To global fashion lovers what the Superbowl signifies for NFL fans, The Met Gala made its annual return today; with all of the customary pomp and circumstance you’d expect from the single largest concentration of celebrities and prominent public figures in the northern hemisphere.
In 2023, the Met Costume Institute (i.e. the organisation responsible for orchestrating the Gala) opted to pay tribute to legendary German designer Karl Lagerfeld – best known for a pivotal multi-decade directorship at the House of Chanel (1983-2019) and concurrent turns at Fendi and his own namesake label.
Encouraged to dress up “in honour of Karl”, there was a deluge of looks that tacked in the (rather predictable) direction of imitation: with numerous guests cosplaying in Lagerfeld’s iconic uniform of black suits, wing-collared shirts, fingerless leather and lots of jewelled accessories.
Naturally, we’ve taken a more agnostic view of the entire proceeding – in order to parse what we consider to be a balanced cross-section of big fits: some interesting, some more on-theme than others, and some which are more relevant for men who don’t spend their days strutting the red carpet. Just sayin’…
Side note: anyone catch a glimpse of Jared Leto??
Stormzy
One of the British rap game’s most notorious fashion killas, Stormzy took to the red carpet in a contemporary two-piece suit emblazoned with oversized florals. I’ve yet to confirm the exact details behind this tailored rig, though I’d put money on it being a custom commission from Daniel Lee – the ex-Bottega Veneta honcho who’s now at the helm of Burberry.
For watch lovers: it’s also self-explanatory that Stormzy is rocking a Nautilus Ref. 5711 – that notoriously unobtainable Patek mechanical that the rapper notably shouted out on his 2019 track Wiley Flow.
Pierce Brosnan (wearing Tom Ford)
Described by one prominent fashion editor as a master of “low-key, unchallenging style,” actor Pierce Brosnan lived up to this reputation in a big way at this year’s Met Gala festivities.
Pictured here alongside his wife of many years, Keely Shaye, the former Bond star deployed some subtle winks to Lagerfeld’s trademark style – sunglasses at night! – yet wisely chose to ground these in an ensemble that make the most of his erudite, ‘silver fox’ credentials.
Robert Pattinson (wearing Dior)
Arriving at our first real fashun pick of the Met Gala 2023 litter, actor Robert Pattinson opted to pay tribute to Lagerfeld in a suit/half-skirt combo that comes straight out of the Dior men’s playbook.
A signature of the house’s current Creative Director – Kim Jones – it was hardly the riskiest look of the evening (skirt aside, Pattinson was essentially wearing a navy suit) but nevertheless, speaks to how ungendered aesthetic codes are continuing to trickle into the menswear mainstream.
Harris Dickinson (wearing Dunhill)
A real ‘safe, but good’ inclusion, Triangle of Sadness star Harris Dickinson’s Gala look – made by Dunhill – ticks a lot of formalwear’s big thematic boxes. Perhaps unintentionally, the three-piece ensemble harkens back to an era when Lagerfeld still wore the clothing of other designers (i.e. Cifonelli).
Points deducted for wearing patent leather outside of its traditional black tie context; but all things considered, a strong showing for Dickinson’s sophomore appearance at the Thunderdome of fashion.
Pusha T (wearing Thom Browne)
At the forefront of this year’s wider trend for all things Thom Browne, rapper Pusha T stepped onto the red carpet in one of the acclaimed American designer’s trademark cropped suits.
A rather gutsy re-interpretation of the historic ‘black tie’ uniform, Push’s jacket here cribs a lot of inspiration from the ‘frayed’ Chanel tweeds that Lagerfeld popularised in the late 2010s.
Roger Federer (wearing Dior)
Nothing to see here folks: just one of the most talented players to ever pick up the proverbial racket, kitted out in Dior men’s and the elegant new, vintage-inspired Rolex 1908.
I mean, if dress watches are good enough for King Roger…
Bill Nighy
Much like Brosnan, it would appear that Bill Nighy – who has recently been in the zeitgeist for his Oscar-nominated performance in Living – is a lover of the adage about sticking to one’s [sartorial] guns. The acclaimed British actor spent the evening in the company of Anna Wintour (fashion’s ‘Elder Stateswoman’), wearing a simple-but-significant palette of black, blues and dark navy.
Even choosing to forego a pocket square, Nighy’s look here is a wonderful springboard for how to embrace tailored clothing in 2023. In a nutshell? Opt for generous proportions which flatter your physique specifically; while honing in on the details (e.g. colour, fabric, jacket shape) that actually matter.
Tom Ford (wearing… Tom Ford)
Still basking in the afterglow of one final collection, before the label he founded sells for a whopping US$2.3 billion, designer and filmmaker Tom Ford chose to tackle this year’s Met Gala in pretty much identical fashion to all of his previous appearances.
Dressed in languid, generously proportioned formalwear of his own design; the wisdom we can glean from Ford’s latest red carpet look is clear – when in doubt, let the rules of black tie be your north star.
Rami Malek (wearing Prada)
Clearly still reeling from a (rather underwhelming) turn as Bond villain Lyutsifer Safin, actor Rami Malek borrowed some of the character’s Japonisme-inspired style for his latest appearance at the Met Gala. Sporting a band collar shirt and asymmetric waistcoat – both likely designed by Prada’s menswear guru, Raf Simons – there’s a lot going on here in the ‘details’ department.
Strangely, despite the free-ranging pastiche of cultural influences, every element in the famed Cartier ambassador’s look hangs together: likely aided by the monochrome colour palette and deployment of a few key accessories. How good’s a Tank Louis?
James McAvoy (wearing Dunhill)
Another Anglicised take on noirish Lagerfeld style, actor James McAvoy turned to Dunhill for a classic black tie rig that he then embellished with a few fashionable flourishes.
The exposed necktie/collar combo and hand-fan are both quirks that are inextricably linked with Lagerfeld’s personal image; but if you look beyond those distractions, this is just a very handsome, linear execution of the British ‘drape cut’.
