Overview

The 2019 Met Gala (May 6, 2019) celebrated “Camp: Notes on Fashion,” inspired by Susan Sontag’s 1964 essay. The theme produced some of the most extravagant, theatrical, and meme-worthy red carpet moments in the event’s 71-year history.

Iconic Looks

Lady Gaga (co-chair):

• Four outfit reveals designed by Brandon Maxwell
• Started with 25-foot pink cape, stripped down through fuchsia gown, black cocktail dress, to final pink bra/underwear with wagon of champagne
• 16-minute entrance performance, perfectly embodying camp theatricality

Billy Porter:

• Arrived carried on a litter by six shirtless men like Cleopatra
• Gold Egyptian sun god costume with 10-foot wings by The Blonds
• Performance art entrance, breaking gender norms and carpet protocols

Ezra Miller:

• Multi-faced mask with seven eyes (Miu Miu)
• Surrealist interpretation, later opened coat to reveal full painted bodysuit

Janelle Monáe:

• Christian Siriano gown with moving eye that blinked
• Surrealist Picasso-inspired design with functional animatronic eye

Harry Styles (co-chair):

• Sheer Gucci black blouse with high-waisted trousers
• Single pearl earring, subverting masculine fashion codes

Katy Perry:

• Moschino chandelier dress (could light up)
• Later changed into cheeseburger costume
• Peak camp maximalism

Zendaya:

• Cinderella moment: Tommy Hilfiger light-up ball gown
• Law Roach waved wand, dress illuminated
• Literal interpretation of fairy tale camp

Cardi B:

• Oxblood Thom Browne gown with massive circular train
• Required 10 assistants to arrange train
• 30,000 burned and dyed feathers, took 2,000 hours to make

Understanding Camp

The theme challenged celebrities to interpret Susan Sontag’s essay defining camp as “love of the unnatural: of artifice and exaggeration.” Many played it safe with standard glamour, but standout looks embraced:

• Theatricality (Gaga, Porter)
• Irony and humor (Katy Perry cheeseburger)
• Gender subversion (Harry Styles, Ezra Miller)
• Surrealism (Janelle Monáe)

Memes & Reactions

• Jared Leto carried a replica of his own head (Gucci)
• Priyanka Chopra’s crown memed as “dystopian prom queen”
• Kim Kardashian’s wet-look Mugler dress sparked “did she sit down?” jokes
• Kendall and Kylie Jenner’s feathered looks compared to Big Bird

Cultural Impact

• Became benchmark for Met Gala extravagance
• Raised over $15 million for Costume Institute
• Livestream views surpassed previous years by 40%
• Demonstrated camp’s relevance to queer culture and fashion

Co-Chairs

Anna Wintour, Lady Gaga, Harry Styles, Serena Williams, Gucci creative director Alessandro Michele

Media Coverage

• Vogue: “The best and boldest looks” (https://www.vogue.com/)
• The New York Times: “Camp explained” (https://www.nytimes.com/)
• Vanity Fair: “Lady Gaga’s four outfit reveal” (https://www.vanityfair.com/)

The 2019 Met Gala remains the most visually memorable and meme-generating edition, setting a high bar for future themes and cementing camp’s place in mainstream fashion discourse.