The link between fashion and art is an ancient sisterhood, and there is no need to reopen the debate on their ontology, on what distinguishes or overlaps them. Rather, it is worth clarifying that the theme of the Met Gala, “Fashion is Art,” by no means implied a slavish imitation of works: it suggested, if anything, a reflection on fashion as an autonomous art form, capable of expressing itself through materials, cuts, volumes and color experimentation. An ode, in essence, to the infinite possibilities of sartorial language.
Inspiration from the art world was thus more than legitimate, but not obligatory. On the contrary, this is precisely where the risk lurks: that of slipping into the obvious, into the didactic, ending up impoverishing both the fashion and the quoted work. Emblematic, in the negative, is the case of Heidi Klum, who by choosing a literal approach turned herself into a marble statue: technically impeccable, certainly, but devoid of charm, almost mortifying the original and emptying both her costume and her stage presence of allure. Balance, then, was the key. And some performances demonstrated this intelligently.
Emma Chamberlain, for example, offered one of the most successful readings of the evening in my opinion. Her Mugler dress is a refined homage as much to fashion as to art: on the one hand it embodies the designer’s typical experimentation, between organic references, iridescent colors and research on materials, and on the other it evokes impressionist suggestions, with gradients that seem to dissolve along the fabric like brushstrokes. The result recalls, in terms of chromatic sensitivity, certain atmospheres of Van Gogh, such as The Garden of Arles (1889). In a single gesture, fashion and art dialogue harmoniously and consciously.
Also interesting was Madonna’s interpretation, who chose a long black dress with sculptural headdress, constructing a cultured quotation from Leonora Carrington’s The Temptation of St. Anthony (1945). The scene was evoked through female figures in pastel shades holding the ends of the singer’s lilac veil, creating a sophisticated tableau vivant. Designed by Merria Dearman, the look takes the form of a yes-literal, but layered and self-conscious homage.
Other references, while explicit, worked with balance: Rachel Zegler recalled a painting by Paul Delaroche, recreating its protagonist complete with blindfold; Gracie Abrams evoked Gustav Klimt’s golden patterns, particularly Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer, through a richly ornate gold dress; Claire Foy, in Erdem, reinterpreted John Singer Sargent’s Madame X; Angela Bassett was inspired by Laura Wheeler Waring with a pink dress embellished with floral detail. More subtle, and for that very reason effective, was Paloma Elsesser’s proposal, which translated Cy Twombly’s aesthetic into textures and colors without falling into direct quotation.
The men, too, demonstrated considerable awareness: Luke Evans, in custom Palomo Spain, paid homage to Tom of Finland’s drawings, celebrating a precise and decidedly relevant cultural imagery; Hudson Williams cited Édouard Manet and his The Matador Saluting (1866); Troye Sivan wove in references to Andy Warhol (Single Elvis) and Robert Mapplethorpe’s self-portrait.
There was no shortage of more subtle references, relying on details: Rosé cited Georges Braque’s The Birds, while Charli XCX evoked Van Gogh’s irises with a precious floral decoration on her dark dress.
Particularly interesting in my opinion, finally, is the Schiaparelli dress worn by Kylie Jenner, inspired by the Venus de Milo. Here the sculptural citation becomes more conceptual: the draping that slips over the hips recalls the gesture of dressing and undressing, transforming the body into a narrative surface. Not just a tribute to classical art, then, but a broader reflection on the intimacy and expressive power of fashion itself.
Ultimately, whether it was explicit quotations or more abstract suggestions, art deeply permeated the evening, confirming once again how fertile the dialogue between these two disciplines can be-as long as it is approached with measure, intelligence and vision.
[📷 Snapix; Getty Images]
