In Case You are Wondering, This Is What the 2019 Met Gala Theme "Camp" Actually Means

The Metropolitan Museum of Art hosted the Met Gala on the the first Monday of May yesterday, to kick off the opening of its popular fashion exhibit at The Costume Institute. Just like every year, the Gala's dress code honors the exhibit's theme. In 2011, they payed homage to designer Alexander McQueen with the theme Savage Beauty, and in 2018 they went for a broader look with Fashion and the Catholic Imagination. As you can imagine, most stars take the dress code very seriously, and come up with their own interpretation of the theme. Lady Gaga, for example, chose to wear not one or two but four different outfits in one go this year, all on the red carpet. 

Incase you are wondering what sparked this theatrical display, the 2019 theme for the Gala was "Camp: Notes on Fashion". Confused? We don't blame you. If you can't figure out  how an outdoor boy scout activity involving tents links to such OTT displays, that is not the Camp they are talking about here. Rather, the theme is a nod to Susan Sontag's 1964 essay, Notes on Camp, which begins by defining the term as "It's love of the unnatural, of artifice and exaggeration." She elaborates that with Camp, it's not about talking in "terms of beauty" but rather "In terms of the degree of artifice ,of stylisation." Sontag breaks down the sensibility of Camp in 58 bullet points, giving examples of "campy" things which included Tiffany lamps, Swan Lake, King Kong and Flash Gordan comics. 

Does that make a little more sense? Check out this video of how the stars who attended the Gala interpreted the theme.

Coming back to Bollywood, both Priyanka Chopra and Deepika Padukone slayed their Camp looks in their own special way. Deepika won the hearts of the Internet in a Pink 'Camp Barbie' Zac Posen gown with 408 embroidered pieces that took more than 160 hours to print and finish, dramatic lips and a retro bouffant. Priyanka meanwhile, 'Camped it up' in a dramatic custom Dior dress with feathers and a thigh high slit, unreal makeup and a metallic cape.

 Who's look do you prefer, given the meaning of Camp we just decoded? The jury is still out on this one, stay tuned!