BEST OF THE MET GALA 2019 x CAMP: NOTES ON FASHION

Monday 6 May 2019



DEFINITION OF CAMP:
"something so outrageously artificial, affected, inappropriate, or out-of-date as to be considered amusing; a style or mode of personal or creative expression that is absurdly exaggerated and often fuses elements of high and popular culture." 
-Mariam Webster Dictionary

NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORKOh, the first Monday in May. Is there any other day like it for fashion enthusiasts? This years theme, "Camp: Notes on Fashion", draws from a 1964 essay by Susan Sontag—but we've been serving Camp looks since the 17th century. The LAUR interpretation of Camp is the unexpected, purposefully exaggerated, artificially created, textbook example of extra in the best way. 

Anna Wintour brought Lady Gaga, Harry Styles, Serena Williams and Alessandro Michele together to host this years Met Gala. With every star that graced the pink carpet, I became more and more impressed with how much of an effort to stay on theme there seemed to be—which, if you know anything about how Met Galas usually go, is incredibly rare.


HOW GAGA TURNED THE MET GALA INTO THE MET GAGA
MET GAGA—What Beyoncé did for Coachella, Lady Gaga did for the Met Gala. In essence, she shut down the show before it even started. Gaga began in a custom Brandon Maxwell piece before stripping down three times to reveal a total of four killer Maxwell looks. This was a MAJOR moment that will go down in history as the most iconic Met Gala moment yet. Not to mention—this was all done in the most melodramatic, performative, and campy way possible. It's simply in Gaga's nature to put on a show. She re-invented Camp. Period.

BEST DRESSED: LILY COLLINS

LILY OF THE VALLEY—Looking back on last years Met Gala post, I put Lily Collins at #2 on my best dressed list. Well, there was no settling for second place this year. Serving Priscilla Presley meets Lana Del Ray vibes, Lily was undoubtedly my personal favourite. Lily took us to the chapel embodying the perfect camp bride in a white Giambattista Valli ruffle gown with a dreamy floor-sweeping train. Trading a bridal veil for a thick white headband, Lily channeled Priscilla Presley's wedding day look with an over the top bouffant teased-to-the-gods with dainty flowers all throughout. Lily continued paying homage to Priscilla with the quintessential '60s makeup look—thick, bold lashes and liner with a pop of pastel eye shadow behind, finished with a glossy pale lip. Totally Twiggy. Yes, Rihanna will always remain the Met Gala Queen, but I'm crowning Lily the Princess. 

ON THEME: SERVING CAMP REALNESS
And now, for the rest of my personal favourites—on the basis of who fit the theme best (in no specific order).

Yara Shahidi in Prada
Céline Dion in Oscar de la Renta
Kacey Musgraves in Moschino (CAMP BARBIE!)
Janelle Monae in Christian Siriano

Aquaria in Maison Margiela by John Galliano
Kendall Jenner in Versace
Kylie Jenner in Versace
Ciara in custom Dundas

MEN IN CAMP
In last years post, I challenged the men to take note of the theme and bring their A game, and that is exactly what they did. So, here they are (in no specific order).

P.S: I crown Ezra Miller Camp KING.

Ezra Miller in Burberry (CAMP KING)
Jared Leto in Gucci
Harry Styles in Gucci
Darren Criss in Balmain
Hamish Bowles in Maison Margiela by John Galliano
Billy Porter in The Blonds
Michael Urie in Christian Siriano
Ashton Sanders in Telfar

"Camp: Notes on Fashion" will be a tough act to follow, wouldn't you say?

Love, LAUR


A NOTE TO THE CREATIVE IN 2019

Tuesday 1 January 2019


welcome to a new year, a fresh start as they say. if you're like me, your notes app is full, or perhaps it's a journal that is full of possibilities. needless to say we have more ideas than we can count, and more than we think we can keep up with. i often find myself experiencing random bursts of creativity, yet i have a bad habit of never fully committing to the ideas that i come up with on these creative highs. this new year seems like the perfect excuse to make it my resolution to follow through with my ideas and be precisely that—new. achieve new goals, new experiences, new opportunities, new ideas, new creative ventures, and for me an entirely new chapter of life entering my twenties. sounds cliché, i know, but is it even more cliché of me to say that 2019 feels like its going to be different? i decided to write this post for those who may be experiencing similar struggles as i have when it comes to art—be it writers block, lack of motivation or simply not being able to meet your own perfectionist standards. here are a few ways i plan to stay inspired and keep up with my "resolution" this year:

start something new–this is one of my main goals for the year, to follow up with a new creative passion. writing, photography, drawing, sewing, painting, graphic design—you name it. it could even be starting one of the many of ideas in your notes. whatever you've been sitting on, or waiting for, just do the damn thing.

get your creative juices flowing, start a mood board—not only is this fun, but i believe in the power of manifestation and find this exercise incredibly motivating as you can visually see your goals.

follow likeminded individuals—this is SO important and can honestly change your entire mindset. fill your instagram, twitter, whatever feed with people who will constantly keep you inspired. do this in real life too of course, positive energy will make all the difference in your life. find other creative friends and feed off of each others energy, bounce ideas off of each other. be that person for someone else.

listen to music— this is HUGE. music is a major source of inspiration for SO many people, and so are films if you're anything like me.

do it for art's sake—don't overthink it or get lost in perfectionism, let art be art and just let it happen.

i already have a couple of exciting things lined up for the year, and an excessive amount of ideas to jump into which i'm pumped about—but there is also excitement in the unknown. the not knowing what possibilities may come with your new creative endeavours are.

at the end of this year, i hope to look back on this post feeling fulfilled and in a new creative state of mind, with new works of art to share. stay tuned to see what i come up with.

love, LAUR

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