Met Costume Institute Gala 2014: Why bother going?

Sarah Jessica Parker arriving at the Met Gala
wearing Oscar de la Renta; Getty images

Each yeah there are several status quo things when it comes to the Costume Institute Gala, or better known as the 'I'll Wear Whatever I Want' Gala. Anna Wintour won't change her bob and will wear Chanel, Sarah Jessica Parker will fully embrace the exhibi-tion theme and the majority of the A-list stars invited will pay zero attention to the dress code and will therefore wear whatever they feel most comfortable in. Fortunately or not everything remained the same this year, minus a few important key fashion players.

First things first, Sarah Jessica Parker delivered - once again. Being a co-host of the event she was one of the early guests to arrive, dressed in a dramatic custom-made Oscar de la Renta gown that carried the designer's signature in red on the train. Adorning the look with a double chignon and opera gloves, the fashion superstar oozed every bit of the old Hollywood glamour that was expected. Not far behind on the theme were this year's supermo-dels - plus Kendall Jenner, generally decked out in Zac Posen or Topshop, who also embodied the spirit of the exhibition thanks to the tireless guidance of Vogue's team.

Unfortunately other celebrities weren't as lucky. Aside from a few themed efforts that paid off, such as Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen's vintage getups, Amy Adams' de la Renta number and Zoe Saldana's contemporary gown by Michael Kors, the rest was as lazy as it gets. The red carpet saw a ton of minimal - borderline boring - column dresses in trendy colors, rarely "sprinkled" with jewels. Both Emma Stone and Diane Kruger disappointed, the former opting for a pink Thakoon gown consisting
of a crop top and a wrap-skirt and the latter wearing a baby blue number by Hugo Boss, while fashion darling Lupita Nyong'o took a 20s Prada flapper risk that left everyone confused.

From left: Ashley and Mary-Kate Olsen, Emma Stone and Zoe Saldana; Getty images

Not trying to be a total downer - there were some contemporary looks worth mentioning. Solange adapted this year's Charles James theme perfectly to her quirky style, opting for a knee-length orange Phillip Lim dress that gave her a unique silhouette; Kirsten Stewart had her best moment yet in a feathered Chanel couture dress; Kristen Wiig stunned in a Balenciaga dress-pants combo and both Kate Bosworth and Rihanna shone in sexy custom-made Stella McCartney dresses. But in the end, it's the lack of effort that everyone is going to remember before facing yet another dull Costume Institute Gala one year from now.

From left: Rihanna, Kristen Wiig, Solange Knowles and Kristen Stewart; Getty images