To global fashion lovers what the Superbowl signifies for NFL fans, The Met Gala made its annual return today; with all of the customary pomp and circumstance youโd expect from the single largest concentration of celebrities and prominent public figures in the northern hemisphere.
In 2023, the Met Costume Institute (i.e. the organisation responsible for orchestrating the Gala) opted to pay tribute to legendary German designer Karl Lagerfeld โ best known for a pivotal multi-decade directorship at the House of Chanel (1983-2019) and concurrent turns at Fendi and his own namesake label.
Encouraged to dress up โin honour of Karlโ, there was a deluge of looks that tacked in the (rather predictable) direction of imitation: with numerous guests cosplaying in Lagerfeldโs iconic uniform of black suits, wing-collared shirts, fingerless leather and lots of jewelled accessories.
Naturally, weโve taken a more agnostic view of the entire proceeding โ in order to parse what we consider to be a balanced cross-section of big fits: some interesting, some more on-theme than others, and some which are more relevant for men who donโt spend their days strutting the red carpet. Just sayinโโฆ
Side note: anyone catch a glimpse of Jared Leto??
Stormzy
One of the British rap gameโs most notorious fashion killas, Stormzy took to the red carpet in a contemporary two-piece suit emblazoned with oversized florals. Iโve yet to confirm the exact details behind this tailored rig, though Iโd put money on it being a custom commission from Daniel Lee โ the ex-Bottega Veneta honcho whoโs now at the helm of Burberry.
For watch lovers: itโs also self-explanatory that Stormzy is rocking a Nautilus Ref. 5711 โ that notoriously unobtainable Patek mechanical that the rapper notably shouted out on his 2019 track Wiley Flow.
Pierce Brosnan (wearing Tom Ford)
Described by one prominent fashion editor as a master of โlow-key, unchallenging style,โ actor Pierce Brosnan lived up to this reputation in a big way at this yearโs Met Gala festivities.
Pictured here alongside his wife of many years, Keely Shaye, the former Bond star deployed some subtle winks to Lagerfeldโs trademark style โ sunglasses at night! โ yet wisely chose to ground these in an ensemble that make the most of his erudite, โsilver foxโ credentials.
Robert Pattinson (wearing Dior)
Arriving at our first real fashun pick of the Met Gala 2023 litter, actor Robert Pattinson opted to pay tribute to Lagerfeld in a suit/half-skirt combo that comes straight out of the Dior menโs playbook.
A signature of the houseโs current Creative Director โ Kim Jones โ it was hardly the riskiest look of the evening (skirt aside, Pattinson was essentially wearing a navy suit) but nevertheless, speaks to how ungendered aesthetic codes are continuing to trickle into the menswear mainstream.
Harris Dickinson (wearing Dunhill)
A real โsafe, but goodโ inclusion, Triangle of Sadness star Harris Dickinsonโs Gala look โ made by Dunhill โ ticks a lot of formalwearโs big thematic boxes. Perhaps unintentionally, the three-piece ensemble harkens back to an era when Lagerfeld still wore the clothing of other designers (i.e. Cifonelli).
Points deducted for wearing patent leather outside of its traditional black tie context; but all things considered, a strong showing for Dickinsonโs sophomore appearance at the Thunderdome of fashion.
Pusha T (wearing Thom Browne)
At the forefront of this yearโs wider trend for all things Thom Browne, rapper Pusha T stepped onto the red carpet in one of the acclaimed American designerโs trademark cropped suits.
A rather gutsy re-interpretation of the historic โblack tieโ uniform, Pushโs jacket here cribs a lot of inspiration from the โfrayedโ Chanel tweeds that Lagerfeld popularised in the late 2010s.
Roger Federer (wearing Dior)
Nothing to see here folks: just one of the most talented players to ever pick up the proverbial racket, kitted out in Dior menโs and the elegant new, vintage-inspired Rolex 1908.
I mean, if dress watches are good enough for King Rogerโฆ
Bill Nighy
Much like Brosnan, it would appear that Bill Nighy โ who has recently been in the zeitgeist for his Oscar-nominated performance in Living โ is a lover of the adage about sticking to oneโs [sartorial] guns. The acclaimed British actor spent the evening in the company of Anna Wintour (fashionโs โElder Stateswomanโ), wearing a simple-but-significant palette of black, blues and dark navy.
Even choosing to forego a pocket square, Nighyโs look here is a wonderful springboard for how to embrace tailored clothing in 2023. In a nutshell? Opt for generous proportions which flatter your physique specifically; while honing in on the details (e.g. colour, fabric, jacket shape) that actually matter.
Tom Ford (wearingโฆ Tom Ford)
Still basking in the afterglow of one final collection, before the label he founded sells for a whopping US$2.3 billion, designer and filmmaker Tom Ford chose to tackle this yearโs Met Gala in pretty much identical fashion to all of his previous appearances.
Dressed in languid, generously proportioned formalwear of his own design; the wisdom we can glean from Fordโs latest red carpet look is clear โ when in doubt, let the rules of black tie be your north star.
Rami Malek (wearing Prada)
Clearly still reeling from a (rather underwhelming) turn as Bond villain Lyutsifer Safin, actor Rami Malek borrowed some of the characterโs Japonisme-inspired style for his latest appearance at the Met Gala. Sporting a band collar shirt and asymmetric waistcoat โ both likely designed by Pradaโs menswear guru, Raf Simons โ thereโs a lot going on here in the โdetailsโ department.
Strangely, despite the free-ranging pastiche of cultural influences, every element in the famed Cartier ambassadorโs look hangs together: likely aided by the monochrome colour palette and deployment of a few key accessories. How goodโs a Tank Louis?
James McAvoy (wearing Dunhill)
Another Anglicised take on noirish Lagerfeld style, actor James McAvoy turned to Dunhill for a classic black tie rig that he then embellished with a few fashionable flourishes.
The exposed necktie/collar combo and hand-fan are both quirks that are inextricably linked with Lagerfeldโs personal image; but if you look beyond those distractions, this is just a very handsome, linear execution of the British โdrape cutโ.
