Met Ball 2014: best and worst dressed in pictures
Met Gala 2014: the talking points
The Met Gala is the Oscars with the few remaining unphotogenic parts Photoshopped out. No old people, no crying (after three hours in makeup, are you insane?) and pretty much no women who weigh more than eight-and-a-half stone, although exceptions are occasionally made if one is carrying a baby with A-list pedigree. There is no need for an awards ceremony, because this event is won or lost in front of the wall of paparazzi, who gather one night each May on the steps of the Metropolitan Museum as the New York fashion industry compete to impress their host, Anna Wintour.
The dress code is guided by the theme of the Costume Institute exhibition. Last year was punk, which meant safety pins and tartan and ripped everything, and maybe Wintour didn't love it, because let's just say this year's exhibition is more traditional a retrospective of the Anglo-American couturier Charles James, creator of epic pastel ballgowns for society swans and the dress code for the opening night was "White Tie and Decorations". Can the power of Wintour turn the tide of popular culture and enforce dress code decorum on an industry hooked on social media and personal branding? Who were the night's winners and losers? It's time to rip open the envelope and find out
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