Amal Clooney in Richard Quinn at the Met Gala: heavenly or not so much?

Costume Institute Gala  in NYC

Amal Clooney was one of the co-chairs for the 2018 Met Gala. The theme was “Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination.” Tell me your interpretation of Amal’s Richard Quinn look. Garden of Eden, perhaps? What is the religious significance of a silver bustier and satin pants? I have no idea. The choice of Richard Quinn was interesting – he’s the designer who recently received the Queen Elizabeth II Award for British Design, which was presented to Quinn by Queen Elizabeth II herself, as part of a coup organized by Anna Wintour. My point? I’m positive that Wintour encouraged Amal to wear Quinn, and that Quinn was encouraged to create a custom look for Amal. But, again, what is this? It’s an unflattering mess. Those pants are terrible and the mullet skirt is… no bueno. IT HAS A RUFFLE ON THE TRAIN. From the neck up, Amal looks great though. And George Clooney looks nice, whatever.

Costume Institute Gala  in NYC

Met Gala 2018 NY

The 2018 Costume Institute's MET Gala Benefit - Red Carpet Arrivals

And here’s Anna Wintour and her beautiful daughter Bee Shaffer. Anna did what she always does – wore a custom Chanel, and to stay on theme, she added a diamond crucifix pendant necklace. Bee Shaffer wore Valentino! I don’t really think Bee’s look is on-theme, but a lot of women followed the same kind of idea: wear a “cardinal red” dress and hope it looks vaguely cardinalish. Can I just say? Anna’s dress isn’t great. She needs to stop with the custom Chanel looks and mix it up.

Embed from Getty Images

Embed from Getty Images

Photos courtesy of Getty, WENN.

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86 Responses to “Amal Clooney in Richard Quinn at the Met Gala: heavenly or not so much?”

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  1. Yellowrocket says:

    Lord help me, I love Amal’s look, especially when she was twirling out the mullet skirt.

    • Bola says:

      Me too! Thought I was the only one. It’s chic and regal

      • Sabrine says:

        Amal looks perfect. She’s so lovely and exudes an air of confidence. I love it.

      • Carrie1 says:

        I loved it! Especially that it has pants. Pants on a woman for anything catholic make me thrilled, it’s a big F U to the religion and it’s hindrance and persecution of women.

    • terra says:

      So. Good.

      I normally don’t jive with Amal’s choices. I respect her willingness to try new things, but often something is just not *quite* right, you know? But this? Totally not my style, but such a Look, capitalization completely earned. To die for.

      A look for the Met Ball doesn’t have to be wearable – in fact, it’s not *supposed* to be wearable. It’s supposed to be statement and this look doesn’t just talk, it sings.

      • Carol says:

        Yeah I’m usually not a fan of Amal’s clothing choice but this time she looks fantastic. I love the colors, especially the blue, of her outfit

      • terra says:

        Oh, my goodness. I just realized that the flower on her bodice looks like an apple blossom!

    • minx says:

      I love it too.

    • Aang says:

      I think she looks great. And I’m no Clooney fan. But that lady can wear clothes.

    • Snazzy says:

      yaaaas me too!!! I totally thought Garden of Eden. Plus look at her face. She’s glowing! So happy to be there. I love it

      • Felicia says:

        Yes!
        Silver bustier = heaven
        Black pants = hell
        Flower on bustier = garden of Eden
        Train = the Garden of Eden follows the whole look which is:

        Eve. (Woman)

      • terra says:

        The flower on her bodice looks suspiciously like an apple blossom, so I’d say this interpretation holds water. 🙂

    • Lucy2 says:

      I love it too! Not sure about it being on theme, but it’s gorgeous to look at.

    • FHMom says:

      I’m pretty convinced that Amal looks good in everything.

      • minx says:

        She’s slender and has great posture, which is something I notice. Shoulders back. She knows how to stand and pose.

      • Kosmos says:

        Oh, she has amazing style, I agree !!! However, I find the whole Met Gala thing so cheesy and silly. Does anyone else feel this way?

    • Carmen says:

      I liked the bustier and the pants. I didn’t like the skirt at all.

    • Morning Coffee says:

      Thank God it isn’t just me. I love it. I also think that train is probably detachable and she had a cute little outfit to party the night away once that thing came off.

    • Embee says:

      Came here to say the same: I LOVE it! I agree with Felicia’s breakdown of the components and I also feel like the trousers are a nod to Eve’s being a woman in a man’s world, and her derring-do in “crossing over” from compliant to self-directed. Brava!

    • Hazel says:

      I thought Amal looked lovely & she seemed to be enjoying herself, but I just felt as though we’ve seen this before, maybe not on her, but plenty of actresses on red carpets past.

    • giu says:

      @Felicia This interpretation looks quite right. Initially I disliked it,but at second glance I’m appreciating it more.

    • PMZ says:

      “…exudes an air of confidence” hmmm interesting, I see her as being smug, arrogant and relishing, wait no, doing a 10 meter backstroke in a pool of Klooney smug-osity.

  2. KLO says:

    The red dress looks great.

    • Pandy says:

      Agree – I really like Anna’s dress as well! Not a fan of Amal’s outfit. I’m disappointed. I usually really like her outfits. pout.

  3. gemcat says:

    I’m totally getting Our Lady of Guadalupe -vibes from it, not necessarily good vibes, but seemingly catholic fitting vibes nonetheless.. Especially re the light blue skirt with roses..

  4. BearcatLawyer says:

    I know Amal likes quirky fashion, but this look is just ridiculous. On the other hand, my initial reaction was, “Jesus Christ!” so arguably it had the appropriate thematic effect on me.

  5. A says:

    Every year there is a category for the people who would have looked amaxing…if only they weren’t wearing what they were wearing to the Met Gala.

    I’m disappointed with Amal Clooney. Maybe she chose this because she didn’t want to hog the spotlight as co-chair, because I know she can serve looks when she wants to.

    Bee Schaffer looks good but she isn’t dressed for the Met Gala. This is a good Oscars gown though.

    Anna Wintour continues to demonstrate why people should hesitate to take her advice on fashion much less pay her to give it.

    • Kitten says:

      I’m disappointed too. And it’s not like I don’t like her look, it’s just that I thought she would do more….

      • Aqua says:

        I agree with you! especially when they are co chair of the biggest fashion event of the year! I really expected her to bring it and she just didn’t. I honestly didn’t get the theme of her dress until I read this.

      • A says:

        @Kitten, same! She’s a smart woman, she can research and I know if she had put in a lot more effort she would have killed it and looked fantastic while doing so. Oh well. 🙁 Maybe another year?

  6. Janet says:

    The look is meh. The pieces don’t go together. Looks like a real case of the emperor’s new clothes.

    • Carrie1 says:

      Kind of sums up the Catholic Church eh? 😉

    • WhoMe? says:

      The look is meh and still maximalist. She’s making a lot of best dressed list and I’m like… y tho?

    • Trashaddict says:

      Doesn’t work for me. Part of me thinks it’s wonderful, part of me keeps thinking she’s been oven-wrapped in tinfoil.

  7. Golden retriever says:

    Terrible. Amal. Reminds me of the horror Demi Moore self designed bicycle shorts/long golden mullet dress at the Oscars in the 90s I think. Demi wore it better.

  8. LittleWing says:

    Too retro and the fabric is making my eyes jump. Is all that metallic meant to symbolize the cosmos? I could use one lol.

  9. Cher says:

    No, Amal, no.

  10. Katie says:

    I love it from behind, from in front it’s Demi Moore at the Oscars in 1989. But she does look beautiful, the most beautiful I think she’s ever looked.

  11. harlequin says:

    Don’t like Amal’s look, awful and I cringe at the pants.

    • tracking says:

      It would have been fine with out the pants. Slightly boring, but fine.

  12. Chef Grace says:

    I thought this was the best outfit of the evening. Gorgeous!
    More pagan than papal in this old witches opinion. 😉

  13. Lila says:

    I’m still trying to figure out why Amal Clooney, the internationally famous human rights lawyer, would even care about the MetGala (let alone co-host it). What does a co host even do? I most of missed this course in law school. Finally, is that a ball gown or a formal jumpsuit? Need to figure out what I am going to wear to a formal wedding next month.

    • Lindy says:

      Duh! Because Amal loves the limelight, being the center of attention, typical lawyer. Amal loves law but she also loves celebrity and the red carpet, it’s ok to love both.

    • Louise177 says:

      @Lila: I was going to say the same thing. I thought celebrities and people from the art and design world were always co-chairs. Why is Amal there? She clearly loved the attention when it was revealed she was dating George but it seems Amal has decided to go full Hollywood. I don’t understand anything about her dress.

    • Felicia says:

      Amal might be a lawyer, but she’s also clearly a woman who loves fashion for fashion’s sake. Which is probably more than can be said for 99% of the attendees.

      I didn’t know you had to choose between one or the other.

      • Lila says:

        I am a attorney and I work in immigration law. Trying to help people stay in this country. I love fashion and so do my other fellow female attorneys, but if I had to put on a gown that cost more than what my clients earn in a lifetime and attended a ball that cost about $30,000 for a ticket , it would be hard to look my clients in their face. So yes sometimes you have to choose.

    • lannisterforever says:

      Why can’t she be interested in both human rights and fashion? Also I think her look is pretty cool. Would have liked it better if the top was the same fabric/color as the pants though.

    • NightOwl says:

      It’s a fundraiser and charity event and if she can draw attention to the event and raise money for the Met, well why not? I love that a charity event is being hosted by someone with some intellectual heft who also loves fashion.

    • notasugarhere says:

      She is welcome to be interested in the limelight and fashion; she wouldn’t have married Clooney if she didn’t love attention. As for “internationally famous human rights lawyer”? That’s a lot of Clooney PR cleanup, where her client list of dictators has been conveniently forgotten.

      • Emmet says:

        THIS!
        Let’s not forget the perp walk with Assange.

      • Slushee says:

        You can love both – I do (style loving lawyer) -but she has definitely picked a side – the limelight. Also among the London barrister set, she’s just a front piece. Her practice was a junior barrister’s and there’s no way she’s climbing the ranks now.
        And to so flagrantly spend such enormous sums of money on clothes – no repeat wears a la Kate – is not a good look for a human rights barrister. It’s not even a good look for any professional who wants to be taken seriously.

      • Vegramen says:

        The Klooneys are frauds. She doesn’t have to choose one or the other strictly speaking, but at the same time we can judge them on what they’re selling.

        First, George still talks up her career when she’s merely a successful lawyer, nothing more. Second, she very obviously spends a lot of her time on vapid stuff like fashion and makeup. Again, her life, her choice, but don’t be saying we need to subscribe to the image of Amal Clooney, humanitarian, social justice advocate, whatever, if she spends more time on VIP shopping and makeup than she does helping out the disadvantaged. Third, if you want to lecture people on helping out the disadvantaged and persecuted, what are you saying when you parade around in 10K-plus outfits all the time?

        The Klooneys are most definitely trying to influence and convince you to take their stance on social justice issues, so what’s she saying by flaunting a multimillion-dollar wardrobe?

        Also check out how thirsty the wannabe-humanitarian-power-couple are for credibility: they do a pr release to Page Six, etc, whenever they meet with her old judge, Sotomayor, whom she clerked for, like clerking for a judge is a big deal (thousands upon thousands of grads and law students have done it).

        Yes, she doesn’t have to choose one way or the other but there is consistency, moderation, and proportionality. They want credibility and fame and influence from the general public and we can say, “Thanks, but no thanks,” if we don’t find the sales pitch compelling. We’re not saying she can’t live her life as she likes but that we don’t buy the smoke and mirrors.

    • Deedee says:

      Agreed. She seems to like celebrity status.

    • Larsen says:

      I remember how after engagement the PR was Amal would NEVER be on redcarpets or posing on redcarpets, that she had too much substance to ever be caught posing on a redcarpet. Well that certainly was not true, Amal is THIRSTY, Loves Fame.

      I don’t mind her fashion, but the fit on the outfit, something looks overwhelming about it.

  14. Va Va Kaboom says:

    Actually Anna’s dress is the most on theme of the three. The high collar and line of buttons down the chest is very reminiscent of a Cardinal. I don’t particularly like Chanel’s take on it, but I can definitely see the Catholic inspiration.

  15. mellie says:

    I LOVE Amal’s look, the pants with the skirt flowing around and those heels…I think she looks like a million bucks. Bee is so amazing in red. Anna is just meh. I think I would die if she changed her hair…

    • Danielle says:

      I think Anal looked gorgeous. Liked the outfit, and her face was perfection! Can’t believe she’s 40! Is it just me, or does Bee look alot different? Maybe weight loss?

  16. Melusine says:

    The Christian faith (and religions in general) is full of color symbolism, so red has nothing to so with looking cardinal-esque. Red symbolizes the Holy Spirit and is the color of Pentecost, so with Pentecost right around the corner this color is very much on point. Red also represents fire, power, and importance, and depending on the hue it can also be symbolic of the presence of God and the blood of martyrs. It can also represent atonement and humility, but I don’t think that was in great presence at the Met gala. 😉

    Once you learn more about color symbolism, religious art takes on a whole new meaning (at least older art). Virgin Mary is often depicted as wearing blue, just as an example, and in times when people knew how to interpret these colors they could understand so much more about what was depicted in paintings etc. It’s quite interesting!

    • Livvers says:

      And on your excellent note, roses and lilies especially are imbued with plenty of Catholic meaning, so that’s where I think Amal’s dress makes a direct nod to the theme. I was actually surprised – I shouldn’t have been – that no one chose to carry a stem of lilies or a single rose with them on the red carpet.

  17. Starryfish says:

    I thought this was honestly one of the worst looks of the night. So much look, none of it good.

  18. Spring says:

    I have no idea what’s going on with Amal Clooney’s outfit, but my god, she’s wearing the living crap out of it. In my book, with that body, hair, face, and carriage, she’d look striking in a burlap sack. I admire her career, her looks, her fashion choices, and how much fun she seems to have when she’s in the spotlight. I’ve never gotten all the criticism about her or George Clooney.

  19. Anabe says:

    I like ved this look. It was my favorite of them all. I thought it was very her. There is something quirky about her style and this was just perfect on her. I thought Zendaya was the best out of all of them but this one was my personal favorite

  20. Lala says:

    I will say this about Amal’s outfit…it’s fit to her body PERFECTLY! It’s just…there’s so much going on with her outfit…none of it looks cohesive to me….

  21. Kate says:

    I like Amal’s dress! I saw it as a stained glass window, with the shininess of the top evoking sunlight coming through the window. Kind of like this https://www.shutterstock.com/image-vector/stained-glass-window-shape-flower-rose-732932050

  22. Sage says:

    Amal has red carpet fever. It’s very clear she’s adores the limelight. This look was not memorable… I thought she would do better.

  23. ValiantlyVarnished says:

    I kind of love and hate Amal’s dress all at the same time. She looked amazing and regal and she wore the dress – it didn’t wear her. But – I wish the pants were a different material OR that it was just a full dress with that beautiful print and full skirt all the way around with no pants.

  24. Jayna says:

    That print, the colors, the fullness, wow. I adore it from that back. If only it was a full billowing skirt of that material all the way around. It would be a 12 I would love it so much.. But I’m not feeling the pants, especially in that color. Maybe all silver like someone else said so the pants matched the top part.

    She does look radiant and beautiful. Its nice to see an A-list couple at the Met Gala. I always like Jay-Z and Beyonce attending together for that reason. But no Beyonce this year.

  25. Veronica S. says:

    Honestly…I liked it more than I expected. I think a lot of it was that she was clearly enjoying herself in it. I’m not sure how I feel about the material, but this could have been far worse.

  26. Jenny says:

    I don’t understand why they even bother with a theme if Wintour and her daughter isn’t going to follow it? Or are they above themes? Maybe themed looks are only for mere mortals? Maybe that’s it: Wintour is God Herself so she is the theme this year?

    Don’t see the theme portrayed in Amal’s outfit either but whatever.

  27. nothingtoseehere says:

    Here’s what I don’t like — I get that it’s supposed to be a statement piece (which I didn’t particularly care for), but apparently she posed the hell out of it and then changed clothes once inside to a red Tom Ford.

  28. Jayna says:

    Did anyone see the outfit Amal was in at dinner the night before the Met Gala? I think they were celebrating George’s birthday. He even looked nice and coordinated with Amal.

    I loved it on her. It was stunning on her. It was midnight blue and was I think a one-piece dress shorts outfit with a beautiful belt with it and beautiful strappy shoes. The midnight blue was gorgeous on her, and I loved the outfit. It’s one of her best looks. Heres one of the photos.

    http://cdn01.cdn.justjared.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/clooney-bday/george-clooney-amal-birthday-dinner-05.jpg

  29. No Doubtful says:

    I’d like Amal’s look more if it wasn’t for the pants.

  30. serena says:

    Amal’s dress is not only a mess but a total miss from the theme.

  31. april says:

    She looks stunning. Love everything about it. With her lean and tall figure, she can pull it off.

  32. Vegramen says:

    She’s consistently a ridiculous figure. In the video of her and Klooney going up the stairs, she was absolutely loving the attention and wanting to take it as slow as possible while her husband was kind of trying to move her along. Never seen anyone hungrier for the cameras.

    Yes, she can be lawyer and fashionista and loving the fame. Yes, a human rights/international criminal law barrister can make a big show out of wearing staggeringly expensive clothes, whether she gets it gifted or not. But that doesn’t mean she’s not ridiculous.

    Men and women in entertainment usually have some sort of cred – acting, music, or whatever. She’s pure fashionista socialite and belongs in the Paris Hilton, Olivia Palmero, etc., category. Com’on, using her fame to raise awareness of human rights issues? 95% of the time she’s a walking mannequin for couture! Ridiculous is the only word for her.

    • WMGDtoo says:

      I thought she was going to get whiplash twisting around to find that camera. She has the strangest walk. I just can’t with her.

      • Jayna says:

        LOL She does love the camera. There’s never been a doubt about that. But in all fairness, in the video you can hear the photographers yelling for her to turn, to do this, to turn again and show the back of the gown, etc. And if she is going to be the co-host of the Met Gala, she had better pose every which way and not act above it (although clearly she’s not).

    • Lucky says:

      Agree. Although I think Amal looks great for once, it’s just ridiculous how camera hungry she is. But I guess it’s in their contract. 😊

  33. Dana says:

    That dress is just bad. Amal looks like one of the worst dresses and she was hosting. Rihanna looked amazing. Mrs Clooney from her makeup to those pants and the horrible skirt someone doesn’t like her. I do think this is her taste which shows she has none. Amal changed into this pink mosaic dress while it missed the theme by a mile too it was better then the first outfit. Is she pregnant? Or maybe she ate something?

    • WMGDtoo says:

      She has a strange bump.. It could be because she had twins.. or did she

  34. Anare says:

    I’m with Kaiser, Amal looks great from the neck up. Lol. That ensemble is crazy, and the fit is off. I applaud Kaiser for even spotting the ruffle edge of the train. All that reflecting metallic fabric makes me dizzy.
    Anna and Bee look like the Pope and a cardinal. Low key though. Anna never dresses to hog attention. I like her gown. Bee’s gown, not so much. Looks dated.