Fashion Blogs

The actress showed up to the Met Gala 2016 in an elegant, thoughtful, and surprising Zac Posen gown. 1

When the Metropolitan Museum of Art announced that its newest Costume Institute exhibit would be the technologically savvy Manus x Machina, a wave of excitement washed over me. “Fashion in an Age of Technology”? Yes please. But then came a wave of dread. The exhibit would inspire the theme for the 2016 Met Gala, and visions of celebrities clad in metallic gowns danced in my head. To be clear: I don’t usually have a problem with metallic gowns. There’s no bizarre personal vendetta thing going on here or anything. I just feel like that’s the easiest way to translate a technological theme into fashion, and a slew of them makes for a pretty boring red carpet.

There would be many ways to interpret the theme, of course. But in my heart of hearts, I knew the YAS-worthy looks would be hard to come by in a sea of obvious and costumey choices—shiny silvers and golds, ~daring~ beauty selections, and silhouettes that are dramatic for the sake of being dramatic. That’s why when I saw Claire Danes last night, my heart filled with joy and excitement. This is what I was here for. (And by “here,” I mean vicariously attending the event through the livestream. Don’t get it twisted—no part of me is cool enough to be invited IRL.)

Danes stood out immediately. Instead of choosing a slinky, metallic gown, the actress showed up to the red carpet wearing a prom dress straight out of Cinderella (massive skirt and all—not kidding). I appreciated the risk, but I felt a little frustrated with her for not dressing ~in-theme~. IMO, opting out of the whole Manus x Machina thing is even more boring than opting in with a predictable fashion choice.

Spoiler alert: I’d spoken too soon. An Instagram post revealed that Danes’ Zac Posen gown was much more than a dress fit for a princess. Turn the lights out, and the ball gown stayed illuminated. It glowed in the dark, guys. It glowed in the dark.

Immediately, Danes’ dress was elevated to Look Of The Night status. This shocking reveal took her ensemble from “elegant and daring” to “clever, thoughtful, and an all-around win.” The occasion dresses was bold without being over-the-top, classic without being boring, and most importantly, it spoke to the theme without being too obvious. Zoe Saldana, Karlie Kloss, and Beyoncé also topped my personal best-dressed list, but Danes’ look was one for the books. I mean, how can you top someone who literally wore the theme?

Thank you, Claire Danes and Zac Posen, for interrupting my metallic gown nightmare with your glow-in-the-dark surprise. I’ve never enjoyed an emotional fashion roller coaster so much in my life. Can’t wait to see what you serve up next year.