Met Gala: Katy Perry, Zayn Malik, Gigi Hadid, Taylor Swift and What We Were Reminded Of

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Met Gala: Katy Perry, Zayn Malik, Gigi Hadid, Taylor Swift and What We Were Reminded Of
Left: Katy Perry arrives at The Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute Benefit Gala on May 2, 2016, in New York. (Charles Sykes/Invision/AP); Right: Lava cascades on the slopes of Mayon volcano in Manila on Dec. 24, 2009. (Ted Alijibe/AFP/Getty Images)
Petr Svab
5/3/2016
Updated:
12/30/2023

Met Gala 2016 is over—let the fashion scrutiny begin. This year’s theme of “Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology” was supposed to explore the relationship between the human hand and the machine in creating fashion. Well, let’s see how designers and guests interpreted the message.

Katy Perry arrives at The Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute Benefit Gala on May 2, 2016, in New York. (Charles Sykes/Invision/AP)
Katy Perry arrives at The Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute Benefit Gala on May 2, 2016, in New York. (Charles Sykes/Invision/AP)

Katy Perry arrived in black Prada with gold embellishments and a long train. She explained a Tamagotchi digital pet on her belt as her “tech contribution.”

Katy Perry attends the Costume Institute Gala at Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 2, 2016, in New York. (Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images)
Katy Perry attends the Costume Institute Gala at Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 2, 2016, in New York. (Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images)
Katy Perry arrives at The Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute Benefit Gala on May 2, 2016, in New York. (Charles Sykes/Invision/AP)
Katy Perry arrives at The Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute Benefit Gala on May 2, 2016, in New York. (Charles Sykes/Invision/AP)

We can’t shake off the impression of a volcano erupting at night.

Perry's dress reminds us of the lava cascading on the slopes of Mayon volcano in Legazpi City near Manila in 2009. (Ted Alijibe/AFP/Getty Images)
Perry's dress reminds us of the lava cascading on the slopes of Mayon volcano in Legazpi City near Manila in 2009. (Ted Alijibe/AFP/Getty Images)

Gigi Hadid was accompanied by Zayn Malik, who completed his suit with silver metal arms.

Zayn Malik, left, and Gigi Hadid arrive at The Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute Benefit Gala on May 2, 2016, in New York. (Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)
Zayn Malik, left, and Gigi Hadid arrive at The Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute Benefit Gala on May 2, 2016, in New York. (Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)
Zayn Malik, left, and Gigi Hadid arrive at The Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute Benefit Gala on May 2, 2016, in New York. (Charles Sykes/Invision/AP)
Zayn Malik, left, and Gigi Hadid arrive at The Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute Benefit Gala on May 2, 2016, in New York. (Charles Sykes/Invision/AP)

Knight in a shining armor? But this is a technology night, right. Then perhaps...

Taylor Swift, a co-host of the gala, had black sandals with a silver, sparkly Louis Vuitton dress.

Taylor Swift arrives at The Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute Benefit Gala on May 2, 2016, in New York. (Charles Sykes/Invision/AP)
Taylor Swift arrives at The Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute Benefit Gala on May 2, 2016, in New York. (Charles Sykes/Invision/AP)
Taylor Swift arrives at The Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute Benefit Gala on May 2, 2016, in New York. (Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)
Taylor Swift arrives at The Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute Benefit Gala on May 2, 2016, in New York. (Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)

And, we have to say, this is one supersonic dress about to take off.

Swift reminds us of an F-22 Demonstration Team Raptor streaking across the sky above Langley Air Force Base, Va., on Feb. 1, 2011. (U.S. Air Force photo by Scott Knuteson)
Swift reminds us of an F-22 Demonstration Team Raptor streaking across the sky above Langley Air Force Base, Va., on Feb. 1, 2011. (U.S. Air Force photo by Scott Knuteson)

Kim Kardashian wore a silver Balmain gown. She told E! that she was going for a “blingy” robot look.

Kim Kardashian West attends the Costume Institute Gala at Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 2, 2016 in New York. (Larry Busacca/Getty Images)
Kim Kardashian West attends the Costume Institute Gala at Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 2, 2016 in New York. (Larry Busacca/Getty Images)
Kim Kardashian attends the afterparty for Costume Institute Gala at The Gilded Lily on May 2, 2016, in New York. (Rob Kim/Getty Images)
Kim Kardashian attends the afterparty for Costume Institute Gala at The Gilded Lily on May 2, 2016, in New York. (Rob Kim/Getty Images)

We’re not sure if she aimed specifically for an impression of Maria, the female robot of the 1927 movie “Metropolis.” But if she did, it may have also been a pun on the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Selena Gomez sported this dress.

Selena Gomez arrives at The Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute Benefit Gala on May 2, 2016, in New York. (Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)
Selena Gomez arrives at The Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute Benefit Gala on May 2, 2016, in New York. (Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)

We’re not sure if Gomez is dressed for a Hampton’s party or for the next Tomb Raider audition. We don’t really have a comment about the dress, so let’s just, for a moment, look more closely at her shoes. She is in New York, after all.

Selena Gomez, show detail, attends the Costume Institute Gala at Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 2, 2016 in New York. (Larry Busacca/Getty Images)
Selena Gomez, show detail, attends the Costume Institute Gala at Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 2, 2016 in New York. (Larry Busacca/Getty Images)

The annual gala is a fundraiser for the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute.