The previous lives of 10 gowns featured in this year’s Met costume exhibit, Manus x Machina

by Nicole Livey May 2, 2016

Prepping for the Met Gala is no joke, as Kim Kardashian’s tweet last night clearly attested: “It’s 2am just finished my spray tan, I’m so exhausted.” As someone who’s incurred the wrath of Anna Wintour’s disapproval (see: the unfortunate cropping incident of 2013), she is well aware of the importance attached to nailing the red carpet at fashion’s biggest night out.

This year’s gala theme, Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology, is challenging in that it’s more ambiguous than it has been previously. Yes, the obvious nod to technological fashion is what immediately stands out (Apple’s Chief Design Officer Jonathan Ive and the face of Apple Music T. Swift are co-chairing the event), but the theme also references the role of human craftsmanship in creating exquisite garments (think gorgeous draping and hand-embroidery). It’s a subtle notion to hit home on a stage as grand as the red carpet, and one that has likely caused significant amounts of stress among a good quotient of guests. However, a sneak peek into some of the pieces featured in the exhibit shows that they have in fact made past red carpet debuts, which would probably make good guidelines for terrified stylists whose livelihood depends on the verdict of Vogue’s best dressed list.

It’s interesting to note how some of these featured gowns were reworked from their avant-garde presentations on the runway, such as a 2012 Alexander McQueen creation which was originally shown with a full face mask that was aptly removed for the red carpet before being donned by everyone’s fave movie BFF Judy Greer. Other iconic pieces featured in the exhibition, like Dior’s much-revered “Venus” dress circa 1949, have been reincarnated for modern audiences, as was demonstrated by the voluminous tiered confection (bereft of any other embellishment) that Jennifer Lawrence wore to the Oscars when she won in 2013. And then there are still others that are so immaculate in their initial conception that they can transition from the runway to real life seamlessly, which was exactly what Jennifer Connelly did with Balenciaga’s instantly-recognizable laser-cut floral dress in 2007.

Check out our primer on the previous lives of a selection of gown from this year’s exhibition below. We hope for the sake of the guest list that they did their homework as well—Anna will most certainly be watching.

Photography by Francois Durand/Getty Images

Photography by Gary Gershoff/WireImage

Photography by Dimitrios Kambouris/WireImage

Photography by Steve Granitz/WireImage

Photography by Jeff Kravitz/Getty Images

Photography by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images

Photography by Noel Vasquez/Getty Images

Photography by Francois Nel/Getty Images

Photography by Mladen Antonov/AFP/Getty Images

Photo by Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic

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Left: Louis Vuitton S/S 2012
Right: Actress Fan Bing Bing arrives at the Louis Vuitton RTW show F/W 2012

Laser-cut white leather and white crinkle organza is accessorized by Fan Bing Bing with white LV umbrella and Hepburn-esque turban.

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Left: Alexander McQueen S/S 2012
Right: Judy Greer attends the ‘Married’ New York Series Premiere, 2015

Nude silk lace and tulle is bonded with laser-cut black patent leather, which climbs all the way up to ensconce the face of the wearer of this dress; Judy Greer wisely chose to have this removed to avoid scaring small children.

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Left: Proenza Schouler F/W 2013
Right: Lauren Santo Domingo attends 2013 CFDA Fashion Awards

White satin mesh and ceramic “stone” lace are worn with minimal adjustments by fashion babe LSD.

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Left: Christian Dior F/W 1949 “Junon” Dress
Right: Miley Cyrus arrives at the 2009 Oscars

Who could believe that Miley ever set foot in public wearing the quintessential princess gown, modeled after Dior’s famous “Junon” design—a silk faille and taffeta number replete with opalescent sequins and petals. Miley’s concern for her modesty even led her to add sleeves to the traditionally strapless design, which is somehow more shocking than picturing her in a dominatrix getup.

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Left: Christian Dior F/W 1949 “Venus” Dress
Right: Jennifer Lawrence at the 2013 Oscars

J. Law’s Oscar-winning gown was inspired by one of the most ionic ladylike dresses in history (which is made even better by the fact that she wiped out on the stairs while wearing it). The tiers on the original were embroidered with gelatin sequins, feather paillettes, synthetic pearls and crystals, while Jennifer kept hers starkly unadorned, balancing the hyper feminine silhouette with a contemporary minimalist aesthetic.

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Left: Alexander McQueen F/W
Right: Cate Blanchett arrives at the premiere of Paramount’s ‘The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button’, 2008

Though not quite identical, these dresses do share some similarities in their emphatic use of embellishment. In favour of making the design less of a costume piece, however, Cate opted for a more modest neckline, the addition of sleeves, and even a nude slip underneath the elongated hemline.

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Left: Balenciaga S/S 2008
Right: Jennifer Connelly arrives at the premiere of ‘Reservation Road’, 2007

Connelly appears to have lifted his Balenciaga creation straight from the runway, allowing the quirky, exaggerated silhouette to shine in all its glory.

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Left: Chanel S/S 2014
Right: Dakota Fanning attends the Chanel Cruise Collection 2014/2015 Photocall in Dubai

While common practice mostly sees celebs adding to the length of their runway ensembles, here Dakota Fanning actually had the bottom slip removed, which gave her more real estate to show off those gams.

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Left: Christian Dior S/S 2014
Right: Marion Cotillard at the 2015 Oscars

This heavily embroidered mousseline gown was streamlined for its Oscar debut, with Cotillard choosing a more reductive eyelet fabric sans black band accoutrement.

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Left: Christian Dior S/S 2015 Haute Couture
Right: Hailee Steinfeld arrives at the 2015 iHeartRadio Music Awards

This silk organdy hand-pleated skirt is embroidered with grosgrain ribbon and wool crepe; the addition of black patent boots made for the ultimate juxtaposition between traditional and futuristic.

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