The campiest (and not-so-campy) looks that turned heads at the Met Gala

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Now that the first Monday in May has come and gone, that means that the annual Met Gala is over, and we saw some wild and crazy looks.

The theme this year, camp, seemed to be a challenge for some of the designers and celebrities who walked on the pink carpet. Camp is a tough theme to hit because it's not easy to define, and the designers and celebrities have to be really willing to go there. 

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It seems that a lot of the people interrupted "camp" as "extravagant," which, yes, camp is extravagant. But camp isn't extravagant just for the sake of being extravagant. There has to be a purpose and reference to make it camp. It's like you look at the outfit and the outfit is winking back at you. Whatever is representing "camp" is in on the joke, too. There has to be a level of irony and humor when it comes to camp, and a lot of stars seemed to miss that in their outfits. 

Celebrities like Kim Kardashian and Karlie Kloss didn't even attempt the camp theme, while others like Miley Cyrus and Bella Hadid just missed the mark. 

Another disappointment was RuPaul, the queen of all drag queens, who didn't show up in drag! RuPaul's suit was pretty campy, but how iconic would it have been if the camp icon herself walked the pink carpet! 

Besides some flubs, a lot of celebrities totally nailed the theme. Here are a few celebrities who truly embodied what it means to be campy: 

Janelle Monae

If anyone walking down the pink carpet understood the theme, it was, by far, Janelle Monae. Designed by Christian Siriano, Monae's look was textbook camp. There were top hats stacked on top of each other, the graphic design of the face in the garment and the eye with a giant eyelash that blinked. It was everything. 

 

Tracee Ellis Ross

What an easy way to make a look camp with such little effort. Ross just wore a simple black gown made by Moschino, but enhanced it by attaching a picture frame to it. Ross literally walked down the pink carpet posing inside of a picture frame and it was hilarious. This gown had the humor and irony that makes camp what it is. 

 

Kacey Musgraves

So many camp references live inside pop culture, so it was a breath of fresh air to see country music queen Kacey Musgraves show up to the Met Gala looking like a life sized Barbie. The reference is so clear, and Musgraves really played the character up on the pink carpet. Everything from her platinum blonde hair to the purse shaped like a hair dryer was camp. 

 

Lady Gaga

Lady Gaga has built her career on being campy (remember the meat dress or her Kermit the frog dress?), so it's no surprise to see the superstar excel at the theme. Gaga served up four different looks when she kicked off the event by being the first to walk the pink carpet, and she dramatically changed outfits on the carpet, giving us a campy performance. 

 

Cardi B

After Cardi B served up an iconic look at last year's Met Gala, fans were super excited to see how she would interpret this year's theme. Cardi truly went there with her dramatic red gown that looks like an oversized duvet cover.

 

Billy Porter 

No one made a better entrance on the pink carpet than Billy Porter. Porter was carried in by a bunch of hunk dudes like he was Cleopatra, clad head to toe in gold. Once Porter hit the ground, he unveiled that his look was truly heavenly, with giant gold wings stretching across his arms. It was so dramatic in the best way possible. 

 

Natasha Lyonne

Natasha Lyonne is pretty campy in her everyday aesthetic (that wild orange hair is reminiscent of Shelley Long in "Troop Beverly Hills," an insanley campy movie), so it wasn't surprising that she absolutely killed it with her look. Lyonne literally looked like a giant "X" when she stood with her arms up, and the shoulder pads gave off late '80s business women realness. 

 

Lizzo

It was so exciting to see Lizzo at the Met Gala (have you listened to her new album yet?), and she did not disappoint. Lizzo's beehive pink wig and extravagant feathers make the singer look like a peppermint breath mint come to life. We need more Lizzo at fashion events, please. 

 

And some honoroble mentions: Ciara, Katy Perry, Lupita Nyong'o, Elle Fanning, Florence Welch, Bette Midler, Joan Collins and Celine Dion. 


About the Author:

Jack is a Digital Content Editor with a degree in creative writing and French from Western Michigan University. He specializes in writing about movies, food and the latest TV shows.