The Met Gala 2024: A celebration of Loewe

The 2024 Met Gala took place on May 6 2024, attended by the usual throngs of A-list celebrities adamant on making their mark on this year’s green carpet. However, for me, 2024 was not one of the Met’s finest evenings.  From an overdose of embroidered flowers, to yet another conventional black tuxedo, I felt as though ‘The Garden of Time’ theme was poorly adhered to and failed to challenge most designers.  

With this criticism aside, the Met Gala did work in favour of some design houses, most notably being Loewe, who positioned themselves firmly at the head of the international high fashion scene.  

Loewe did not rest on its laurels when it came to creating looks for the Met, providing some the evening’s most memorable looks.

Loewe was founded in Madrid in 1846, cementing its place on the global stage currently under the control of Northern Irish director, Jonathan Anderson, who took over in 2013. From creating dusty leather handbags, to innovative couture designs, Anderson’s ability to embrace weirdness and address cultural trends has elevated Loewe’s popularity to the level of brands such as Gucci and Prada. In recent years, Anderson has gone the extra mile to ensure the visibility of Loewe on the pop-culture scene, with Loewe’s designs being worn by Beyoncé on her Renaissance Tour, and Rihanna at the Super Bowl halftime show. It is unsurprising that Loewe managed to lead the Lyst Index’s hottest brands list for the first time in 2023, as well as becoming a sponsor of the 2024 Met Gala.   

Amidst all this hype, Loewe did not rest on its laurels when it came to creating looks for the Met, providing some the evening’s most memorable looks. There was initial shock that Anna Wintour chose to wear a Loewe ensemble. Given her choice of theme for the event, it was expected that Wintour would source an archival piece for the green carpet. However, in a surprising move, she wore a Loewe silk dress with a tuxedo coat, decorated with floral motifs – a tailoring technique distinct to Loewe’s Fall 2024 collection. 

This was not the only conversation-starting piece of womenswear that Loewe produced for the Met Gala. Ariana Grande wore a custom-made Loewe gown, a truly ethereal ensemble made up of a leather and mother-of-pearl bustier, and an accompanying pleated chiffon skirt. Grande’s look was both angelic, but also a creative spin on the theme, perfectly embodying the popstar’s personal aesthetic.  

Loewe struck a perfect balance between suave masculinity and natural beauty.

Another standout Loewe look was Taylor Russell’s “wooden gown”. This piece consisted of a white draped skirt that sat below a bodice, inspired by the process of marquetry, painted with entwining brown flowers. For me, the beauty of this look came from Russell’s supporting hair and makeup. Her choice of a soft brown graphic liner and wooden flowers in her hair truly elevated her Loewe dress to another level of beauty, being equally suitable to the theme.  

Loewe also found personality through its menswear designs. Jonathan Bailey oozed effortless glamour in his custom suit, singled out by the hand-crafted peonies attached at his collar and his hip. The combination of his cream tuxedo jacket and the blush on the flowers he wore envisaged how Loewe struck a perfect balance between suave masculinity and natural beauty – a delicate nuance not seen in many other menswear ensembles worn by his peers.  

I do believe Loewe has signalled a new age in fashion and what we should expect at the Met.

Similarly, Omar Apollo wore a striking menswear ensemble by Loewe, perfectly balancing a classic suit and a forward-thinking piece of runway fashion. Despite largely looking like a conventional black suit, it was the lapels on Apollo’s jacket that truly elevated this look.  Adorned with oversized bugle beads and three crystal flower pins, the jacket paid homage to both Apollo’s music tour and the Met Gala’s theme itself. 

Whilst the quirky designs of Loewe, often made of metal, wood and feathers, may not fit everyone’s taste, I do believe Loewe has signalled a new age of fashion and what we should expect at the Met. In a time where fashion should reflect the complexity and innovation of the world around us, Jonathan Anderson used the Met Gala as an opportunity to push boundaries and challenge norms.  

I eagerly wait to see how the brand continues to develop, and what new methods they will use to redefine fashion in the future.