Shorts. Complicated, right? Though they're freeing for some, others are stricken by anxiety at the mere thought of them. And while they're not always considered to be the most refined of bottoms (by human resources, anyway), certain iterations of the bottom can skew smart — turns out they're not all bum-baring cut-offs and thigh-suffocating fits after all.
Which brings us to Bermuda shorts. They’re back, and designers from N°21 to Bottega Veneta and Nina Ricci have debuted fresh, elongated silhouettes (bike shorts included) that are now readily available to shop. There's the fitted to-the-knee version, the 2018 update to the '50s pedal pusher, the baggy boyfriend cut for a looser feel, polished paper-bag waists and pleated styles ideal for the office, and sport shorts of the basketball and soccer variety for the athleisure enthusiast (tip: they look coolest when slung low on the hips).
In case you feel like they're in 'must avoid' territory, try styling your Bermudas unexpectedly: match an oversized hoodie with a silky pair, use a poufy sleeve blouse to offset slightly ravaged denim, or let a crisp poplin top anchor fanciful prints and knitted renditions. We promise, these bottoms aren't as intimidating as they sound — and with the 18 options ahead, you might just be convinced to break that I'll-never-wear-shorts promise once and for all.
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If we're taking bets, we're not not anticipating Madonna -esque (the musician, not the OG Holy Mother) iron crosses c/o Chanel, gilded capes, and shrouds and veils that would fit right in with the cast of The Handmaid's Tale. But the Met Gala's red carpet always has a way of surprising us — and reminding us just why we tune in to the over-the-top event year after year. With every new and unexpected theme comes, well, new and unexpected fashion that breaks out of the "pretty" mold. This is the moment the avant-garde pieces the industry lives and thrives by can really shine.
With a star-studded cast led by unofficial Met Gala Queen Rihanna, here's how the world's biggest names tried to channel the divine, the holy, and the OM-literal-G (if you're Catholic, that is).
Would you expect any less from the host of tonight's event? We put $10 down that the Pope would make a cameo appearance tonight. If Pope Rihanna in Maison Margiela is the closest we get, well, we still consider it a win.
If Solange isn't a religion yet, she's about to be (she doesn't go by Saint Records for nothing). Shutting it down in this Iris Van Herpen number, she completed the look with her own bottle of communion wine in a netted bag.
Game over. The Immaculate Conception of our era, a.k.a. a pregnant Cardi B, has shut it down in a jewel and pearl encrusted head-to-toe Moschino garb. All other headpieces can go home now.
Anna Wintour: Vogue editor-in-chief, Condé Nast artistic director, Metropolitan Museum of Art trustee, Future Patron Saint of Fashion. If you've ever questioned whether Wintour is as all powerful as she seems, this image of her in an ethereal Chanel gown as pristine and white as the Pope's cassock oughta prove it.
Get thee to a nunnery! If anyone could make being a nun look better than Julie Andrews in The Sound of Music, it's Lily Collins in Givenchy.
Meet SZA, your new high priestess. We're bowing down to this celestial Versace crowned get-up.
How do you make a statement that grabs the church's attention? If you're Lena Waithe and Carolina Herrera, you wear your message in the form of a rainbow cape.
Full nun garbs aside, we can appreciate a more subtle take on themes, too. Kim Kardashian-West tends to fall towards our best dressed list simply by following her own rules. This Versace slip gown is both simple and dress code abiding with a few choice crosses.
Lili Reinhart ranks as a pretty divine being on her own, but paired with with this jaw-dropping renaissance high-low custom gown c/o H&M, she's somehow now divine and relatable.
First Queen Elizabeth, now Amal Clooney. Looks like budding British designer Richard Quinn is winning over royalty in every realm. While we're over the moon for Amal's large pant-train combo, we can't help but chuckle along with her husband, who reportedly joked that their two kids were hiding under there.
Nothing but love for Laura Love making a T-shirt Versace dress look red carpet appropriate.
What better inspiration for a Catholicism-themed dress code than wearing the Sistine Chapel itself. Ariana Grande brings a whole new meaning to "take me to church" in this Vera Wang reinterpretation of Michelangelo's masterpiece. Admittedly, we could do without the bow, though.
We can't help but think Bella Hadid's dominatrix Gareth Pugh look would receive '80s Madonna's nod of approval.
What do you get when you mix Catholic crusader with Daenerys Targaryen? Katharine McPhee in Georges Chakra, we guess. While her gold heavy ensemble kind of shoots past the theme, we can't help but love the new daring style direction for the singer and actress.
Kate Bosworth is giving angels a run for their money in this saintly Oscar de la Renta look.
Don't ever say Greta Gerwig doesn't bring it. Going full nun throttle in The Row, she's 100% receiving an invite to our next themed party.
We're still trying to decide whether J.Lo falls under the camp of mysterious celebrities who may be vampires. In this Balmain cross-encrusted look (leg-baring slit included), Jenny from the Block looks the same as she did 20+ years ago.
Joan of Arc, that you? Zendaya is ready to slay in this Versace chainmail gown.
Evan Rachel Wood's current role may be playing an AI host, but a spin at an archangel is something we're sure she'd play just as well. She's gilded feathered vision in Altuzarra.
Priyanka Chopra's royal oxblood gown is refreshing step away from the black, white, and gold littering the carpet this year. She stuns in a Ralph Lauren gown topped off with a gold netted veil.
The dress code attire did say Sunday Best, and we're ripe to believe that that's exactly what Kylie Jenner had in mind with this custom Alexander Wang cut-out gown.
No front to the true designer Jean-Paul Gaultier, but this all black gown and netted shroud screams Madonna by Madonna. Rihanna may be hosting this year's event, but Madonna was always set to be this theme's guest of honor.
There's a draw between Kate Bosworth and Winnie Harlow (in Tommy Hilfiger) for best wedding dress we're adding to our Pinterest boards.
Cara Delevingne in this column Dior gown is one confessional we wouldn't mind going to.
The motto of Tessa Thompson in Thom Browne's night? Priest, but make it fashun.
Lana Del Rey's Gucci gown is her in a nutshell. A little untouchable with a style all her own, but a little like the ephemeral girl next door who secretly conquers Comic Con in her off time.
Sarah Paulson's crystal encrusted Prada gown puts the Heavenly in Heavenly Bodies.
Frances McDormand doesn't have time for your shit. She's too busy pulling off the most avant-garde Valentino look to date and looking fabulous while doing so.
All we're saying is we'd be here for an Elizabethan period piece starring Blake Lively in this intricate Versace gown.
Sasha Lane has us rethinking whether nightgowns are better left to our grandmothers. Tory Burch's heavenly iteration is chic, chic, chic.
Are we the only ones who pray to Kris Jenner before bedtime? No? Just us?
Our Lady, Janelle Monae has a certain ring to it. Probably because she's an endless source of style inspiration every time she steps out in public. Mixing a chainmail evoking crystal headdress with a black and white gown, she turns a modern Marc Jacobs piece into a believably medieval dream.
Letitia Wright brings Wakanda to the Met Gala with a gilded Coach dress. #ShuriForever.
Heaven must be missing an angel, because Diane Kruger is a vision in this high-low Prabal Gurung dress.
Are beaded eyebrows better than a neck full of diamonds? Leave it to Cynthia Erivo to accessorize her custom Valentino gown with an epic amount of face jewelry.
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Beauty is a tricky field to navigate come summer. Mascaras become waterproof, but are a nightmare to take off; hair gets wilder, thanks to the humidity; and unless you opt for gel, nail polish lasts about 24 hours before peeling away. One of the most frustrating aspects, though, is applying your makeup in the morning only for it to slide off by lunchtime — and that's just in an air-conditioned office.
So what's the answer to keep it all in place, no matter where you are? A powerful primer. The little wunderkind has many tricks up its sleeve: illuminating, pore-refining, tone-evening, mattifying — the best primers are pretty darn impressive. Think of it as the camera-ready, makeup-holding addition to your routine.
If you're looking to keep the shine and slide at bay this summer, but you don't know where to start, never fear: We've found the best primers beauty has to offer.
Murad's potion is perfect for when it's too hot for base, minimizing pores and giving you a ready-for-my-close-up glow.
Murad Invisiblur™ Perfecting Shield Broad Spectrum SPF 30 PA+++, $65, available at Sephora.
This is the real deal. Hylamide has made waves with its products and this is the star of the show. Moral of the story: Your foundation won't budge.
Hylamide HA Blur Hyaluronic Based Prismatic Blurring Surface Finisher, $19, available at Hylamide.
A lightweight serum for those who don't like gel finishes — this fluid feels like nothing at all.
The Ordinary High-Spreadability Fluid Primer, $7.90, available at The Ordinary.
You've tried the cult concealer, now this primer lives up to expectations: it's gold-flecked, so not only does it keep makeup firmly in place, but it illuminates skin with an all-over radiance.
Yves Saint Laurent Touche Eclat Blur Primer,$52, available at Sephora.
Mineral primers are great for oily skin, plus this one has a touch of SPF 15 for additional protection.
Hourglass Veil Mineral Primer, $54, available at Sephora.
Doing exactly what it says on the package, Becca's primer is made to keep shine at bay.
Becca Evermatte Poreless Primer, $38, available at Ulta Beauty.
This blurring primer doubles as a moisture hit, so it won't dry out your skin while protecting foundation.
Sisley Instant Perfect Corrector Gel, $72, available at Sisley.
Makeup artists have been using this cream for years as a multipurpose base before shows. A little goes a long way — so it's best for dry skin types.
Embryolisse Lait-Crème Concentré, $16, available at Birchbox.
A slick of this nifty wand before applying eye makeup is all you need to keep it in place all day long, no matter how oily your lids.
By Terry Hyaluronic Eye Primer, $48, available at Space NK.
We use this by itself for a supremely natural glow, but don't underestimate its holding powers.
While a 10-in-1 sounds like quite a stretch, this primer really does make skin look plumper by hiding large pores around the nose and evening out your texture.
Stila Cosmetics Stay All Day 10-in-1 HD Beauty Balm, $38, available at Ulta Beauty.
This heavy-duty number is your essential in super-hot weather or when navigating a stuffy subway journey — we've never had to apply foundation twice with this on our skin.
Nars Pore & Shine Control Primer, $36, available at Sephora.
Illamasqua's primer is really fun to use, thanks to its futuristic gel consistency and included spatula. It delivers a super-fresh base and leaves foundation looking natural.
Illamasqua Hydra Veil Primer, $36.99, available at Illamasqua.
This one leaves skin silky and — unlike a lot of products — doesn't pill when you layer makeup on top.
Pixi Flawless & Poreless Primer, $22.49, available at Target.
This cult offerings from Smashbox promises to keep eyeshadow — whether cream, powder or gloss — in place all night long. Bring on the sweaty club nights.
Smashbox Photo Finish 24 Hour Shadow Primer, $21, available at Sephora.
It's an award winner for a reason: This cult formula gives skin an even tone and doesn't pill under makeup.
Benefit The POREfessional Face Primer, $31, available at Ulta Beauty.
The reason everyone is obsessing over this primer: The pressed putty-like balm sinks into skin like your favorite moisturizer, but keeps any makeup at a standstill for hours.
Tatcha The Silk Canvas Protective Primer, $52, available at Sephora.
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Two weeks before the Met Gala was to fête the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s 2018 Costume Institute exhibit, Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination, I found myself in the middle of another gallery full of Catholic vestments. But instead of on mannequins, these long robes were worn by real people — priests, nuns, and other members of the Catholic clergy — standing under the Sistine Chapel, shoulder-to-shoulder with a hundred other people. I was at the end of a whirlwind vacation through Europe with my mother, and underneath Michelangelo’s 16th century masterpiece, I felt myself on the verge of an anxiety attack.
Photo Courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
A crush of people poured into the chapel, accidentally stumbling into each other as they unsuccessfully tried to keep from swaying into other people as they threw their heads backwards in amazement. The rules were explicit: No talking, no photos. But, whispers turned into exclamations turned into a crescendo of noise, and some brazenly flouted their cameras and selfie sticks. We were all here to see for ourselves what the tour guide had described as one of the few “universal beauties” in the world: commanding and awe-inspiring to anyone seeing it, regardless of education, nationality, or religion.
It was a good metaphor for Catholicism’s view of itself — that it is objectively good, magnificent, and splendid, and the source of creativity and inspiration. Originally intending to cover many religions, The Costume Institute curator Andrew Bolton (who is also Catholic) toldThe New York Times in November that he found that the majority of Western designers engaged mostly with Catholicism. Even more narrowly, the exhibit focused nearly entirely on Western Catholicism; there are only three non-European or non-American names within the showcase (of which I was only able to locate one — Japan’s Jun Takahashi of Undercover — with a clutch of dresses printed with imagery from the Garden of Eden. In a day and age when most museums are engaging with the idea of plurality and abundance, the focus on such a small sliver of a religion is certainly a choice, especially when you consider that there are more Catholics living in Brazil, Mexico, and the Philippines than in America or any European country. Certainly, the exclusion of everything but the most Roman version of the Catholic church helped in securing over 40 items from the Catholic church’s Vatican Museum and the Sistine Chapel Sacristy.
But its lack of diversity is not the biggest oversight of Catholic Imagination. I do not believe the central attraction of Catholicism for fashion designers and artistic dressers is something to run toward, but rather something to run from. “The exhibition explores how the Catholic imagination has shaped the creativity of designers and how it is conveyed through the narrative impulses,” the welcome placard reads. And within the exhibit, two dozen designers’ works are repeated to illustrate how they’ve drawn from the types of fundamental Catholic principles to create womenswear.
But it is the rejection of Catholicism — and the ideas of perpetual tradition, rigid hierarchy, and unquestioning duty it’s become to be associated with — that is the stronger font of fashion creativity. For the Met’s purposes, the Catholic imagination refers to sociologist and Catholic priest Andrew Greeley’s definition that God’s grace is present in material objects, events, and people. But, to rely on your imagination to envision grace means to not literally see that grace in real life.
Strikingly, the exhibit does not mention some of the most iconic moments in fashion history that overtly use Catholic symbols: The priest’s robe that Madonna dons after simulating masturabation during her Blond Ambition tour, the rosaries and crucifixes that Billy Idol meant to “ show what a human rip-off religion is,” or Lady Gaga’s stage costumes that took turned a nun’s habit into a see-through celebration of overt sexuality. These were not celebrations of the status quo, but the skewering of it.
It’s not just pop stars. Just look at how young women consider school uniforms — an invention of the Catholic Church in the Middle Ages. In Common Threads: A Cultural History of Clothing in American Catholicism, author Sally Dwyer-McNulty argues that uniforms provided women with their experiences of restriction: “Uniforms gave female students, in particular, a taste of the routine and sacrifice that came with religious life.” Girls’ dress codes were designed to bemore strict than boys’, because “girls are considered more prone to sins of vanity.” Small acts of subversion — rolling up the waistbands of pleated skirts, untucking blouses, wearing loud socks, adding buttons and pins — help young women assert their individuality, sexuality, and self-worth.
Which brings us to a conflict that the exhibit points to but does not wrestle with: That women have largely been left out of the most imaginative, fashionable parts of Catholicism. “Dress serves to reflect and reinforce divisions based on rank and gender,” reads a placard introducing modern fashion inspired by Catholic male clergy like priests, bishops, and cardinals. In bright purples, reds, and golds, these fashion renditions are further adorned in golden jewelry, scepters, and crowns. But by contrast, the fashion inspired by its female clergy, nuns, is as joyful as a pebble collection. “Poverty, chastity, and obedience,” reads their characterization, a stark contrast to the “truth, goodness, and beauty” the Archbishop of New York Timothy Michael Cardinal Dolan described as being uniquely Catholic.
Photo Courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Women are asked to rely on their Catholic imaginations, but never given the ability to manifest them. Same goes for those who are not white, male, and Western. Despite the diverse city the Metropolitan Museum of Art claims to serve, the gender that this exhibit of womenswear purports to dress, and the huge diversity among Catholics in the world, those called upon to speak at the press preview on Monday morning were all white men — the CEO of The Met, the CEO of Blackstone, the curator of The Costume Institute, and the Archbishop of New York. The world may have changed, but within this cross-section of the upper echelons of religion, finance, and culture, things don’t appear much different.
Which brings up another worldview that these types of compare-and-contrast, then-and-now-style exhibits tend to promote. That when you see a modern-day Chanel bracelet that is strikingly similar to the 400 AD-era brooch next to it, there is suddenly an erasure of progress. The world has changed, but within these walls, they have not changed much. Though the clothing is beautiful and the fashions resplendent, the story that I left with wasn’t of the glory of the church and the creativity of fashion, but rather that the powerful and wealthy have always been able to create the same dazzling, real things for themselves that the rest of us can only dream of engaging with.
Back in Vatican City, underneath the Sistine chapel that day, pushed around by other tourists we were only staging their own rebellions of etiquette, I felt the weight of this prescribed beauty. It was magnificent. Glorious. Overwhelming. But what made my anxiety turn into awe was when the tour guide turned to me, and whispered to me while pointing up at the panel representing The Last Judgment. Michelangelo, he told me, had painted the figures in the nude, with their genitalia defiantly exposed. It caused a major uproar, and clergy called Michelangelo a pornographer, and his work immoral. After his death, a pupil was tasked with covering up the nudity with fabric and flora, earning the name “Il Braghettone,” or “the pants-maker.” Subsequent restorations kept the “pants” intact.
“But Michelangelo still did it,” the guide winked. “He defied. And that is amazing.”
That fact may not be objectively good, or even obvious when seen against the acres of treasures, gold filigree, and wealth housed within the church’s walls. But it would be the most inspiring thing I would encounter all day.
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It might be impossible to find a person who has never in their life had a bad hair day, but we'd bet Blake Lively holds the record for the fewest. Whether it's those Serena van der Woodsen waves or her heart-shaped updos, her hair is one of the wonders of the beauty world. Obviously, she lucked out in the gene pool, but she's also getting some major help behind the scenes. Meet Rod Ortega, the actress' longtime hairstylist.
Her massive bun at the 2016 Met Gala? His work. That faux bob at the All I See Is You screening? Ortega again. Those awesome crimp-y waves? You get the point. Below, he shares the secrets behind creating Lively's best looks.
After landing a job at Days of Our Lives in 1998 and MADtv in 2000, Ortega learned a lot about working fast for the cameras. While time on the Emmy award-winning soap opera taught him consistency and craft, the comedy sketch series was all about speed (think SNL -level wig changes). Combine the two lessons together and a 2017 Lively press tour is a cakewalk.
Photo: Jemal Countess/WireImage.
Serena van der Woodsen's waves have an unlikely origin story.
Lively may be one of Ortega's most-talked-about clients, but he has plenty more — like Eva Mendes. And it just so happens that the beachy, loose texture of the Upper East Side's most popular fictional blonde was inspired, in some ways, by her. Ortega says to look back at the 2003 promo photos for Mendes' work in 2 Fast 2 Furious and you'll spot some resemblance between her messy lob and Lively's full waves in Gossip Girl.
Yes, Lively's hair is just that naturally gorgeous.
Ortega says the actress no longer wears extensions because her hair is so healthy and long that they're just not necessary for any style. And he swears by a "less is best" product cocktail for her: "At most, I'll have a few things on the table, including plump spray, an oil, a shine spray, and a hairspray." Some of his go-to products include L'Oréal Elnett Satin Hairspray and the T3 Whirl Trio Interchangeable Styling Wand.
She's a pro at doing her own hair.
"When it comes to beauty, she's very talented. She's done several of the carpets on her own and she does a beautiful job," he tells us. "When you work with someone who is such a great visionary, they'll ask questions. With her, it's less, 'I don't like that,' and more 'how'd you do that? Can you teach me?'"
Ortega loves fashion and architecture (he owns over 700 books on the subjects), but there's one specific place he finds endless inspo: the '80s. "I loved the '80s. It was so freeing!" he exclaims. "The hairspray, the texture. It was sexy, wavy, and all about the look." No wonder he often injects a bit of that throwback volume into Lively's styles. To achieve the perm-inspired curls you see here, Ortega recommends varying your curling wand's width. The smaller the iron, the better (a tapered shape is key), but he suggests alternating curl sizes so your '80s curls are soft and shiny, never crunchy.
The one hairstyle you'll probably never see Lively in.
Ortega isn't into flat-iron waves. "Even if your face doesn't call for lazy waves, a lot of people do it anyway," he explains. "Way back when, hairstyling was about complementing the person's face shape, their body shape, etc. It used to be about asking what works for this person. Now, it's about what's on trend." Needless to say, don't expect to see Lively in this style any day soon.
The Met Gala is officially underway at the Metropolitan Museum of Art as hosts Anna Wintour, Donatella Versace, Amal Clooney, and Rihanna have descended upon the stairs to welcome their guests. The evening's theme, Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination, has seen many celebrities relying on accessories to give off those Catholic vibes, but leave it to Rihanna to be one of the few to commit – and get it right. Typically, the first Monday in May is filled with hit-or-miss interpretations of each theme but, alas, Rihanna saved the day once again. Even better news? Eager fans didn’t have to wait all night for a glimpse of the singer and style/beauty mogul.
Last year, the Bad Gal was one of the very last to show up but well worth the wait, wearing the opening look from Comme des Garçons' fall '16 collection. Never one to disappoint, this year, the superstar arrived in Pope-inspired Maison Martin Margiela, a lot earlier than we'd expect for an event that usually saves the best for last (she is this year's co-chair, after all). Naturally, she shut it down. We'll let Twitter sum it up for you.
White smoke seen pouring out of Vatican chimney as Rihanna hits the Met Gala runway, meaning she has replaced Francis as pontiff. pic.twitter.com/gxnlErEIeg
For a Met Gala theme centered around religion, Lena Waithe managed to inject the red carpet with a little bit of politics tonight. The openly gay actress and writer lit up Twitter by wearing a rainbow cape by Carolina Herrera (now helmed by designer Wes Gordon) – and we just can't help but slow clap.
Of her colorful train (worn over a sharp suit), Laithe told onlookers, "It's like my skin. I'm proud to be in it and put the community on my back to make sure they know I got 'em all the time." As if sporting the official flag of the LGTBQ+ community on her back wasn't defiant enough, the The Chi creator added that she interpreted the event's Catholic theme as a message to "just be yourself. It's not about church or Catholicism — you were made in God's image. So, that's how we rockin' tonight." In 2016, Waithe attended the Essence Black Women In Hollywood awards and urged LGBTQ+ people of color to come out.
It's no secret that the Catholic Church has its qualms with homosexuality. Even the smallest gesture towards acceptance would be a huge step toward a more progressive relationship with the LGTBQ+ community. But grass is still green and the sky is still blue, so until that day comes, we're following Waithe's moves and draping ourselves with every color in the Crayon box.
On a night when fashion takes center stage, and most of Twitter is critiquing whether or not celebrities adhered to the theme or went rogue, moments like Waithe's bold Hererra number are a welcome reminder that fashion can bridge the gap between church and state. And it can look chic as hell, too.
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A couple of red carpets ago, there was a certain TV host who made an ill-timed joke about Zendaya's faux locs. Since then, stars have shown that natural hairstyles aren't a laughing matter — they're as glamorous as the Hollywood waves and sleek bobs that everyone was accustomed to years before. And at the 2018 Met Gala, stars like Jourdan Dunn and Sasha Lane rewrote that narrative, wearing their locs with pride. See the styles ahead.
All three members of Migos looked dapper in their locs.
Photo: Neilson Barnard/Getty Images.
Hairstylist Lacy Redway gave Dunn yet another protective style for the red carpet: faux locs. "I’m never not chasing this one out the door before an event," the stylist has said about her longtime client.
Check out the Lelet hair accessories that she hand-sewed onto Dunn's locs.
Photo: Via @lacyredway.
In a bold moment of representation, Lena Waithe wore a rainbow-hued cape — and wove colorful string throughout her elegant updo, too.
Photo: Mike Coppola/MG18/Getty Images/The Met Museum/Vogue.
"Sasha Lane’s look was inspired by angels," Nai'vasha Johnson tells us. "I wanted her to look like a whimsical angel. Therefore, I chose a delicate upswept bun heavily adorned with fine diamonds."
Photo courtesy of Nai'vasha Johnson.
To prep her locs, Johnson massaged Lane's scalp with Mizani Scalp Care Calming Lotion and 25 Miracle Milk Leave-In from root to end. After, she sectioned the locs into quadrants and applied a generous amount of 25 Miracle Nourishing Oil to add instant shine and moisture. The key to keeping the hair intact all night is a bungee, along with several pins. And of course, the edges were laid to the high heavens. For that, she used a light amount of the brand's Lived-In Sculpting Paste.
Photo: Via @naivashaintil.
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Before celebrities hogged all the covers, it was supermodels who sold magazines. Regardless, 2018 is still a damn good time to be a model. On the first Monday in May, their worlds collide at the Met Gala, where dozens (and dozens) of the world's most famous faces come together in the name of fashion. Some adhere to the theme, some don't.
But, beyond the glitz, the Met Gala is a chance for models to play muse to designers and showcase their custom creations on fashion's biggest stage. When you're Liu Wen, you get to do that not once, not twice, but nine times — and three times with Michael Kors. This year, we caught up with Wen for her third time as guest of the man himself. Judging by Wen's look, we'd say the third time really is the charm.
For the past decade or so, Wen has served as one of the most famous faces worldwide for Chinese models and culture. Just as indisputably, Michael Kors has become one of the most honored and recognized figures in modern American fashion. It's because of their work in the industry that makes this pair a match made in fashion Heaven (sorry, we're trying to adhere to the theme) – and Wen's look for the night is just as major. Kors revealed exclusively to Refinery29 everything that went into the strapless red gown she wore on tonight's Met Gala carpet: 550 man hours to embroider it (using metal ribbon) and over 2,000 crystals mixed with touches of golden cut beads.
See what else Wen had to say about her friendship with Kors, highlights of past Met Galas, and what goes through a model's head when she walks the most watched red carpet in the world.
What has changed from your first Met Gala to now? And how does going with Michael make the experience all the better? "Time really passes so fast. In the blink of an eye, this is already my ninth year attending! Compared to my nervousness from the earlier years, I now see Met Gala as a huge reunion with many friends. It's also a grand party that so many of us anticipate and are always surprised by! This is my third time attending with Michael, and he always prepares a really intricate, stunning look for me; this year is no exception."
Talk to us about your friendship with Michael. "I remember meeting Michael for the first time at one of his runway shows. Even as a newer model, I already knew that he was a very influential designer. After that time, we've become more and more familiar with each other through working together frequently. I discovered that Michael's impact stems from how passionate he is about the art of design. He is attentive towards every little detail, and the perfection of detail is what establishes the success of a design. I've learned a lot from that kind of philosophy which he possesses."
What goes through your head on the carpet? "Right before I step onto the red carpet, I usually think about what the exhibition itself might look like. But once you actually enter that space, all you see are camera flashes and all you hear are the requests from photographers; that's still always the craziest thing to witness, but these moments are pretty familiar to me now, so I treat them like I'm meeting old friends. The atmosphere ends up [being] pretty relaxed as a result."
In terms of representing your Chinese heritage on the biggest red carpet in fashion — how do you manage that and what does it mean to you? "To be able to do this is actually an honor that my Chinese background has given me. I just hope I can strongly convey the culture that has always been such a deep-rooted part of myself. I want to keep expressing the confidence, beauty, and enthusiasm that Chinese girls have always possessed!"
The Met Gala is the one occasion when you can truly try anything — like painting your hair silver or wearing a headpiece that weighs more than a small child. But sometimes, it's the smallest tweak that can make the biggest difference. Such is the case when Rihanna, patron saint of the Met, stepped onto the carpet. If you're anything like us, you could immediately tell she did something different, but it took a minute to realize just what that was. The it hit us: her brows!
Celebrity eyebrow stylist Damone Roberts shared the details of Rih's lightened brows, which she both bleached and sculpted. How? Roberts used her own Brow Powder in Ginger and Brow Highlighter in Stone Cold Bitch to finish. And, of course, Rihanna wore an entire Fenty Face done by none other than Priscilla Ono. But she wasn't the only one to understand that bleached brows can have a major impact...
Photo: Neilson Barnard/Getty Images.
Sienna Miller went pale as well, thanks to the hand of her makeup artist Wendy Rowe. The super-blonde brows allowed us to take a closer gaze at her perfectly tousled waves... along with the dazzling diamonds that adorned her head.
But before you follow suit with the trend, it's important to understand that it does take work. Our own beauty writer, Sam Sasso, tried her hand at the trend and documented just how much upkeep it is to get the right effect. Of course, it's a breeze compared to, say, bleaching your entire head.
What do you think of the two star's new bleached brows? Tell us in the comments below.
Zendaya, who's slowly but surely becoming the princess of the Met Gala (according to the queen herself), could've gone plenty of routes for this year's Catholic-themed carpet. But as she usually does, the 21-year-old trendsetter gave us the unexpected: a short, red sci-fi bob.
The sharp cut, usually teamed with short bangs, is often styled to create a helmet-like silhouette. Let us explain: The term "sci-fi bob" comes from a Hollywood trope in which futuristic women often wear the modern, sleek cut — and it's turned into a feminist statement in Hollywood. It all makes perfect sense, because her outfit at the Met was modeled after one of the most badass feminists in history: Joan of Arc.
The star, who worked with celebrity hairdresser Ursula Stephens, even surprised her longtime stylist Law Roach over FaceTime with the change (as captured on Stephens' Instastory). “Zendaya’s look was inspired by the power of Joan of Arc and the opulence of Versace, who dressed her this evening," Stephens tells us. "The gown references armor and chainmail, so we knew we needed a strong beauty look as well. We have been talking about going red with her hair for almost a year now, so we were excited when tonight felt like the perfect fit."
The Virgin Cardi. Cardinal B. Her Holiness, Belcalis Almanzar. Call her what you may, but Cardi B, our newly-minted savior of, well, everything, made her Met Gala red carpet debut Monday evening and EEEEOOOWWWW, she nailed it.
Attending alongside designer Jeremy Scott, the pregnant rapper wore a custom cream long-sleeve Moschino gown "encrusted with pearls, crystals, and gems" that was, according to the brand, "inspired by tapestries and embroideries from ecclesiastic vestments." Her custom overskirt and headpiece were also Moschino.
It's also possible that Cardi's outfit has an even deeper meaning, relating her to La Virgen de Alatagracia, or the "patron image and protector of the people of the Dominican Republic." Given the fact that she is the first person of Dominican descent to reach number one on the Billboard Hot 100 and has been referred to as "a beacon of hope for Dominican girls," this is a potent, culturally specific theory we can get behind.
It's been a while since we've seen a Marchesa dress grace a red carpet. After the Harvey Weinstein scandal broke last October, the disgraced mogul's ex-wife and co-designer Georgina Chapman postponed the spring 2018 collection press preview to a later date. Months of silence, on Marchesa's end, would ensue. But Chapman's name remained in headlines.
Tonight, however, at the Met Gala, the brand known for its ornate, red carpet-ready gowns made a triumphant return to fashion's main stage. Actress Scarlett Johansson stepped out in a bicolored tulle number that may have very subtly adhered to the night's theme of Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination, but it reminded us just how skilled Keren Craig and Chapman are at creating elegant, statement-making fashion.
The past few months may have seen a wavering in sales for the luxury brand, but on the bridal front, women are still hooked on Marchesa's elegant fantasy. Thanks to tonight's Met Gala moment, we're finally getting a look into how Marchesa's aesthetic has evolved post-Weinstein and the #MeToo movement. Craig and Chapman's signature fairytale-princess vibes – once designed with Weinstein's financial and strategic support – remain intact. And on Johansson, a strong advocate and supporter of the Time's Up movement in Hollywood, it's never looked better.
If there was a secondary dress code to last night's Met Gala — Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination — it was to bring your most ornate headpieces. As anticipated, the red carpet saw a tizzy of veils, headdresses, halos, and crowns. And while all of them weaved into the suggested "Sunday Best" attire quite well, crowns actually have a bit less to do with religion than we suspect most of the attendees realized.
From Elizabethan collars to battle-ready chainmail, we observed a frequent, confusing mixing of Catholicism with medieval representations of western royalty. An easy mistake, since it was long thought that kings, queens, and the like were God-appointed and holy anointed. Lest we forget, the Catholic Church and royal families coexisted for many centuries, until English playboy King Henry VIII shook the world into a Church-and-State divide. (The complicated circumstances surrounded Henry VIII's first and second marriages, and the execution of his second wife Anne Boleyn, helped lead to the English Reformation, and the break between the British throne and the Roman Catholic Church.)
Apart from the Messiah's (a.k.a. Jesus) literally iconic crown of thorns and popular paintings and depictions of the coronation of the Virgin Mary, crowns have been absent from the general Catholic congregation. Historically, the opulent headpieces have been left to those deemed God's terrestrial right hands — kings and queens. Arguably the Pope's (another recognized God-appointed figure) papal tiara falls under that same category – but the papal crown worn by Rihanna last night is typically only worn during a coronation. Aside from that, we've never caught a saint, bishop, nun, or even our devout grandmother sporting a crown in reverence to their religion.
So what do crowns have to do with Catholicism? It's a holy symbol that glorifies God as the one true king. But what do crowns have to do with actual Catholics? TBH, very little. But we use the word "queen" (not to mention "kween") enough – and these women from last night, we say, deserve the title.
Oftentimes, the scariest part of going to the gynecologist is the waiting room. If you get to your appointment late, you’re left scrambling through paperwork. If you get to your appointment too early, you’re left alone with your wandering thoughts, which can arguably be even more disastrous.
Above, a look at the common (and not-so-common) ways your imagination can take over in the waiting room. The most important thing to remember? You've got nothing to worry about.
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Not sure if you caught last night's Met Gala red carpet, but the looks were good. Celebrities and designers actually adhered to the theme — Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination — and got decked out in their Sunday best from head to toe. This included the hair, of course, but was especially true for the makeup.
Aside from wearing literal paintings on gowns (and actual angel wings), makeup artists also took inspiration from artwork for the makeup: tears. Both Jesus and Mary wept tears of sadness and blood in Biblical references... and the modern iterations, below, are good enough to make us cry, too. Get the stories behind the looks, ahead.
“I really wanted to lean into the idea of the dark art and the occult, as well as reference the master paintings and old marble sculptures," Fiona Stiles tells us of Lily Collins' blood drop. "For her skin, I wanted it to look like moonlight on marble. The gunmetal Swarovski crystals were meant to be celestial tears and the blood red tear drop was a nod to stigmatas and the tears of the virgins. You know, light hearted stuff...”
Photo: David Fisher/REX/Shutterstock.
SZA looked simply angelic on the carpet — which is fitting, as she was channeling The Virgin Mary. "The inspiration for SZA’s look started with the blush toned tulle Versace Couture Gown and images of Renaissance religious paintings of saints and The Virgin Mary," makeup artist Samuel Paul says. "At the same time, we wanted to keep in the SZA vibe of full lashes and nude lips, but add an ethereal opulence for the gala."
While the rest of the world wakes up, puts on a pot of coffee, and scrolls through their Twitter feeds critiquing the latest Met Gala red carpet, New York has a hangover. Monday night's fashion Superbowl offered the best of Catholic-inspired looks, with celebrities split on adhering to the theme, interpreting it in their own ways, or ignoring it altogether. Still, all went according to plan: Rihanna ruled, and the rest more or less came and went.
Though we felt spoiled by a lot last night — you saw that proposal, right? — there was something missing. Months after a Hollywood awards season full of #MeToo statements and Time's Up pins, red carpets that turned black and white (and ball gowns into pantsuits), and a pause on those pesky Who are you wearing? types of fashion questions, red carpet culture is changing. And protest fashion couldn't be more on-trend.
After an evening bursting with visual opulence but bereft of much political discourse, we're left wondering: Why can't we make good on our word to smash the patriarchy? And why, after other cultural shocks to the system — like the Parkland shooting, which saw celebrities calling for increased gun control — was last night's red carpet so...silent? Even in the name of charity and $30k/head tables, why is fashion still giving free passes to designers like John Galliano and Stefano Gabbana, suggesting that bigotry is forgettable? Or worse, fake news?
This is the Met Gala, people — the red carpet of all red carpets, a marble arched runway of fashion that ends in a stairway to couture Heaven (at least this year). Though the Costume Institute's Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination theme focused on the ornate, outward glamour of a fraught religious institution, inspiring the most haute of haute couture from designers like Christian Lacroix, Yves Saint Laurent, and Christian Dior — the event, which could have been the grand finale of a historic and transformative red carpet season, fell woefully short.
Photo: Ray Tamarra/GC Images.
Frustratingly, the theme itself set the scene for at least a happy medium between fashion-fashion and fashion-with-a-purpose. Hell, not even Gaultier-clad Madonna added any shock value to the night outside of a "surprise" performance that paid homage to her lifelong love-hate relationship with the Catholic church. In fact, the most political last night got was when Lena Waithe stepped out in a custom rainbow cape by Carolina Herrera. When asked why she sported the prideful getup, The Chi creator said, "It's like my skin. I'm proud to be in it and put the community on my back to make sure they know I got 'em all the time." Scarlett Johansson's tulle Marchesa number also served as our first look at the tainted luxury brand post-Weinstein, but whether it was in subtle support of the movie mogul's estranged wife or a simple style choice wasn't explicitly stated.
Though these moments didn't go unnoticed, wouldn't it have been cool to see designers bringing activists as their dates? They post enough images of them on their personal Instagrams, after all, and have grown increasingly woke in their collections in recent years; we thought there'd at least be gestures similar to those we saw at the Golden Globes or the Oscars. What about ribbons? White roses? What happened to standing in solidarity instead of (Catholic) spirituality? The for-once-meaningful red carpet interviews calling for social justice and positive change? A reprise of #BoycottDolceandGabbana? The gap between what did happen versus what could have happened stretched longer than the Museum Mile.
As the fashion industry confronts its own inner demons, such as the depths and decades of sexual harassment in the worlds of modeling and photography and an imbalance of diversity of all kinds, it's time to use our biggest platform (outside of Instagram) to separate alternative facts from hard, painful truths. The Met Gala may also be fashion's most fun night; yes, there's humor to be found in a gathering of the richest people in the world strutting around a museum after-hours essentially dressed in drag. But when will the industry, much like the Catholic Church, stop covering up its secrets and, finally, tell the truth?
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Water — maybe you've heard of it? — is vital for all known forms of life here on earth (which, by the way, is 71% water in and of itself), and yet we use its derivatives as a synonym for weak. Nobody ever asks for a watery cocktail or cup of coffee, and a "watered-down" version of something is just a gentle, passive-aggressive way of saying it's the same thing, but worse. But if it's run-of-the-mill moisturizers you find too strong for your liking — too rich, too heavy, too creamy — forget your anti-dilution prejudice: Their watered-down counterparts strike just the right balance.
Lighter than your typical lightweight moisturizer (no, really), these gel-like formulas feel like nothing going on, but leave even dry skin types shockingly well-hydrated. It's sort of like when you complain about the Happy Hour drinks being weak so you order another and another and then suddenly the room is spinning and you're DMing your ex. Ahead, the best new water gels and creams to add to your list of things you can't live without... right after actual water, of course. You're still going to need that, no matter how much ice has already melted in your margarita on the rocks.
It’s not a mirage: This whipped gel is like a tall drink of water for desert-dry skin, giving you all the hydration without the heaviness of a cream. The key is in the star ingredient, a rare cactus species known as “queen of the night,” which is a climate-adaptive succulent with a remarkable ability to thrive in harsh, dry climates.
Boscia Cactus Water Moisturizer, $38, available at Sephora in June.
No polar bears were harmed in the making of this hydrator, which combines mineral-rich Alaskan glacier water, anti-inflammatory Iceland moss extract, and a blend of amino acids and peptides to leave skin supremely chill.
Saturday Skin Waterfall Glacier Water Cream, $39, available at Sephora starting May 15.
The skin-care equivalent of those one-a-day vitamins you bought that have been gathering dust in your medicine cabinet ever since, except smoothing on this light, lush oil-free formula is so pleasant, you'll want to do it a lot more than once a day. (Twice, ideally.)
Murad Nutrient-Charged Water Gel, $60, available at Murad.
It's a gel, it's a cream, it's a moisture cushion, it's... all of the above: a bouncy, lightweight moisturizer enriched with marine algae from the waters of Okinawa and a whole range of amino acids and B vitamins that leave skin plump and dewy.
Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare Hyaluronic Marine Oil-Free Moisture Cushion, $60, available at Dr. Dennis Gross.
Water lily extract makes this moisturizer as blue as the crystal-clear waters on the shore of some exclusive island unspoiled by civilization yet still accessible to the very rich, and as refreshing as them, too (assuming you close your eyes and put your imagination to good use).
GlamGlow Waterburst Hydrated Glow Moisturizer, $49, available at Sephora.
This weightless gel does to your skin what 30 minutes in a flotation tank does for your overactive brain: soothes, heals, and makes you forget you live in a city of 8.5 million people and an apartment with four roommates. Almost.
Dermalogica Calm Water Gel, $48, available at Ulta.
Because putting actual cucumber slices over your eyes is impractical and makes it hard to watch TV, this smoothing, brightening gel is the next best thing — better, because it doesn't involve slicing any vegetables.
Estée Lauder DayWear Eye Cooling Anti-Oxidant Moisture GelCreme, $40, available at Nordstrom.
If it looks like water and feels like water, then it must be water, right? Wrong. It could also be this moisturizer, which is remarkably similar in texture and appearance to what happens when you combine two atoms of hydrogen with one atom of oxygen — or, rather, when you infuse Provençal spring water with glycerin and hyaluronic acid.
L’Occitane Aqua Réotier Ultra Thirst-Quenching Gel Moisturizer, $29, available at Sephora.
The perfect summer moisturizer, reimagined: Light and easily absorbed, with a satiny finish ideal for oil slick-prone skin types, this gel-cream ups the ante on the usual hot-weather hydrator, thanks to an ingredients list packed with probiotics, soothing aloe, and watermelon extract (which you might recognize from another buzzy, perpetually sold-out formula...).
Making dinner plans with friends sounds simple enough, but can often turn into the most frustrating part of the week. The exercise always starts with good intentions: Find a restaurant everyone can agree on. But somehow, the discussion turns into a catastrophically long messaging thread with too many options and not enough focus that threatens your patience and your closest relationships. All of sudden, that mid-week presentation that drew you close to tears doesn't look so bad anymore.
Fortunately, the annoyance of restaurant-picking over text is one of the pain points Google is tackling with updates to Google Maps. In addition to the basic directions you already rely on the app for, the new features emphasize discoverability. According to Jen Fitzpatrick, the VP of Google Maps, the chance to learn about the places around us is a tool oft-requested by users.
Maps is debuting a reimagining of the "Explore" tab, which Fitzpatrick describes as "pretty basic" up to this point. Through the new tab, you'll be able to see detailed information about nearby restaurants and events, as well as Google-curated lists of what's trending at that moment based on what users are searching for and where people are actually going. There will also be third-party lists from city guides, such as The Infatuation.
This is the service the new Google Maps wants to deliver, a kind of hyper-personalized tour guide in the app. To that end, Google is also unveiling a new "For You" tab, which uses information from three sources — your location history (you can turn it on in Settings), any ratings or reviews you've left, and preferences you explicitly tell Google — to suggest picks.
"What if everyone could be in the spot where you have the inside scoop and someone’s telling you, 'Hey there’s a new place coming' or 'there’s a new place that just opened, and it’s the type of place I suspect you want to know about,'" Fitzpatrick says of the role "For You" serves.
To start, "For You" will focus on dining, although Fitzpatrick says you can expect it to expand over time. Every item that is included in the tab will come with a match score — similar to the kind you see for matches on OkCupid — that indicates how closely a restaurant or bar aligns with your interests. You can tap on the score to find out why Google is suggesting it to you.
Here's where that restaurant decision-making help for you and your friends comes in: When you find a few restaurants you like, you can press and hold on each to pull it into a list. Then, text that list to friends and each can vote for the spot they like. A process that used to take hours — from finding the restaurants, to typing them in, and polling via text — now takes seconds. You won't need to send individual links to each restaurant or even answer questions about where the Thai place is located, because it's all right there.
If you find yourself worrying you're getting caught in a dining bubble, sticking to spots that only match your preferences, there's an easy way to break out: Just tap Explore.
The White House just wanted a nice photo op in the Rose Garden when it trotted out Melania Trump to announce her new Be Best program on Monday afternoon. But then, pesky journalists decided to ruin it by doing things like asking questions, and the White House communications office issued a strongly worded statement in response. Because seriously, how dare we?
Here's everything we know about Be Best: It's meant to help kids improve their social, emotional, and physical health, and it consists of three pillars, which include "wellbeing, social media, and opioid abuse." If you comb through the transcript of Melania's speech on Monday and the Be Best website, you'll find precious few other details.
Among other questions, we asked the White House how the program will be implemented and haven't received any responses. And when we asked for more details about anti-bullying and emotional-learning programs for kids Melania plans to support that she brought up in her speech, such as the Buddy Bench and the Viking Huddle class, the White House told us to Google them. "We will send you her speech, and then a quick Google search will likely give you all that you need," said spokesperson Stephanie Grisham. If the White House is serious about supporting an initiative, shouldn't its flacks have all the info at their fingertips?
A lot of news outlets picked up on the fact that the cyberbullying brochure issued as part of the initiative bears an uncanny resemblance to an Obama-era Federal Trade Commission document, pointed out by Ryan Mac, a reporter at BuzzFeed. (They updated the phone icons ever-so-slightly to make them look more modern, though!)
lmao... the White House/Melania Trump Be Best pamphlet about your kids being online is almost the exact same thing that the FTC published in Jan. 2014:
After BuzzFeed asked the White House how much the first lady was involved in drafting the document, it changed the language on the Be Best website describing it from "a booklet by First Lady Melania Trump and the Federal Trade Commission" to "a Federal Trade Commission booklet, promoted by first lady Melania Trump." When we asked about it, the communications office sent us the transcript of the speech (for the second time).
In its strongly worded statement, the White House communications office went off on journalists who covered the FTC booklet. "After giving a strong speech that was met with a standing ovation and positive feedback, the focus from opposition media has been on [the FTC booklet]," said the statement. Despite getting information from the FTC, the White House complained, "some media have chosen to take a day meant to promote kindness and positive efforts on behalf of children, to instead lob baseless accusations towards the First Lady and her new initiatives."
The communications office added that the White House actually worked with the FTC on the booklet. Nathaniel Wood, an associate director at the FTC, said in a statement, "We frequently work with members of Congress, the White House, other government agencies, and the private sector. ... We were excited that Mrs. Trump distributed this important information about staying safe online." So why wasn't this disclosed up front?
Perhaps there was too much coverage of the FTC booklet. The media should be able to criticize itself, and when it comes down to it, most Americans don't really care about a regurgitated government document (though they still have a right to know what's going on within their own government).
But there are so many other issues with Be Best. The program, the way it was presented, suffers from a lack of cohesion and detail. Compare Be Best to Let's Move, Michelle Obama's signature initiative, and tell me which one you know more about after reading their websites. There is little to no actual information about what Be Best will actually do.
In the last line of the statement, the White House encouraged journalists to, "Be Best in their own professions, and focus on some of the children and programs Mrs. Trump highlighted in her remarks yesterday."
Well...we're trying! You don't tell us anything. Here are a few questions we asked the White House that haven't been answered so far: In what ways are the three pillars of the program interrelated? For instance, how is opioid abuse connected to social media and bullying? What are the next steps in terms of implementation? What does the timeline look like? How will you measure success and track results?
The New York Times, before Be Best was rolled out, noted that Melania's "program will primarily repackage projects that already exist," including a program by the National Safety Council to encourage people to talk to their doctors about opioid abuse, as well as the FTC guidelines about social media. Which doesn't answer what, exactly, the first lady will contribute.
Aside from expecting glowing coverage for Be Best just because it purports to extend kindness, the administration appears to have distracted us from another major announcement made on Monday. Within an hour of Melania's press conference, Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced that undocumented parents and children entering the U.S. will be separated at the border. ("If you don't like that, then don't smuggle children over our border.") On the same day, President Trump asked Congress to cancel $15 billion in unspent government funding, including $7 billion from the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). How's that for promoting kindness and positive efforts on behalf of children?
Within an hour of First Lady Melania Trump saying that children deserve every opportunity to enjoy their innocence, Jeff Sessions announced that it is the official policy of the U.S. to rip children out of the arms of their parents and lock them up. pic.twitter.com/K9OKnesEGk
