The 2013 Met Ball once again heralded an array of designer creations and collaborations. This year it was the union of Azealia Banks and Alexander Wang that caught everyone’s attention. Over the years the met ball has witnessed some of the most prestigious designer dates from matching McQueen tartan to the fun match of Emma Stone, in a mini red skater sparkling dress, and Alber Elbaz (Lanvin). These pairings not only look fabulous, they inspire collections on and off the catwalk. Here we will look at some of the best designer and muse collaborations over the last seven years.
“A unique ingredient of the Model-Muse
relationship: perfection in imperfection.”
– Marc Jacobs
2006
McQueen’s flamboyant and luxurious hallmarks became synonymous with the real-life style of the woman we knew best as clothes horse Carrie Bradshaw. This was apparent the instant they arrived together on the Met Ball red carpet in matching tartan in 2006.
2008
Decked in Armani Privé, Julia Roberts was escorted by the designer himself – Giorgio Armani – to the 2008 Met Gala. She arrived at the Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute Gala in a beaded dress which compliments her bohemian style leather bracelet.
2009
The intriguing, symbiotic relationship of fashion’s most iconic pairing of Kate Moss and Marc Jacobs. Jacobs has clearly been inspired by Moss— whether he’s designing a collection based on Moss’s personal style; the most memorable being his fantastic, “grunge” line for Perry Ellis. While he admits Moss’s personal style has influenced his collections, he claims he finds her strong personality, her “life and and spirit” far more fascinating.
2011
We expect spectacles at the prestigious Metropolitan Museum of Arts Costume Institute Gala, but 2011 saw Gossip Girl star Blake Lively accompanied by Karl Lagerfeld from renowned designer house Chanel. Lively had been a long time muse for Karl Lagerfeld; he called her “kind of an American dream girl”. So it was no surprise that they went as dates to the 2011 Met Gala.
2012
The union of Azealia Banks and Alexander Wang came after Banks provided the music for his spring 2012 campaign. The pair also collaborated for his T Fall 2012 video MID. He gushed that “she exudes a certain rawness that makes her a very unique talent.” He wanted to associate with this raw quality in his collection.