Designer Zac Posen arrives at the Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute Benefit. (Reuters)
They didn’t think pink! The late designer Elsa Schiaparelli would have been shocked indeed by the lack of her signature hothouse hue at last night’s red carpet kickoff for the “Schiaparelli and Prada: Impossible Conversations” Costume Institute Exhibition at the Met. Instead of embracing both Italian fashion designers’ flirtation with extreme color, A-listers stuck to embellished columns or fishtail gowns, most of them done in glittering gold or classic black. Scarlett Johansson went for an opulent crystal-encrusted Dolce & Gabbana bustier gown, while newbie Jessica Paré was bisou-worthy in a L’Wren Scott column. Fashion industry favorite Carey Mulligan — as well as one of the night’s co-chairs — was a surreal beauty in a gold and silver paillette halter dress by Prada.
If there was ever a carpet that would have embraced a Bjork-like swan moment, this was it. Perhaps designer Zac Posen — who showed up wearing a velvet purple suit — said it best, “I think it’s important to celebrate humor, sarcasm and incredible craft.” We raise our shoe-shaped hats to that stylish sentiment.