Costume Institute Gala 2009

The Costume Institute held its annual gala tonight at the Metropolitan Museum of Art to celebrate the new exhibition opening this week — The Model as Muse: Embodying Fashion. Unsurprisingly, the event drew incredible fashions donned by supermodels and celebrity elites. Here are my top three best and craziest ensembles:

Faves

Claudia Schiffer's dress was my favorite of the pics I've seen. The black cutout gown has an artistic quality while maintaining a beautiful silhouette.


Chanel Iman looks like a tall, exotic nymph in a beautiful leopard print Zac Posen gown.


Of course, mega-hot model Gisele Bundchen rocked it in this Versace micro-minidress.

Crazies

(Disclaimer: I am not totally knocking these choices, since it is a "Costume" Institute gala, and who doesn't love a little avant garde? BUT these ladies take the cake for the most bizarre looks)

Ummm, we have a cray cray Shirley Temple on our hands. Leighton Meester's look leaves me speechless. I do like the bejeweled tights though... the pattern looks better with glitz and texture than it does on the dress itself. Maybe a bodysuit would have been an even bolder but more cohesive choice?


I don't know, Rhianna looks to me like a fembot gone masculine in this Dolce and Gabbana tuxedo.


If Carrie Bradshaw did it right, Madonna did it weird — the sculptural hairpiece is the crowning glory of her oddly hodge-podge Louis Vuitton ensemble that includes black thigh-high boots and fingerless gloves.


WELL, I would have loved to make it to the red carpet, but the workaholic in me ruled out and I had to live vicariously through other blogs/news sites. My new Twitter friend popwatch supplied the link to fabsugar.com, where I got the photos. The New York Times also has a nice story and accompanying slideshow, as does Vanity Fair and E! Online.