The Wonder of Heavenly Bodies — Met Gala Exhibition Leaves Quite an Impression: This Melding of Catholics and Fashion Will Not Be Forgotten

My bucket list is rather short. Be caught in a mid-laugh paparazzi photo with Julia Roberts, climb Machu Picchu (curveball!), and at the tip top, attend the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s annual, and not to mention ultra-exclusive, Met Gala and its accompanying costume institute exhibition.

FYI, the Met Gala, held every year on the first Monday in May, is the quintessential intersection of celebrity and high fashion. So, basically, muh everything.

This year’s exhibit, entitled “Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination” was, at first, an interesting choice. But upon arriving into The Met’s Hallowed Halls (and after popping into the gift shop because merch), I was able to see the connection between the theme and the fashion itself.

I loved that the exhibit featured a strong assortment of designers who were raised in the Catholic tradition, and that in turn their respective feelings towards Catholicism showed in the garments they created.

My recent trip to NYC could not be more perfectly timed, as it fell right within the last days of the exhibition, which closed Monday. (If you failed to see it in person, the exhibition catalogue is a must buy!)

Now, let’s break down some of these jaw droppers shall we?

First and foremost, this Valentino Fall 2017 haute couture by my current favorite Pierpaolo Piccioli. The elegance for me lies in its effortless glamour in construction — a completely unfussy wow moment.
Amongst the jewel-encrusted gowns and ready to wear that surrounds it, this gem stands out loud and proud.

I also just wanna wear it, like V bad. Get my Andre Leon Tally moment, ya feel?

Then there was the famous Christian Lacroix Gold-Gotha piece from his 1998-89 Autumn/Winter haute couture collection. Maybe the most obviously on-theme piece, it just holds a special spot in this boy’s heart as it was the piece chosen by Anna Wintour (aka MOM) for her first cover after being appointed Vogue‘s US’ editor in chief in 1988. That image of Michaela Bercu still gives me heartburn I love it so much.

Of course, there’s the famous Atelier Versace wedding ensemble from Gianni’s final couture collection in 1997. Worn to complete sass by one Ms. Naomi Campbell as the finale lewk of the show, it would end up being one of the most iconic pieces of the Versace legacy. And, like, hellur!!! It gives full sexy-Joan-of-Arc-decides-to-settle-down-and-start-a-family-while-still-being-a-fierce-warrior vibe. Chain mail tends to do that…

All hail the most iconic of Angels, from the House of Dior, designed by John Galliano for his Autumn Winter 2005/06 haute couture collection. Galliano is a master of architectural creation while still keeping it flattering. This lewk, including its stunning halo and crown, simply took this fashion nerd’s breath away to view with his own eyes. I’m not crying, you’re crying.

Although the grandest in size of the exhibit exists in the main 5th Avenue location, it is also activated in the Met cloisters, wherein a stunning wedding ensemble was positioned from Cristóbal Balenciaga circa 1967. It’s placement, in front of a grand alter gave me full Julie Andrews when she morphed from Fraulein to Lady Von Trapp in The Sound of Music and I twasn’t mad about it.

The exhibit contains creations from the likes of Givenchy, Rodarte, Elsa Schiaparelli, Gucci, Jean Paul Gaultier, Dolce & Gabbana and Raf Simons, just to name a few — as well as 40 some-odd vestments sent from the Vatican itself.

Housed in the Anna Wintour Costume center (no photos allowed) crowns, chalices, staffs and other papal garb were shown in all their glory. It was a fantastic comparison to the couture that accompanied the exhibit, as any of those robes and papal tiaras could easily end up on Alessandro Michele’s next season Gucci runway.

What Did I love about the exhibition you ask? Besides the official bomber jacket I bought in the gift shop, it was that this year the pieces felt more immersed within the permanent collection of art.

Spread out over more real estate in the museum, you really got to admire each piece, in a traditional museum setting, as the art that it truly is. In previous years, the exhibitions are almost always positioned together spacing wise, so it was refreshing to see it all throughout the museum.

Overall, “Heavenly Bodies” was a fantastic theme any way you knight it (see what I did there?), from utterly stalkable red-carpet moments at the gala itself to a stunning presentation of couture creations and papal procurements within the exhibit. And personally, I felt one step closer to checking that item off the bucket list.

Reed Robertson (aka @mrreedallen) is the women’s ready-to-wear specialist, but identifies spiritually with the title of Dance Captain, within the charmingly curated world of Forty Five Ten. A Certified level 6 IMDB App©️Power User, Robertson enjoys devouring pop culture, as well as dancing at inappropriate times, and cocktails at inappropriate hours. Robertson lives in Dallas with his partner TJ and his large collection of shoes.