Met Gala 2014 - Red Carpet Trends

The Met Gala (or Prom for the fashion set) had a glorious red carpet procession last night.  The invitation's dress code was  “White Tie and Decorations.”  The marquee exhibit for the Metropolitan Museum's ball was Charles James, Beyond Fashion.  I guess Anna Wintour wanted guests to dress in classic glamour for the 2014 Met Ball.

The best looks came from guests paying tribute to Charles James in ball gowns echoing his silhouettes. Sarah Jessica Parker wore a black and white dress that was reminiscent of the black and white clover gown in the exhibit.  Sarah Silverman wore dark red Zac Posen similar to the scarlet creation in the museum.  Karolina Kurkova wore a sculptured work via Marchesa.  Anna Wintour's daughter Bee Schaffer wore a pale blue Alexander McQueen gown that paid tribute to the red and tulle gown by Charles James.

The irony of this event? In high school, the unpopular girls went to prom with their gay best friends.  For the Met Gala, the A-list celebrity girls attend "fashion prom" with their gay designer BFF's.  Yes, for this social event, it is much more likely to see top fashion designers bring their most popular celebrity muse as their date in lieu of their mates.  It's mutually beneficial as the designer secures the celebrity and the celebrity has designer cred.  I would love to see a designer give their date a jeweled corsage.

Worse trends?  Celebrities obviously paid to schill a mass market/high street clothing brand for press (I'm looking at you Topshop and Jenner family...) The other are celebrities dressing up as Disney princesses.  This is an unpopular opinion, at least where my niece is concerned.  She thinks this look is fabulous.  Last (AND least) the grotesque, wannabe streaker in pink mankini and Jersey Shore-worthy gold chain who tried to crash.  I am not even dignifying this clown with a photo.

Photos by Josh Haner/The New York Times, Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images, Kevin Mazur/WireImage

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A Touch of Min-K - Blake Lively's Best Kept Secret

Our beloved West Coast correspondent, Mdivani Monroe came to visit NYC recently.  He got in touch with an old friend of Ms. FAB, Minji Kim, a fellow Parsons alum...  A new mother and talented designer, she has held court with a chic boutique in the East Village for years.  Mdivani gives the scoop:

"When you go to a highly competitive college, you form a special bond with those that survived it with you.  Even though years may go by and you may not even have any communication with fellow classmates, that bond somehow stays intact.  Who else can understand those all-nighters, the unrelenting work load, the ruthless competition, the intensity of the whole experience that changes your life forever.

As I was searching for new shopping venues in New York, I came across a boutique, Min-K, the brainchild of one of my former classmates at Parsons, Minji Kim.  Reminiscing on our time at school, I remembered Minji as always being super creative and for having an eye for what was hot and happening.  True to form, Minji’s boutique is the perfect place to shop for the coolest clothing and accessories in the market.  Showcasing designers from Korea, Min-K has fashion items that you won’t  find anywhere else in the city.

Due to the cutting edge style found at Min-K, it is no wonder that you have seen it’s designs on celebs like Blake Lively, Katie Holmes and many more.

When you are in New York, you have to pay a visit to Min-K and pick up a something special and original!  And if Minji is in the store, say hi for me!"

For more on the boutique and an interview with Minji, check out Mdivani's video blog here. 

Photos and Video by Ritika Wahal
Photos of Blake Lively and Katie Holmes Courtesy of Min-K

www.ladieswholunchtravel.com

December 2014 Update: Sadly, the boutique will be closing its doors in February 2015. You can stay up to date on Minji Kim's work on her website and her costume work for upcoming movies.

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