MET GALA 2024: THE BEST OF BRITISH & IRISH DESIGN

Every year, the Met Gala sees the world’s A listers flock to New York to don their most extravagant costumes for the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute’s annual costume gala – and we all transform into fashion critics for the evening. This year, designers and their celebrity muses were guided by the accompanying exhibition’s title (‘Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion’) and the Gala dress code (‘The Garden of Time’) – and myriad interpretations resulted. While everyone bickers over who was the best dressed and who has committed a serious fashion faux pas, we’re focussing on the designers. Here are the creations of our beloved British and Irish designers at the Met Gala 2024.

British & Irish Designers At The Met Gala 2024

Victoria Beckham

Phoebe Dyvenor became the first star to wear a design by Posh Spice to the Met Gala last night, donning an ethereal pink gown of flowing tulle and vintage lace, with hundreds of hand-cut flowers delicately stitched on throughout. According to Vogue, the first concert the Bridgerton star ever attended was a Spice Girls show – so this is a poetic, full circle moment for her.

Simone Rocha

C&TH cover star Eve Hewson arrived at the 2024 Met Gala clad in a blush pink chiffon gown with silver beading, crafter by fellow Irish powerhouse, Simone Rocha. Elsewhere, Jonathan Groff, soon to star in Doctor Who, donned a classic black suit designed by Rocha, with vibrant red embroidery rising to the ‘Garden of Time’ dress code.

Alexander McQueen

Lana Del Rey is making headlines for her dreamy tree gown designed by British fashion house, Alexander McQueen. The statement headpiece (made by hand using natural hawthorn branches and draoped with a tulle veil) references a design by McQueen which appeared on the runway in A/W ’06, reimagined for Lana’s Met Gala appearance by Irish creative director Seán McGirr. The accompanying corsetted gown is was hand embroisered with bronze hammered bullion hawthorn branches.

Elsewhere, actress La La Antony was one of the first stars to arrive on the Met Gala’s green carpet, dressed in a noir lace dress by McQueen with a slicked black ponytail, while Usher arrived later in a macabre black wool twill cape over a black diamante embellished tuxedo jacket and trousers with red rose applique details, carrying a blood-red flower and donning a black leather fedora.

Stella McCartney

FKA Twigs attended the 2024 Met Gala dripping in lab-grown diamonds, adorning a custom dress by beloved British designer Stella McCartney. Meanwhile, British supermodel Cara Delevingne channelled Joan of Arc, donning a coif-style hood crafted with diamonds instead of chain mail with a white ruched pencil skirt. Plus British pop star Ed Sheeran made his Met Gala debut in a Stella McCartney powder blue suit.

Philip Treacy

Zendaya made her much-awaited return to the Met Gala last night, after a five year hiatus. Hot off her glorious Challengers press run – in which she championed countless tenniscore outfits – expectations were high, but she surely impressed. As one of the 2024 co-hosts, she stunned in not one but two on-theme outfits. The first was a one-shouldered shimmering blue and green Maison Margiela Artisanal by John Galliano creation, while the second was a magnificent black gown from John Galliano’s Givenchy era. To top it off, Zendaya balanced a huge bouquet of flowers on her head – a stunning fascinator designed by British milliner Philip Treacy for Alexander McQueen back in 2006.

Treacy designed another show-stopping fascinator at the Met Gala 2024: Sarah Jessica Parker’s towering nude headpiece, which was the cherry on top of another British designer’s cake…

Richard Quinn

Richard Quinn designed a stunningly voluminous nude corset gown for SJP, featuring a cinched waist and bejewelled embroidery. To complete the look, the Sex and the City star donned bedazzled nude tights over a pair of nude heels.

Burberry

Barry Keoghan and girlfriend Sabrina Carpenter made their red carpet debut as a couple at the Met Gala 2024, with the Saltburn star looking dapper in a Wonka-style, three piece olive green velvet Burberry suit.

Other stars donning the British fashion house’s designs include Lewis Hamilton, whose all-black outfit was inspired by one of the UK’s first Black gardeners, John Ystumllyn; Naomi Campbell in a dazzling tasselled turquoise dress; British Vogue’s new editor-in-chief Chioma Nnadi, donning a pale yellow gown over trousers, with cascading floral designs; and Jodie Turner Smith’s white gown with floral-embroidered lace trailed by a feather trimmed veil.

2024-05-07T11:39:11Z dg43tfdfdgfd