Welcome to another edition of Slay or Nay?! Like last year’s article, I will be reviewing the Met Gala outfits from this year with the same rubric from last year. Without further ado, let’s critique these outfits!

Doja Cat

Coordination: 0.5: Doja Cat’s look receives a half point for dressing as Lagerfeld’s cat, which was a huge part of his life, but loses half a point because the theme was to honor Lagerfeld’s fashion, and Lagerfeld wasn’t known to make cat outfits for people.

Flamboyance: 1: The addition of the jewels to her outfit elevates the overall look and makes her stand out amongst the crowd, therefore getting a point for flamboyance.

Does it look good: 1: While the cat ears do look a little tacky, the upper half of the outfit fits her body very well, while the bottom half blends well with the top half, making it visually appealing. So, she gets the point for looking good.

Creativity: 1: Anybody could’ve walked out in a cat dress, but Doja Cat elevates it to the next level with her facial prosthetics that make her look like a real cat. This proves that she isn’t just a cat, she IS the cat, therefore giving her 1 point for creativity.

Break Status Quo: 1: With her name having the word “cat” in it, you would expect her to dress as a cat. However, throughout her over 3 years in the spotlight, we have never seen her pull off a look like this. So, she breaks the status quo by steering away from her signature style.

My overall rating…4.5/5. This look is a slay!

Ava Max

Coordination: 0.5: Karl Lagerfeld was known for incorporating a lot of black and white into his looks. While this look does incorporate the white aspect, it doesn’t quite fit Lagerfeld’s specific style, so she gets half a point for staying on the general color scheme but loses half a point for not being “Lagerfeld” enough.

Flamboyance: 1: The jewels at the top of her dress, her headpiece, and the width of the dress at the bottom makes this look more intriguing and stands out amongst the rest. So, she gets 1 point for her look making a grand entrance.

Does it look good: 1: The monochromatic dress fits Ava Max’s signature style while also fitting nicely on her body. It’s both complicated enough to stand out and simple enough to be appealing to the eyes, so she gets 1 point for looking good.

Creativity: 1: While the color is quite predictable, the additions of the jeweled headpiece and the top peeled down to reveal a great undercoat are ideas that others would never think of doing for the Met Gala, therefore earning her a point for creativity. 

Break Status Quo: 0.5: The details mentioned in the creativity section makes her stand out by giving us a unique look, however, the overall style matches Ava Max’s aesthetic, so she gets half a point for adding details that no one would expect, but loses half a point for not stepping out of her comfort zone.

My overall rating…4/5. This look is a slay!

Ice Spice

Coordination: 1: While Ice Spice didn’t incorporate any black and white aspects, there were still others on the carpet, Gisele Buchanen for example, who wore dresses with nude lines at the side. This is an indicator that the nude addition correlates with Lagerfeld’s style, therefore giving Ice Spice 1 point for understanding the assignment.

Flamboyance: 0: While this is a pretty dress and looks great as a result, it’s nothing too memorable. Compared to other looks on the carpet with large trains and jewels everywhere, her look kinda falls into the background. So, she doesn’t get a point for flamboyance because there’s nothing that would make her stand out.

Does it look good: 1: This dress, as well as the hair, is very well put together, with the dress fitting perfectly to her body and her hair not having a strand out of place. She also didn’t overdo the nude lines, making this look very clean and visually appealing, therefore giving her a point for looking great.

Creativity: 0.5: While she did opt for a train in the back that helps elevate the look, this dress was already replicated on the carpet. However, the use of the camera as a prop makes her presentation unlike any others that night. So, she gets half a point for a unique presentation but loses half a point for not being original enough.

Break Status Quo: 1: While this look isn’t the most revolutionary out of the 200+ looks, it still exceeds our expectations because Ice Spice managed to divert away from her classic urban style. She’s typically known to wear more revealing outfits and wear her hair in an afro, but she managed to take a more glamorous route for the Met Gala. So, she earns a point for breaking the status quo for herself.

My overall rating…3.5/5. This look is a slay!

Janelle Monae

Coordination: 0.5: Her outfit before the reveal followed the theme by replicating the same oversized jacket design that Lagerfeld once made. However, the reveal from the coat to her undergarments throws away that entire concept. So, she gets half a point for originally following the theme but loses half a point for her reveal taking that away.

Flamboyance: 1: The contrasting colors of the jacket and its overall size make her stand out amongst the crowd for better or for worse, therefore giving her 1 point for her ability to separate herself from the crowd.

Does it look good: 0: The coat itself is pretty ok, but it’s a little too big and I felt that it had too much going on so I didn’t know where to focus on first. The revealed look of her underwear was too unflattering for the Met Gala and I didn’t think it was necessary, so her overall look is too much to give her a point here.

Creativity: 0.5: The thought of incorporating a reveal into the Met Gala is pretty creative because it isn’t something people are accustomed to doing. While the reveal was successful and her second look did have a powerful message about body positivity, I thought the overall execution was too unflattering. So, she wins half a point for taking a risk and it paying off, but loses half a point for the overall presentation.

Break Status Quo: 1: While this reveal wasn’t the most jaw-dropping that I’ve ever seen, it still breaks the status quo because we normally don’t see it on the Met Gala, plus it’s a technique that Monae hasn’t done before. Her presentation was much different than everyone else’s, which is why she gets a point for breaking the status quo.

Does it compare?: 0: I thought her 2022 Met Gala look was one of the best of that evening. Her dress fit nicely on her, it was unique to her, and it fit the theme. While this look was unique and somewhat fits the theme, I think her overall look and presentation had a downgrade from last year. So, she doesn’t get a point for outdoing her past looks.

My overall rating…3/5. Technically speaking, this look is still a slay!