENCE
I love this little black dress worn by Jennifer Lawrence, and even though it isn't quite as dressy as some of the other designs on parade here, I think she really wears it well, especially because of the demure little black veil !! This was from the Christian Dior Autumn 2013 RTW Collection, shown in New York Fashion Week too, and would be just another pretty little dress if it didn't have that addition across her face !!
Here she is meeting Sarah Jessica Parker on the red carpet stairs - I love the ankle length 50s styling of this actually, and I really, really covet her amazing studded and spiked shoes !!
JESSICA PARÉ
Here's another design that I picked out at New York Fashion Week - this is 'Mad Men' star Jessica Paré, sporting a cobalt blue and black version of Jason Wu's trousers and train outfit, with probably the heaviest charcoal eye make-up possible. She's not the only one who gave a nod to the evening's theme only with her eye make-up, but I kinda wish she hadn't !! Unless you wear eye make-up like this all the time, or are wearing a more Punky outfit to go with it, the black-eye look doesn't necessarily work that well. What do you think - do you like the heavy black make-up when the outfit isn't really that out there ? Is this enough of a nod to the theme, when you are wearing an ordinary designer outfit as well ?
LINDA EVANGELISTA
Here's Linda Evangelista, doing her 'angel on a Christmas tree' impression, wafting round in a Marchesa design from their Spring 2012 Collection !! This is a really different look altogether from the mainstream of other stars here, and one which I think works really well, especially with her amazing chestnut hair...
I love this dress for her, and I'm pretty convinced that other people couldn't wear this as well as she does here, especially as she is model height...anyone less than six feet tall is going to look a teensy little bit tent-like in this - don't you think ?
NORA ZEHETNER
Another Marchesa design - they are doing rather well, aren't they ? - this one is from their Indian-inspired Collection for this Spring, shown at New York Fashion Week last September !! This was one of the sari-like gold brocade dresses that I really loved at the time, and still do - so I'm really happy to see this out there for the first time !!
I liked her braided hair up like this, and her make-up is pretty and well-defined without going over the top at all...
ROSIE HUNTINGDON WHITELEY
Rosie went for one of those Gucci sheer mesh top and satin skirt combinations, featuring a little bolero-shaped wing-like motif made out of feathers, appliquéd all over the bodice...I wondered who would choose this for a red carpet event, as I knew someone would sooner or later !! From their Autumn 2013 Collections too, this is an acquired taste, definitely, but I like it !!
UMA THURMAN
Uma Thurman really knocked me out with this amazing little satin number from Zac Posen, of course - who else ?!! This really is a work of Art - I think anyway, but others may well not agree !! It's certainly unusual to see Uma with bright red lipstick like this, and perhaps not the best choice for her, but it's one which certainly suits the evening's theme...
I love Zac's work, and this dress does him proud - he is the King of the wiggle-dress, is he not ?!! I reckon this yet another self-supporting gown methinks !! I love the off-the-shoulder shape of it, as it's beautifully flattering for every shape, from curvy and round to beanpole slim...
THE MOST INTERESTINGLY DRESSED GUYS
This year's theme, of course, had the knock-on effect of inspiring the men, and meant that they didn't necessarily have to opt for their normal boring black tux - the Punk to Couture theme brought out the fun element in a lot of men there...here are the seven guys who really impressed me with their choices...
ALASDHAIR WILLIS
Alasdhair is the husband of fashion designer Stella McCartney, and has accompanied her to events like this frequently - he went for a really fun black and white leopard print jacket, black trousers, and amazing black and leopard print lace-up shoes - animal prints were often a great feature of Punk style, and I remember having more than one leopard-print T-shirt, in various colours !!
I think this looks great, in view of the theme, it's not too over-the-top, but still shouts out about his obvious fashion refernences from the past !!
HAMISH BOWLES
Hamish Bowles is a high profile fashion journalist, working primarily for Vogue in his capacity as International Editor at Large, and he has also curated several important exhibitions at the Costume Institute, housed at the Met, and other fashion musuems too, and therefore he is a regular guest at these events .
I usually love what he wearing, as he is one of those men who always goes overboard with his outfits, but never looks anything other then fabulous !! He is very stylish, and it comes as no surprise whatsoever to learn that has has an extensive private collection of historical couture...
Here, he wore a conventional black tux, customised with really big selection of silver safety pins, crystal buttons and pins all over the lapels, covering them completely - oh and black nail varnish - of course !!
HARRY & PETER BRANT
The young teenage model brothers went to this event in co-ordinating black jackets, heavily embroidered with gold, with plain black trousers and shoes - not sure who designed these, but I suspect Dolce & Gabbana myself !!
They had immaculate hair and a touch of smokey eye make-up to finish off their rather effeminate styling...they looked good though !!
MARC JACOBS
Marc fulfilled his reputation for going against everyone else's trends, and persuing his own ideas of what men should and shouldn't be wearing - there's nothing like a fashion rebel and after all, that is what Punk's main subversive thinking was all about !! Whether for political ends or simply a fashion statement, Punk was always about doing what other people wouldn't do, and hopefully what they would disapprove of !! Marc is one of those people who likes to cause a stir !!
Here he is accompanied by Sophia Coppola, wearing one of his pyjama trousers suits featured in his latest collection, and he himself is wearing a truly striking polka-dot suit...I'm surprised he isn't wearing a skirt !!
TYSON BECKFORD
Tyson went for this rather delightful dinner jacket in a camouflage print in shades of pink and black - what a fun idea !! For an event like this, it's perfect, as it's quite a surreal design, being a self-contradicting idea - a print that is supposed to conceal you, but done in the brightest colours possible !!
I like it...
ZACHARY QUINTO
Oh my - what would Spock say...here's Star Trek actor, Zachary Quinto, wearing a really smart mandarin-collared waistcoat with dinner-suit trousers, and sporting a blue quiff - how very Punk of him !!
THE WORST COCK-UPS
It was expected that there was bound to be more truly horrendous get-ups at this evening's bash than probably any year that's gone before, given the theme - however, there weren't that many really awful cock-ups !!
However, the stars that I have picked up on here, were the few that really got the theme wrong on so many levels, for reasons that ranged from trying far too hard - Punk was never about doing anything that didn't come naturally anyway - to getting the whole thing wrong from the start,and wearing something that looked completely ridiculous !!
BEYONCÉ
Beyoncé, sadly, was one of the hosts this year, but she went completely overboard with her flame-enhanced gown and matching thigh-length boots - she didn't do anything Punkish with her hair, and so ended up looking like a particularly demented fairy on top of the Christmas tree...
This was really was tinsel overload - she bore more than a passing resemblance to the local hookers down Las Vegas way...this had nothing to do with Punk styling and everything to do with Beyoncé showing off her bountiful bosom...simply too much of everything, I'm afraid !! The reviewer, at the Guardian, amusingly, described this as looking "...like the bedlinen from some corrupt regime dictator's pad." and sadly, I know exactly what they meant !!
Sorry Beyoncé, but the solution to these things isn't always Givenchy...
CARINE ROITFELD
Of course, there is the school of thought, expressed several times round the Internet, that if you look like you might have just rolled out of bed after a particularly heavy night before, involving various dubious drugs and a lot of alcohol, and pitch up to an event like this in a sheer nightie and an oversized sweatshirt with a cartoon on the front, there is really no better way to put your two fingers up to the establishment that you could possibly think of, and that therefore Carine Roitfeld actually nailed the evening's theme better than anyone else there !!
However, I'm sorry but this is what she always looks like, so no thought about the theme required there then...Hmmm, Givenchy again - I sense a theme !!
KIM KARDASHIAN
Oh no - what in God's name possessed Kim to choose this awful get-up ? She has ended up on everyone's Worst Dressed list for this event, and as she is heavily pregnant, that can't be good for her ego - however, there's no getting around the fact that a loud floral print in a full length dress, with a high neckline and long sleeves, is probably not a great idea if you are rounder than a beach-ball and really not that tall...and what's worse is that the sleeves end in glove fingers, which means that her arms effectively disappear into the print !!
Givenchy again - what a gaffe !!
LISA-MARIE FALCONE
Lisa-Marie Falcone is the wife of billionaire hedge-fund manager Phillip Falcone, but that couldn't save her from making a total fool of herself with this weird yellow and black get-up...Lord knows who designed this, but I really wish they hadn't !! Forgive me, but to me, there's also something rather strange about the wives of billionaires playing with what they think is Punk styling and getting it totally wrong like this - and they 're not fooling anyone, I'm afraid !! This bright acidic yellow dress is absolutely horrendous, and the shiny black bra on show doesn't make it Punk - it just makes it a bit weird...
MADONNA
Here's Madonna - yes, you knew she would be showing up in this bit of the post didn't you ?!! Well, it's Madge, so really, it's only right and proper that she makes a total arse of herself here, with a complete hodgepodge of ripped tartan, hanging crucifixes, and fishnets with gigantic holes in them !! I'm sorry, but Our Madge is the only person who thinks that wearing a jacket without either trousers or skirt is a good and desirable state of affairs - however, contrary to this persistent belief, it isn't even edgy - it just looks like you've forgotten to put them on !!
And don't even get me started on the pink shoes...
That's it then - so what have we learned from this uber-stylish Ball ? Is it possible to do Punk in a Couture way, or is it really an actual total contradiction of terms ?
And how about your own experiences of the punk movement and the fashions...Were you a Punk back in the day ? What memories do you have of the late 70s, when this was all kicking off in London and New York ?