The Met Gala made its return to New York on Monday night after more than two years – and with it came a host of very bizarre red carpet fashions that were so wildly over-the-top, they would have looked more at home at a costume party on Halloween rather than the Costume Institute.
This year’s star-studded event features a pared-down guestlist of just 400 people, as well as a long list of new health and safety restrictions in light of the ongoing COVID pandemic – which forced host Anna Wintour to cancel last year’s event and then postpone this year’s Met Gala from its traditional first Monday in May date.
But while the 2021 Met Gala is certainly very different to those that have gone before it, something that certainly has not changed fro previous years is the huge number of A-list guests missing the sartorial mark.
Tennis pro Naomi Osaka, 23, who has faced struggles both on and off the court in recent months, facing shock early defeats at the Olympics and the US Open, after dropping out of the French Open and Wimbledon to deal with mental health struggles, attended her first-ever Met Gala as one of its co-chars this year.
But while her role as a co-chair earned her a spot as one of he event’s leading faces, when it came to her red carpet look, Osaka faced yet another defeat.
Wacky: Tennis pro Naomi Osaka led the worst-dressed stars at this year’s Met Gala, missing the mark completely in her bizarre multi-colored ensemble
The 23-year-old’s gown featured an unflattering criss-cross hemline and enormous ruffle sleeves that completely dwarfed her
Osaka’s hair was coiffed into a bizarre pretzel-shaped updo with huge fan-shaped pieces jutting out from either side of her head, which left her looking more like the guest at a Halloween party than a glittering celebrity gala
The baffling updo was all the more intricate from behind, featuring several tightly-woven braids that were not doubt used to anchor the rest of the enormous style
Spooky: Game of Thrones star Maisie Williams’ look was incredibly ghoulish – and, like Osaka, she also modeled a bizarre sculptural hairstyle
She paired a black bodysuit with sheer bedazzled tights and boxy heels, but it was her beauty look that really caused a stir
Hair today… The 24-year-old actress bleached her dark brows for the event, and she wore some over-the-top green eye makeup to draw even more attention to her eyes
The Japanese-American sporting star paid tribute to her heritage with a kimono-inspired dress, which featured a red silk sash at the waist.
However the cultural detail was very easily missed next to the gown’s voluminous ruffled sleeves, which dwarfed Osaka – as did the bizarre sculptural hairstyle that she modeled.
Her brunette locks were coiffed into a Star Wars-esque up-do, featuring a pretzel-shaped braid that sat atop her head, with two fan-style sections jutting out from either side of her head – looking ever so slightly like the fins of a fish.
Making the ‘do all the more outlandish were the large red gems that were scattered throughout it, and which matched the vibrant red eye shadow that was the focus of her makeup look.
Giddy up? Singer Kim Petras wore a giant horse head over her patterned dress
The 29-year-old’s horse head even had a matching hairstyle, modeling the same orange braid as the singer
Also opting for a wacky, over-the-top ‘do was Game of Thrones star Maisie Williams, 24, whose dark hair was styled in a similarly funky style – with much of it piled on top of her head in a twisted wave, complete with a quirky flick that could be seen coming out of the back of her head.
Her gothic ensemble was made all the more eerie by her lack of eyebrows, which she bleached for the event.
Meanwhile, singer Kim Petras seemed to want to make a mockery of the Met Gala red carpet in her baffling outfit, which featured a giant fake horse head as a shirt.
The 29-year-old wore the brown horse over a colorful patterned gown, and even gave the equestrian accessory the same ginger braid that she herself modeled.
Speaking of Halloween… Gossip Girl star Evan Mock chose to wear a terrifying face mask on the red carpet
The pleather bondage-style accessory had netting across the eyes and a spiky mental mowhawk down the center of it
Oh dear: Schitt’s Creek actor and creator Dan Levy, son of comedian Eugene, looked like a cartoon character in his wacky outfit, which had enormous sleeves and a garish bedazzled design
He paired his look with some over-the-top black boots, which were covered in flowers and only served to add to the comical overall appearance
Woah: Actress Storm Reid arrived at the event in what appeared to be a pretty pink gown, however she soon whipped off her skirt to reveal a skimpy bustier and tiny pair of bedazzled shorts that looked a bit risque for such a glamorous gala
Theater producer Jordan Roth’s garish look was almost painful to look at thanks to the incredibly over-the-top pattern
Journalist and author Amy Fine Collins carried a very bizarre dog-shaped bag – pairing it with matching shoes – having apparently taken inspiration for her look from Cruella De Vil
Eva Chen, director of fashion partnerships at Instagram, also looked as though she had ordered her racing car-inspired outfit from a costume website