8 Met Gala hair and makeup looks that truly belong in a museum
2. Billie Eilish (2021): Blonde bombshell reminagined
In a pale peach Oscar de la Renta gown and platinum blonde waves, Billie Eilish channelled Marilyn Monroe with a twist. Her beauty look—brushed-up brows, soft lashes and a satin pink lip—signalled a dramatic departure from her signature grunge aesthetic. It was a deliberate, almost cinematic transformation that honoured the night's 'In America: A Lexicon of Fashion' theme without resorting to cliché. Elegance, but make it subversive. 3. Lupita Nyong'o (2016): Sculptural hair art
Above Lupita Nyong'o attends the 'Manus x Machina: Fashion In An Age Of Technology' Costume Institute Gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. (Photo by Dimitrios Kambouris / Getty Images)
Nyong'o's towering hair—crafted by Vernon François—nodded to both African tradition and vintage showgirls. It was more than a hairstyle; it was a cultural statement built with precision and pride. Her emerald eye make-up played off her Calvin Klein gown, creating a cohesive story that elevated the Met Gala red carpet to fine art. 4. Rihanna (2015): Imperial drama
Clad in Guo Pei's imperial yellow robe, Rihanna matched the scale of her dress with gilded make-up and a dramatic brow. Her bronzed complexion glowed against her matte red lip, delivering a regal fantasy that honoured the theme, 'China: Through the Looking Glass', without veering into caricature. It was a masterclass in cultural sensitivity and star power. 5. Zendaya (2018): Joan of Arc, but make it beauty
Her chainmail Versace gown was unforgettable, but it was the auburn bob and metallic make-up that truly sealed Zendaya's transformation. Smoky lids gave her a warpaint edge, while sculpted cheekbones recalled both saint and warrior. In a sea of predictable glam, she wielded beauty as narrative weaponry. 6. Billy Porter (2019): Golden deity
Above Billy Porter attends The 2019 Met Gala 'Celebrating Camp: Notes on Fashion' at Metropolitan Museum of Art. (Photo by John Lamparski / Getty Images)
Flanked by six shirtless attendants, Porter descended on the Met Gala carpet like a sun god. His face was adorned with gold leaf accents, winged liner and lashes that rivalled Cleopatra's. The look and the entrance were pure theatre, and the stuff of Met Gala stories to come. 7. Erykah Badu (2014): Afro-futurist cool
Wearing a wide-brimmed hat and glowing skin, Eryka Badu brought restrained yet radical energy to the 'Charles James: Beyond Fashion' theme. Her dark liner and bold lip anchored an otherwise stripped-down palette. Badu's beauty philosophy has always leaned anti-trend, and at the Met Gala, it read as both defiant and deeply curated. 8. Lady Gaga (2019): Performance in layers
Arriving in multiple Brandon Maxwell ensembles, Gaga turned the Met Gala into live theatre. Her beauty look had to keep up: platinum waves, doll-like lashes and a pink lip that echoed camp Barbie. Even as she stripped down to lingerie, the make-up stayed pristine, reminding us that transformation isn't just costume—it's cosmetic storytelling.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Vogue Arabia
4 days ago
- Vogue Arabia
The Rise of Playful Proportions: Inside the World of Fashion's Most Joyful Silhouette
Gone are the days when minimalism reigned supreme and proportions played it safe. As Coco Chanel once said 'fashion is architecture: it is a matter of proportions.' And In 2025 that architecture is being reimagined – through asymmetry, drama and deliberate imbalance, fashion is finally shedding its obsession with restraint and symmetry. The message? Proportions are no longer a matter of balance but of boldness. From voluminous sleeves that seem to float midair to sharply exaggerated tailoring which borders on the theatrical, the fashion world is embracing a new aesthetic vocabulary – playful proportions. This isn't just a passing trend – it is a bold reimagining of elegance, where individuality takes centre stage and maximalism is no longer a rebellion. Tracee Ellis Ross in Marc Jacobs at the Met Gala Amina Khalil in Rami Kadi at Cannes At the MetGala 2025, Tracee Ellis Ross's striking Marc Jacobs ensemble, featuring exaggerated wide legged trousers and a sculptural satin bow at the waist was the perfect example of how a voluminous silhouette transforms classic tailoring into high fashion drama. At Cannes 2025, Amina Khalil, wore a custom Rami Kadi gown with a sculpted bodice and cascading feathered tiers, a striking balance between softness and structure. On the runway On recent runways, fashion houses took to inflating silhouettes and a touch of playfulness. From YSL's sloped and elongated shoulders and voluminous ball gowns to Schiaparelli's carefully engineered construction of silhouettes. Rami Al Ali's Spring/Summer 2025, was an architectural marvel with geometric motifs which disrupted the symmetry of the otherwise sleek silhouettes. Ashi Studio's immense Balloon skirt created an intentional imbalance and exaggerated volume in a theatrical way. They show that awkward proportions and layering doesn't have to be over the top – they can be elegant and wearable too. Why is fashion leaning into this imbalance? At first, playful proportions might look like just a fun and impractical trend. But if you look closer, it's a natural reaction to the visual fatigue of minimal, plain fashion. It's less like a trend and more like a philosophy. Now, after the pandemic and the quiet luxury trend, people are moving back towards bold styles that show personality, creativity, and joy. The desire to break free, advocating for fun and expressive fashion and the appetite for emotions, personality, and visual excitement is definitely knocking our doors. High street brands are replicating the look with unexpected creativity – ballooned sleeves, wide cut pants, trapeze shaped coats, they are making fashion fun again for the average consumer. The desire to reject perfection and embrace individuality reflects how people, especially Gen Z and social creators, want to stand out and celebrate their complexities. Fashion creators' search history probably reads like a modern style manifesto: oversized jackets, statement sleeves, layered looks. This shows that fashion creators are looking for more volume, drama and excitement. It helps them break traditional fashion rules, turning garments into bold statements of identity and creativity. It does not only amplify one's volume but demands attention allowing for personal expression which says more is more.
Sydney Morning Herald
13-06-2025
- Sydney Morning Herald
The scariest thing about Trump? Nothing he does can shock us any more
For a president famed for his shock value, the dog days of June have actually been some of the least shocking of his tenure. The break-up of Donald Trump and Elon Musk must have been on everyone's bingo card. Surely no one was surprised when their divorce exploded on social media, and we feasted on a pass-the-popcorn moment writ large in Trump-scale signage. A trope of the Trump years is that a Hollywood scriptwriter would be laughed out of town for authoring such a madcap screenplay. America is in its final season, goes the joke, and the showrunners have completely jumped the shark. On this occasion, however, they would have been sent back to the writing room, and told to try harder. The personal insults. The threats of cancelled government contracts. Even Musk's taunt about the Jeffrey Epstein files felt cliched. I would not even have been surprised if either Trump or Musk had sought to monetise their row by launching a crypto coin in the shape of a broken heart. That is a measure of how, in the 10 years since Trump descended that golden escalator, the abnormal has been normalised. The chaos in Los Angeles was also entirely foreseeable. A crackdown on protesters in a Democratic-run city in a Democratic-run state was always going to be an obvious Trump play. Better still, the faux flashpoint came when agents from US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) tried to arrest and expel unauthorised immigrants. For Trump, the staging for this American passion play could hardly have been more perfect. And what a dramatis personae and props. An African-American Democratic mayor, Karen Bass. A liberal Democratic governor, Gavin Newsom, with a surname that lends itself to the playground slur 'Newscum' which Trump rejoices in using. A Democratic US senator, Alex Padilla, being bundled out of a press conference and then handcuffed after trying to ask Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem a question. Protesters waving the national flag of Mexico. And a big beautiful battalion of federalised National Guard, under the president's command and control, with 700 US Marines standing by on the fringes of the city. 'Lights! Camera! Action!' A Hollywood summer blockbuster executive produced by the country's most powerful executive. Nor should we overlook how the Democratic Party, and the Biden administration in particular, was crucial in the plot development. 'Democrats have gotten the border issue so wrong, for so long, that it amounts to political malpractice,' wrote W ashington Post columnist David Ignatius, a frequent Trump critic. Loading The Musk meltdown and Los Angeles showdown are, of course, linked. Trump, whose personal approval ratings have slumped sharply, needed a distraction after the breakdown of his billionaire bromance, and Musk's complaints that the 'One Big Beautiful Bill' would add $2.4 trillion to the deficit. So Trump became the first US president since 1965 to federalise the National Guard without the agreement of a state governor. Back then, in one of the most climactic showdowns of the civil rights era, president Lyndon Johnson did so to protect black protesters marching between Montgomery and Selma, who had been bludgeoned by Alabama state troopers on 'Bloody Sunday'. Johnson's opponent was George Wallace, the white supremacist governor of Alabama, a 'Dixie' demagogue often viewed as a populist forerunner of Trump. Wallace would have applauded the president's announcement this week restoring the names of seven army bases which honoured Confederate leaders.
Tatler Asia
07-06-2025
- Tatler Asia
9 cultural events to look out for in June: Jay Chou concert, Jimmy O Yang show and ‘Lust, Caution' composer in Hong Kong
2. Cy Gavin Above 'Untitled (Aquarium)' (2025) by Cy Gavin (Image: courtesy of Cy Gavin, Jackie Furtado and Gagosian) When: Until August 2 Where: Gagosian, 7/F, Pedder Building, 12 Pedder Street, Central What: New York-based artist Cy Gavin—who drew global attention for his Met Gala blue carpet—is debuting his first solo show in Asia. His latest works explore transformation, resilience and natural cycles. Featuring elements like Maximillian sunflowers and protostars, Gavin weaves together metaphors of biological and geological growth. 3. Dongpo: Life in Poems Above 'Dongpo: Life in Poems' (Photo: courtesy of LCSD) When: June 13 to 14 Where: Grand Theatre, Hong Kong Cultural Centre, Tsim Sha Tsui What: A poetic homage to Song dynasty polymath Su Dongpo (1037–1101), this stage production by China Oriental Performing Arts Group blends contemporary dance with classical Chinese cultural elements. Expect an atmospheric interpretation of Dongpo's legacy through calligraphy, poetry, martial arts, painting and more. 4. Jimmy O Yang Live in Hong Kong When: June 13 to 15 Where: Hong Kong Coliseum What: Hong Kong-born comedian and actor Jimmy O Yang returns for his hometown debut. Known for Interior Chinatown (2024) and Crazy Rich Asians (2018), Yang delivers fast-paced humour shaped by cultural quirks and personal tales of identity. 5. Echoes of the Heart Above A poster of 'Echoes of the Heart' (Photo: courtesy of French May) When: June 14 Where: Concert Hall, Hong Kong Cultural Centre, Tsim Sha Tsui What: A multicultural musical moment featuring Canto-pop singer Jay Fung and French vocalist Joyce Jonathan. They'll perform across genres in Chinese, English and French. Jonathan, who won the NRJ Music Award for Francophone Breakthrough of the Year in 2011, is the first French singer-songwriter to join the Chinese music competition Ride the Wind in 2024. This concert is part of this year's French May. 6. Trevor Yeung: Courtyard of Detachments Above 'Pond of Never Enough' by Trevor Yeung (Photo: courtesy of M+ and the artist) When: June 14 to October 12 Where: M+, West Kowloon Cultural District What: Following his showcase at the 60th Venice Biennale, Hong Kong artist Trevor Yeung revisits and reimagines his acclaimed installation. Shifting from themes of attachment to detachment, Yeung explores power dynamics and emotional ecology through aquatic-inspired ecosystems. 7. Wing Po So: Polyglot Above 'Polyglot Mulberry' (2023) by Wing Po So (Image: courtesy of Blindspot Gallery and the artist) When: June 17 to August 23 Where: Blindspot Gallery, Wong Chuk Hang What: Wing Po So examines the language of nature through a pharmacological lens. Drawing from Chinese medicine, her mixed-media works use materia medica to reveal hidden systems and structures, offering a layered interpretation of the environment and the unseen forces within it. 8. The Film Music of Alexandre Desplat Above A still from 'The Shape of Water' (Image: courtesy of IMDB) When: June 20 and 21 Where: Concert Hall, Hong Kong Cultural Centre What: The Hong Kong Philharmonic pays tribute to Alexandre Desplat, the French composer behind The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014), Lust, Caution (2007), Godzilla (2014), The Shape of Water (2017). Though Desplat will not attend due to Hollywood commitments; his wife and violinist Solrey will conduct the performance. Don't miss: 'Frozen', James Horner and John Williams: the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra's new season line-up is announced 9. Jay Chou Carnival World Tour Above Jay Chou at his 'Carnival World Tour' in Nanning, China in April 2025 (Photo: Instagram/@jaychou) When: June 27 to 29 Where: Kai Tak Stadium, Kowloon City What: The Mando-pop legend Jay Chou returns to Hong Kong with his globe-trotting Carnival World Tour , which began in Shanghai in 2019 and has since then toured around Asia, Oceania and Europe. From Fade Away to If You Don't Love Me, It's Fine , fans can expect an energetic set of his greatest hits in this Hong Kong concert.
