Custom gowns tends to dominate the red carpet of the ritziest party to end all parties on the fashion calendar, a.k.a. the Met Gala. But in the past few years, two affordable retailers that occupy a sizable chunk of our closets have cropped up at the ultra-tony event. Last year marked the very first time Swedish fast fashion heavyweight H&M dressed anyone for the Gala, outfitting singer Banks in a lipstick red number. Topshop has been at it for a couple of years now, dressing Kendall Jenner in 2014 and the likes of Jourdan Dunn, Jaime King, and Nicole Richie in 2013.
This year, both retailers brought a full-on posse to the Met Gala: Topshop dressed five celebs (four of them models), while H&M dressed six people (a more varied group, spanning the music, modeling, and Hollywood realms). There were some first-timers at the event, like model siblings Lucky Blue Smith and Pyper America Smith, who wore H&M, along with Met Gala vets like Hailee Steinfeld (in H&M as well) and Kate Upton (in Topshop).
However, not all of our fast fashion favorites were repped on the red carpet. "We do not tend to dress celebrities…Zara is quite discrete towards any promotional outlets beyond the stores, customers, and collections,” a Zara rep told us regarding Met Gala dressing. Forever 21 also didn’t make any appearances on the Met Gala red carpet, and nor did Mango.
Unfortunately, you can't buy any of these gowns spotted last night: They were all custom, one-off designs. Three years ago, Topshop did, in fact, sell its Met Gala looks (but it did so in conjunction with Vogue).
Despite the fact that you can't (yet) buy these dresses for yourself, nothing underscores the democratization of style quite like the arrival of fast fashion on the Met Gala red carpet. Plus, both Topshop and H&M have been dressing progressively more people for the big event (both retailers rolled deep this time around, instead of just dressing one or two celebs). We expect to see even more celebs wearing these names next year. But hopefully, the 2017 Met Gala fast fashion numbers will indeed go on sale. Ahead, check out the 11 fast fashion moments from last night's swishy affair.
Ciara’s glimmering H&M gown, complete with a choker neckline (so timely!) and a racer back, was constructed from Swarovski crystals suspended from gridded metal chain detailing.
Photo: Larry Busacca/Getty Images.
Besides that very pretty, four-foot-long train, Jennifer Hudson's white H&M dress was embellished with French knots, hand-melted sequins (yes, that's a real thing), and 3D bugle beads.
Photo: Larry Busacca/Getty Images.
Sofia Richie donned Topshop to the big event, just like her older sister did three years prior. Richie's rose gold-hued, embroidered off-the-shoulder dress was comprised of layers of metallic threading and black tulle.
Photo: Jamie McCarthy/FilmMagic/ Getty Images.
Stella Maxwell also went for the (rose) gold. Her Topshop gown has skinny straps, a generous train, and beaded detailing that was created by heating guipure fabric at 45 degrees, in order to curl the sequins.
Photo: Jamie McCarthy/FilmMagic/ Getty Images.
Lucky Blue Smith paired his off-white tuxedo blazer with a Swarovski-buttoned white silk shirt with metallic blue-coated leather pants, all by H&M. Lucky's sister, Pyper America Smith, donned an iridescent H&M dress with a fitted sequined bodice and a flurry of fringe and laser-cut vinyl feathers, hand-sewn onto a silk tulle base.
Photo: Richard Young/REX/Shutterstock.
Going green, kind of: Hailee Steinfeld opted for a silk emerald-hued H&M number replete with a high slit and corseted bodice that was covered in navette sequins atop silk organza.
Photo: Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images.
The black silk tulle Topshop gown that Taylor Hill wore had a couple of interesting details at play — ruffles at the neckline, a low-cut back, and cut-away sides, with a layer of plasticized handmade lace underneath the silk tulle.
Photo: Billy Farrell/BFA/REX/Shutterstock.
Kate Upton's gold sequined H&M gown bared a bit from head to toe, the one-shouldered style also has a thigh-high slit.
Photo: Larry Busacca/Getty Images.
Amber Valletta's H&M dress had a sustainability-minded eco-twist. The dark blue silk taffeta dress is decked out in sequins made from recycled plastic, with over 1,000 hand-cut organic silk petals, as well as laser-cut petals that were heat-transferred with reflective vinyl. Valletta's husband, Teddy Charles, donned a black wool tuxedo with wide lapels made of silk satin, also made by H&M.
Photo: Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images.
Maryna Linchuk's one-shoulder column dress by Topshop features metallic threading and fine chain detailing.
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