Avant Garde at the Met Gala

“Just how many celebrities have the guts to wear Comme des Garçons on the red carpet?” I’m stealing that opening line from the Women’s Wear Daily coverage on the Met Ball because it was the same question I had before getting a peak at the looks Tuesday morning. This year’s Met exhibit from The Costume Institute honors Rei Kawakubo, the founder and designer of Comme des Garçons. This is only the second exhibition that covers only one living designer’s work, the last being Yves Saint Laurent in 1983.

The Met Gala is the annual fundraising event for The Costume Institute, and this year the invitation called for avant garde attire. Yet many of the attendees barely broke out of their comfort zone. I mean, why wouldn’t you take the opportunity to rock a piece of crazy beautiful, wearable art? This is the one time of the year where it is completely ~~accepted~~ encouraged. Check out this W Magazine article for pictures of the 9 celebrities bold enough to wear Comme des Garçons. My favorite? Tracee Ellis Ross won my heart in this amazing cobalt blue dress.

Rihanna, who has been deemed a Met Gala Queen, wore the most dramatic Comme des Garçons dress with humongous 3D flowers. I could do without the thigh-high strappy sandals, which took her an hour to get into, but I love her makeup.

Model Anna Cleveland is no stranger to Comme des Garçons garments; she’s walked the runway for the brand for the past two years. This deconstructed suit complete with hundred of white bows was part of their Fall 2015 collection. You can read more about her relationship with Rei Kawakubo in this Vogue article.

Caroline Kennedy wore this floral look from Comme des Garçons Fall 2016 collection, the same collection Rihanna pulled from. I think she is one of the only people who could pull off this look with such grace and poise.