Mary Portas has dismissed some Met Gala looks as “uninspiring and unappealing” as she took aim at celebrities for ignoring the real meaning of the theme.
The retail consultant and presenter, 63, took to Instagram on Tuesday to share some looks from the star-studded event held in New York on Monday evening.
In the caption, she criticized those who misunderstood The Garden of Time theme and simply opted for ‘flowers’ – when in fact her interpretation was that the theme should have inspired ‘sustainable looks’.
She explained that the theme was inspired by JG Ballard’s 1962 dystopian novel ‘The Garden of Time’ – a short story often seen as a metaphor for ‘society’s endless cycle of creation and destruction’.
Mary praised the theme of being ‘brave’ during the climate crisis and said it was the perfect opportunity to show off sustainable designers – but criticized that most were ‘lazily failing to wear flowers’.
Mary Portas has dismissed a number of Met Gala looks as ‘uninspiring and unappealing’ as she took aim at celebrities who ignored the real meaning of the theme
Kim Kardashian was one of the big names at the 2024 Met Gala
In the caption, she criticized those who misunderstood The Garden of Time theme and simply opted for ‘flowers’ – when actually her interpretation was that the theme should have inspired ‘sustainable looks’ (Nicki Minaj seen)
She did share images of stars wearing outfits from sustainable designers such as Demi Moore and Charli XCX.
She wrote, “When I saw this year’s Met Gala theme, I was intrigued. JG Ballard’s 1962 dystopian novel ‘The Garden of Time’ inspired the dress code.
‘The short story is often seen as a metaphor for the evolution of human history and the endless cycle of creation and destruction. So quite relevant now and what a brave choice I thought it was to take a stand on the world’s biggest fashion moment.
‘When the climate emergency has never been greater and with a green carpet instead of a red set to greet the A-listers, we at @weareportas waited with bated breath… How will today’s members of the creative elite use fashion to communicate this? important message?
‘Quelle surprise – most don’t. Instead of highlighting some of the incredible young designers who are making change possible, or choosing costumes made from the latest sustainable materials, fashion pundits lazily wore ‘flowers’. Woohoo. How predictable.
‘The green carpet was awash with floral mini dresses, 3D roses or embroidered floral suits, with debuting couples and designers bringing their style teams to promote their new collections. It just lacked depth. Not inspiring. Out of range.
‘There were, thank goodness, a few who really embraced the theme: our British designer Stella McCartney led the way by dressing her crew sustainably, Demi Moore in an upcycled Harris Reed dress and Charli clothing. vintage T-shirts, all a beautiful and important statement.
‘If fashion has such power to create change, why do we reinforce the old stereotypical codes of overconsumption and excess? When will we wake up and smell the flowers before we kill them all?
“Come on Met Gala – make it ‘sustainable only’ next year and see how the creative juices of the world’s best designers flow. And believe me, it will have an incredible impact.”
She explained that the theme was inspired by JG Ballard’s 1962 dystopian novel ‘The Garden of Time’ – a short story often seen as an ‘endless cycle of creation and destruction’ in society.
Mary praised the ‘brave’ theme during the climate crisis and said it was the perfect opportunity to show off sustainable designers – but instead most wore ‘lazy standard florals’
She did share images of stars wearing outfits from sustainable designers such as Demi Moore (seen) and Charli XCX
Stars in attendance on the night included Kim Kardashian, who sent shockwaves as she flaunted her astonishingly tiny waist in a custom-made silver Maison Margiela dress by John Galliano.
Her sister Kylie Jenner kept it simple and chic in a rosewater-colored strapless dress by Oscar de la Renta, paired with a rose in her hair.
Jennifer Lopez posed up a storm on the steps in a dazzling, sparkling, sheer, bejeweled ensemble.
Fellow co-chair Zendaya made a statement in a blue and green custom Maison Margiela by John Galliano dress, with branch and fruit accents.
Zendaya wore a second look for the Met Gala – a black Givenchy by John Galliano dress from 1996 – with a floral hat from Alexander McQueen from 2007.
The Costume Institute’s Spring Exhibition falls on the first Monday in May each year and is held at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City.
This year the event was called Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion, while the dress code was The Garden of Time.
Jennifer Lopez, Zendaya, Bad Bunny and Chris Hemsworth served as this year’s co-chairs. Vogue’s is also on the committee Anna Wintour.
The chairs of honor for the evening were Loewe creative director Jonathan Anderson and TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew.
“This year’s co-chairs reflect a variety of career achievements and each has their own style history at the Met Gala,” Vogue said.
The display case contains approximately 250 items from The Costume Institute’s permanent collection, many of which are too fragile to ever be worn again.
The pieces are all rendered using elements such as AI, GCI and more, while themes such as land, sea and sky are played out.
She said: ‘There were, thank goodness, a few who really embraced the theme, our British designer Stella McCartney led the way and dressed her crew sustainably’ (Stella seen with those she dressed: FKA twigs, Ed Sheeran and Cara Delevingne)
She also praised Charli XCX who wore a Marni dress made from distressed vintage T-shirts
“It is very much an ode to nature and the emotional poetics of fashion,” says Andrew Bolton, Wendy Yu Curator responsible for The Costume Institute, about the upcoming exhibition.
“One thing I hope this show will activate is the sensory appreciation of fashion.”
Stars in attendance on the night included Kim Kardashian, Kylie Jenner, Cardi B and Emily Ratajkowski.
Gwendoline Christie, La La Anthony and Ashley Graham hosted while YouTuber Emma Chamberlain was on hand to interview stars on the red carpet.
Last year’s gala honored the late designer Karl Lagerfeld.