Met Costume Institute Gala 2012 - "Shiaperelli and Prada: Impossible Conversations"

Yesterdat was The Metropolitan Museum of Art's annual Costume Institute Gala. This year's theme was Shiaperelli and Prada: Impossible Conversations, which spotlighted designers Elsa Shiaperelli and Miuccia Prada. According to The Met's website, the goal of pairing these two designers together was to highlight the similarities between their work despite the fact that they lived and worked in different periods in time and thus never corresponded or worked together. The term 'Impossible Conversations' is taken from a popular 1930s column published in Vanity Fair magazine that was titled 'Impossible Interviews'. In the 'Impossible Interviews' column, the author would compose the dialogue for a fictional conversation; what he imagined two illustrious people would have talked about had they ever actual met.
The exhibition - which contains eight themed sections - will be open to the public from May 10 - August 19, 2012. 

Some of the past Costume Institute Gala themes have included 2011's Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty, 2010's American Woman: Fashioning a National Identity, 2009's The Model as Muse: Embodying Fashion, 2008's Superheroes: Fashion and Fantasy, 2007's Poiret: King of Fashion and more. 

I excitedly ticked off the days leading up to this year's Met Gala because I couldn't wait to scroll through the photos of each celebrity's gown or tuxedo as they entered into the exhibition.  I am completely fine "oohing and aahing" and sometimes even "eewing" by myself over who's wearing what. At one point I hit the refresh button on my Twitter feed three times in a row to see the latest updates before I realized I was spazzing out.

Here are the looks that I felt were worn/styled to perfection. Sometimes at these illustrious events there are standout gowns that shine of their own merit; the celebrity simply acts as a model to better portray the gown's loveliness (like this Valentino gown from 2010). Other times it's not so much that I'm a fan of the outfit that a celebrity wore, but rather that I dig the confidence with which they carried it off (such as Florence Welch rocking Alexander McQueen). And yet still, at other times there can be a couple (either a romantic couple, or a designer-muse duo) that looked so great together that they could have been wearing paper bags and still have made it work (Gisele and Tom Brady at this year's Gala).

Some of my favorite looks from past Met Galas include Ashley Olsen wearing a tufted-sleeve Christian Dior dress in 2011, Camilla Belle wearing a vibrant red Jason Wu number in 2010, Christina Ricci's Ricardi Tisci Haute Couture Wonderwoman-esque gown from 2008 and Cameron Diaz's brilliant pairing of turquoise jewels with her magenta Dior by John Galliano multi-tiered gown in 2007.

Top four looks:

January Jones' bright yellow Versace gown and light blue jewels (photo c/o popsugar.com)

Karolina Kurkova's glittering gold Rachel Zoe dress and turban (photo c/o ibtimes.com)

I love the dress, but it does look quite a bit like the gold lame dress and turban combo that Kate Moss wore when she went as Marc Jacobs' date in 2009. But I've got to give Kurkova credit as she owned this look. It takes serious glamour to pose like this and not only get away with it, but make everyone else look silly for not doing the same.

Amy Adams' Giambattista Valli Haute Couture one-shouldered gold bow-cinched gown (photo c/o usweekly.com)

Diane Kruger's purple, feather-bedecked Prada gown (pohot c/o popsugar.com)

Other notable looks included Emma Stone looking adorable in a pleated, flower-covered Lanvin dress and Dianna Agron in a teal green Carolina Herrera gown.

My search for the perfect black leather flats

Like dark, well-tailored jeans, a fitted black blazer, and a good handbag, black flats are on the priority list for things that every woman should own. Black flats are my go-to shoe as they are a staple that makes everything classy by association.

I've worn flats by numerous brands, provided that the shoes are unadorned, are comfortable, and are made of leather. If each of these three stipulations has been met, then we're in business. I always dread the moment when I notice wear and tear on my current pair of black flats, because this means that a new replacement purchase is impending. And while browsing around for new shoes is usually a fun endeavor, my search for new black flats is usually a daunting task. This is due to the fact that I want simple, well-made shoes, and I find that many brands choose cheap fabrics and use a lot of decorative accents to make their flats stand out WHEN ALL THAT IS WANTED IS A PLAIN, SLEEK STYLE.

Basically, anything close to this Lanvin ballet flat would be the ideal shoe.

 (photo c/o lanvin.com)

I remember becoming mildly obsessed with this style when I kept seeing photographs of Angelina Jolie running around town in these babies, and I loved how the flats weren't clunky, but rather made a seamless transition from legs to shoe. I already know that a pair of these flats will be my first big shoe purchase for myself, and I can't wait for that day to come. It hasn't come yet, but I will use the style for inspiration toward other purchases. Therefore, whenever I look for shoes now, I ask myself, ''Will this give you the 'Lanvin effect'?" If the answer is yes, then I've got a new pair of shoes.

After six months of searching both online and in stores, I found the best flat in the form of Dolce Vita's Lucca style. Leather? Check. Unadorned? Check. Nice, pointy toe? Check. Comfortable? Check check. 

 

Should you be in the market for a wonderful pair of black flats, I can attest that these would be a lovely addition to your wardrobe.