Brooke Shields
Brooke Shields

NEW YORK, May 5, 2006/ FW/ — From the red carpet glam to Kiefer Sutherland allegedly head-butted designer Jack McCollough after the Met gala, almost everything had been written at the highly anticipated Costume Institute Gala at The Metropolitan Museum of Art that was held last night here in New York.

The Museum’s annual Costume Institute Gala Benefit celebrates the opening of the year’s exhibition, and is the main source of funding for the Museum.

This year’s exhibit, The Model As Muse: Embodying Fashion (May 6 – August 9, 2009), explores the reciprocal relationship between high fashion and evolving ideals of beauty, focusing on iconic fashion models in the latter half of the 20th century and their roles in their respective eras.

Hence it is not surprising that several generations of supermodels were present to see themselves in the most iconic representations of fashion and pop culture.

Brooke Shields who wore a Calvin Klein Collection celeste georgette plissé one-shoulder gown saw 15-year-old self in the Calvin Klein Jeans advertising campaign that made the tagline “You want to know what comes between me and my Calvins? Nothing.” famous and part of American pop culture.

Francisco Costa and Eva Mendes
Francisco Costa and Eva Mendes

Kate Moss who wore a gold lamé Marc Jacobs creation, a metallic turban and Harry Winston jewels was co-host for the evening with Marc Jacobs. Not surprisingly, Kate Moss was also featured in the exhibition via her work for Calvin Klein during the 1990s.

In fact, Calvin Klein had a big presence for the evening with the Calvin Klein Collection table hosted by Francisco Costa, Women’s Creative Director, Calvin Klein Collection; Italo Zucchelli, Men’s Creative Director, Calvin Klein Collection; and Tom Murry, President and CEO of Calvin Klein, Inc.

Guests included Eva Mendes, the current face of the Calvin Klein Secret Obsession fragrance, as well as Calvin Klein Underwear, who wore Calvin Klein Collection vintage gold lamé metallic banded v neck gown.

Hilary Swank, who appeared in the Fall 2004 Calvin Klein Underwear advertising campaign wore a custom Calvin Klein Collection rouge silk gauze gathered gown while model Isabeli Fontana wore a custom Calvin Klein Collection sulfite silk pane velvet geometric laser cut dress.

In addition, others wardrobed by Calvin Klein Collection included Amanda Brooks, Amy Astley, Cecilia Dean, Tina Lundgren, Kathryn Neale Shaffer and Sam Shaffer, Aaron Tviet, and New York City Ballet principal dancer, Benjamin Millepied.

Hilary Swank
Hilary Swank

Still, it was Madonna who actually caught the eyes of everyone with her Louis Vuitton bunny ears and Anna Hu haute joaillerie, the “Edelweiss” Diamond Cross (about 6 carats) and “Icy Grapes” earrings which is made of natural colored sapphires, emerald, ruby and diamonds, about 28 carats with pear-shaped drop emeralds.

Madonna walked the red carpet in a navy blue ruche mini dress with a puffed skirt, teamed with thigh-high black boots and jeweled black fingerless gloves, that according to many earned Madonna a slot in the worst dress for the evening.

Yet, according to E! Online, Simon Doonan of Barneys New York and author of Eccentric Glamour “loved” Madonna’s get up.

“This is a great era for glamorous eccentricity. People are bored with glamour gowns,” Doonan told E! Online. “The ultra conventional glamour-gown look? That’s so last century, dahling! Think Lady Gaga!”

Simon Doonan has a point, but there were few takers in his view of eccentric glamour.

Most of the women went for conventional glamour, with Grammy Award winner and Latin sensation Thalia as one of them.

Thalia
Thalia

Thalia wowed the red carpet with the ANYA dress from Christian Siriano’s Fall 2009 Ready To Wear Collection which she accessorized with Kwiat platinum diamond rock crystal chandelier earrings, diamond legacy ring, stacked diamond moonlight and art deco style bracelets.

The gown, an iridescent Persian green chiffon tiered gown, is a standout in the collection and will be available at Saks Fifth Avenue in August 2009 along with the rest of the CHRISTIAN SIRIANO FALL 2009 READY TO WEAR COLLECTION.

Kwiat seem to be one of the jewelers of choice for the evening. Shalom Harlow who arrived in a black Nina Ricci ensemble accentuated her looks with a Kwiat platinum and diamond vintage circular brooch attached to 3 various opera length necklaces. She also wore 2 diamond moonlight bracelets; art Deco Kwiat cut cuff and flawless diamond studs, and thus wearing a total of over 200 carats of diamond for the evening.

Margherita Maccapani Missoni attended the gala wearing a Missoni cream long pleated gown with all over sequins from the Spring/Summer 2009 collection

[MARI DAVIS]