Beyonce
Ah, the Met Gala: Where the line between naked and naked-adjacent is where Beyonce never fears to tread. She's covered, but she's still trading on the illusion of a body BeDazzled. And down by her crotch there... I mean, that's a piece of chewing gum just WAITING to be blown into a short-lived bubble.
Beyonce in Givenchy
As "Manus x Machina" goes, I give her full marks for adherence, at least. Nothing espouses the union of machine-made material and man-made embellishments than glue-gunning beads to a tube of latex. And I do also appreciate that Riccardo Tisci gave the dress some shape -- a puffed sleeve here, a graceful skirt there. Truly there IS artistry in being able to make this material hang gently from the knee in folds, like this is doing.
So! Those are the positives.
Beyonce
But then you go in for a close-up again, and you an SEE where the sweat is pooling on her -- or where it's sticking the tightest to her skin. I actually think, in that first photo, you can see this in effect too. This thing is like a mood ring for her sweat glands.
MET Costume Institute Gala 2016
There appear to be handpainted flowers on there, which is also pretty. I might wish -- at the expense of the poor artisans -- that the whole THING had been painted over in those flowers, rather than just spotty coverage.
Solange in David LaPort
AND THEN THIS HAPPENED. Solange is clearly really into pleating, and face ruffles, and circular shapes. Aspects of this are evocative of last year's Giles confection. I just... it's a marvel. It's Manus x Wind Machina. She's like a pleather-enhanced "Some Like It Hot." And she and Bey are going to have to cut themselves out of all those synthetics come midnight.
Solange in David LaPort
JUST LOOK AT THIS. Jess pointed out the fact that Beyonce just released "Lemonade," and showed up without Jay-Z to the event where Solange -- dressed AS A LEMON -- famously wailed on him in the elevator for cheating with Rachel Roy. There is so much messaging happening here; it's a gossip's buffet. But mostly i just want to look at her head peeking over that ruffle like a nosy neighbor spying over a hedge. She's Wilson from "Home Improvement," done Met-style. It's INSANE and I cannot get enough.