Last year, when the 2018 Met Gala theme was announced, I was beside myself. “Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination.” Oh, the possibilities! My mind goes back to my senior year in high school where I won the Halloween contest at Fashion Industries High School for best costume. My mother made me a fetish nun costume and my boyfriend a fetish priest costume. My mother is cool as fuck btw. She’s a hardcore devoted Catholic. I know what you’re thinking..we must’ve butt heads all the time. Nope. She’s my best friend. She actually is a real Catholic in the sense of loving thy enemies kind of way. You see that rule about ‘treat other’s as you’d like to be treated’ oh and, don’t judge other people….ya all that shit. My mami actually practices that unlike a majority of people that fill the pews on Sundays after a debaucherous Saturday night. I would go in full goth regalia to Sunday mass with her, when she heard people whisper about me, she would be quick to check them reminding them that god welcomes EVERYONE to his church and gossiping is a sin. I love her.
So…I was raised Roman Catholic. I was baptized. I did my communion. I completed my confirmation. For my saint name, I picked “Joan of Arc” because she’s a fucking bad ass. One of my favorite quotes from her is “I am not afraid….I was born to do this.” BUT I cannot say that I am a devoted Catholic. Or that I’m really Catholic at all. More on that in another post. THIS IS ABOUT FASHION.
“I thank God I was raised Catholic, so sex will always be dirty.” – John Waters
Although, I have my reservations about Catholicism. The imagery has always been a love of mine. I love the over the top extraness about everything. The religious garb, the rituals, the idols, everything covered in gilded gold, the stained glass, the imagery of the Virgin Mary..etc. It’s beautiful.
Red Light : Cross Play – I was High Priestess Dekay. Confess your sins to ME. xx
If you’ve been around for a while then you know that I a fetishist, rubberist, kinkster and, Domina. Do I have a fetish for priest and nun play? Yes, abso-fucking-lutely. I especially love religious garments interpreted in latex. It just sends my kinky heart aflutter. This juxtaposition of having something that represents celibacy, purity, and devotion made in hyper-sexualized silhouettes….is just hot. Now, I understand that some of you that are reading this are thinking this is so disrespectful to your god and/or religion. Respectfully, I don’t care. Please come down from your ivory tower, I know for a FACT you live a life of sin. We all do. It is impossible not to. Every time you say “OH GOD” when you’re annoyed your train is late, you sinned by taking his name in vain. When you scroll down your Instagram checking out babes, that’s a sin. Do you keep the sabbath day holy? Ya didn’t think so. Being human is a sin in itself. More on that in another post, again this is about FASHION.
For the record, I believe in freedom of religion. Just because I feel the way that I do about Catholicism does not mean I don’t respect how you feel about it. Like I stated earlier, my mother is a devoted Catholic. I respect her and would never tell her that her religion is stupid or invalid. What it means to her is different from what it means to me. Whether you’re a Buddhist, Catholic, Muslim or Atheist…etc I respect your freedom to practice your religion. As long as you don’t hurt yourself or others if your religion brings you happiness and peace then more power to you.
I would never try to convince you otherwise so please don’t try to “save me.”
My religion is love.
Anyways, somehow I lost my invite to the Met Gala…I hate when that happens. 🙄😤 I wanted to share my mood board for the look I was going for.
At first, I was thinking full-on heavy rubber nun in all red. I was inspired by this illustration. It would be created by either Atsuko Kudo or Demask.
BUT….
As I was creating my mood board, my mind instantly went to this Vivienne Westwood haute couture glass beaded jacket. I had to scrap the rubber look. Now I wanted a hybrid look between jesus and mary. My hair would be waist length wavy brown hair with a gold crown of thorns. My nails echoing the ornate jewelry priests would often wear during the renaissance period. I love this make-up look by @MadisonNanne, I thought it would be fitting to have this ethereal look that mimics the texture of the idols you find in church. A carved brass hanging incense burner that doubles as a purse. I thought it would be cute to have a stigmata effect on my hands. Ya know for those red carpet photos. I would pair this amazing Westwood blazer with a flowy over the top white gown that pays a nod to the cloth jesus wore. Finish it off with these Alexander McQueen Spring/Summer 2009 ornate boots.
Let’s get to the fun part! The FASHUN! My favorite looks:
And Now a READ from the Book of RIHvelations.
One by one, us regular civilians anticipated LEWKS but was subjected to the usual silk plain dress with some sort of crown….IT’S the MET GALA. Takes risks! You have the budget and influence that affords you to have so many designers at your disposal! BUT I knew, I KNEW that RIH would deliver us from all this basic fashion evil. SHE DID. SHE. SHOWED. UP. AS. THE. POPE. Of course, Galliano was behind the look. She channeled the grandeur of Catholic vestments with a cream bejeweled gown layered beneath a flowing overcoat from Maison Margiela while her bishop’s hat was by Stephen Jones Millinery.
Knight in Shining Versace.
Zendaya channeling Joan of Arc is just EPIC. This interpretation of armor created by Versace is custom-molded Atelier Versace featuring gunmetal chainmail embellished with Swarovski crystals, flowing into a feminine fully beaded silk chiffon skirt. Honestly, everything about this is perfection. From the styling, make-up, and hair. Given her background in activism, it’s so fitting that she would channel this Catholic heroine.
Blessed is the Fruit of Thy Womb.
CARDI B in Moschino. This is a big deal for me. To see her glo-up from the projects to attending the Met Gala. I cannot express how happy this makes me. She deserves all this success and more! When Jeremy Scott asked Cardi what she would like to wear to the Met, she said: “Make me very very Catholic.” She looks like she stepped out of a Renaissance painting in a custom-made Moschino cream wool long-sleeve dress encrusted with pearls, crystals, and gems, inspired by tapestries and embroideries from ecclesiastic vestments. OKUUURRRRRR!
An Angel Appears.
SZA was one of the first to arrive at the Met. As per usual many attendees didn’t stick to theme and chose to play it safe. 🙄 But when SHE ARRIVED it was like a celestial dream. She looked like she was floating. She wore an Atelier Versace silk tulle, multi-layered pink gown with fitted jewel-embellished bodice and thigh-high bejeweled boots.
Solange Takes Us to CHURCH.
OK. LISTEN. This is probably my favorite look. BECAUSE she is wearing latex stockings with one of my favorite Iris Van Herpen dresses from their Fall 2012 Couture collection. A durag. A crown/halo made from braids. A Swarovski crystal-netted bag carrying a single bottle of ‘Florida Water’. Florida water is used for ritual offerings, purification, and cleansing negative energy. It’s all abotu the details! I fucking love this look so much. It’s so HER.
“This is for All the Legendary Children.”
Lena Waithe wore a suit and silk faille RAINBOW Pride Flag cape designed by Carolina Herrera. THIS was incredibly moving. As you read above, I have my reservations about Catholicism and what it represents. As a Queer little girl, I always thought I was damaged somehow. That in the process of “god” creating me, he made a mistake. Now as a Queer adult with a community and confidence in my being, I COULD GIVE A FUCK. I love this. SO MUCH. Such an elegant “FUCK YOU WE EXIST.” Thank you, Lena.
The King has arrived.
The men usually are lackluster in their boring same old tux’. BUT Chadwick Boseman showed up wearing a white, custom-made, Atelier Versace tuxedo with gold beading with a matching bejeweled cross cape. This was bad-ass.
Madonna and Child.
I like it when attendees take the theme to heart. I’m sure there are a lot of people that will disagree and feel thsi is too costume. But to each their own. Lana Del Rey, Our Lady of the Sad Girl Club and Hipster jesus Jared Leto wore custom Gucci. Lana wore a custom silk cady and lace gown inspired by Our Lady of Sorrows by Alessandro Michele. The bodice features ‘The Seven Sorrows of Mary’ with the initials ‘LDR’ on the sacred heart. Completing the look is a handmade headpiece. Jared wore silk moireè jacket with a velvet lapel embroidered with three-eyed golden angels, silk trousers and embroidered liturgical stole by Alessandro Michele.
Honorable Mentions:
Janelle Monae wore a black-and-white dress and jacket cut in the oversized, ’80s-ish proportions from the Marc Jacob’s Fall 2018 show. I love it from the neck up. Honestly, I’m not worthy of saying anything about her fashion choice. She’s an incredibly stylish fashion icon in my opinion. I just didn’t feel this look. Lily Collins was pulling at my goth heartstrings with this look from wore a Givenchy Couture Spring-Summer 2018 designed by Clare Waight Keller. Kim Kardashian wore an AtelierVersace form-fitting Metal Mesh gown with crystal cross embellishment…now..I don’t think she followed the theme very well…at all…I mean it’s crosses on a gold dress. BUT I’m impressed with the built-in foundations and tailoring of this gown. It’s impeccable. It literally looks like gold liquid. Finally, Priyanka Chopra gets an honorable mention for her Ralph Lauren Collection velvet evening gown with gold-embroidered hood. She looks like she stepped out of a fairy tale where she’s leading the rebellion against the kingdom.
I cannot wait to visit this exhibition. I will definitely be creating a vlog out of it. I know many of you can’t make it to New York so I thought I’d bring the exhibition to you!
I can’t wait for next year’s theme to be announced.
If you were invited to this Met Gala what would you wear?
xx
